Contract research organisation Texcell has verified the inhibitory effect of nanoe™ X, an ionizer technology developed by Panasonic capable of generating “nano-sized atomized water particles”. The inclusion of hydroxyl radicals in the water is said to provide an inhibitory effect with pathogenic microorganisms including the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
An electrostatic atomization technology, nanoe™ X collects invisible moisture in the air and applies high voltage to it to produce “hydroxyl radicals contained in water”. These are strongly oxidative and highly reactive.
Panasonic has been conducting research on this technology since 1997, and has verified its effectiveness in a variety of areas, including inhibiting certain pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and allergens, and breaking down PM 2.5 components.
In 2012, Panasonic conducted a virus clearance test with a third-party organization and confirmed the effectiveness of each of its technology in terms of biological characteristics. Based on this result, the firm announced that “hydroxyl radicals contained in water” technology could be expected to have an inhibitory effect on new viruses.
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) of the current global pandemic is one such new type of virus and testing with Texcell has now confirmed that nanoe™ X does have an inhibitory effect on this virus. This testing was carried out in a closed laboratory environment and was not designed to assess its efficacy in uncontrolled living spaces. Panasonic will continue to pursue the potential of nanoe™ X technology to address possible risks associated with air pollution such as new pathogenic microorganisms, with the aim of creating cleaner environments for people around the world.
