In the world’s first claim, Sharp Corporation has proven the effectiveness of its patented plasma cluster ion technology. Sharp’s recent study has proven to deactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. According to researchers, when the airborne virus, SARS-CoV-2, is exposed to Plasmacluster ions for more than 30 seconds, the virus’ presence is reduced by more than 90%.
Now, customers of QNET’s star product in India, the SHARP-QNET ZENsational Air Purifier, have a new reason to celebrate their purchase in the new normal. This air purifier, the result of a partnership with Japanese electronics giant Sharp Corporation, is equipped with Sharp’s patented Plasmacluster® Ion Technology (PCI).
The study conducted by the Osaka-based Sharp Corporation shows that its Plasmacluster Ion Technology, which emits positive hydrogen ions and negative oxygen ions through a plasma discharge, cut concentrations of novel coronavirus particles by about 90 percent in an experiment jointly conducted with Nagasaki University and Shimane University.
According to Masashi Yamakawa, Associate Professor at the Kyoto Institute of Technology and member of the Fugaku Project, “Airborne virus droplets float in the air and can be inhaled by humans. For this reason, it is important to capture airborne viruses or remove them from the outdoors. Especially in the summer and winter, when air conditioners are in use, ventilation is less frequent, so new measures are required. By simulating the behavior of airborne virus droplets in a room, we believe that we have found a method to reduce airborne viruses to some extent, even for environments where opening windows for ventilation is problematic.”
Researchers for Sharp’s experiment sprayed a solution containing the novel coronavirus into a three-liter apparatus equipped with a Plasmacluster device. The aerosolized solution was then retrieved after being exposed to ions for 30 seconds to check for an inhibitory effect. The infectious titer in the retrieved solution was reduced by 91.3 percent compared with one that was not exposed to the ions, as per the study by Sharp.
PCI Technology has been certified by over 30 global Institutes, including IIT Delhi. Sharp first began their research on Plasmacluster technology in 2000 by working with third-party research organizations worldwide. They focused on proving the technology’s clinical efficacy in suppressing the activity of harmful substances, including new pandemic influenza viruses, drug-resistant bacteria, and mite allergens, and in reducing bronchial inflammation levels in children with asthma.
Then, in 2004, Sharp began demonstrating Plasmacluster technology’s effectiveness against various types of coronavirus during their trial. They researched how Plasmacluster technology reacts against feline (cat) coronavirus, a member of the Corona viridae family. In 2005, Sharp used the technology to provide insight into how effective it was against the original SARS coronavirus (SARS- CoV), which was related to the 2002-2003 outbreak.
Plasmacluster technology generates positive hydrogen ions (H⁺) and negative oxygen ions (O₂⁻), which are released into the air simultaneously. The positive and negative ions instantaneously bond on the surface of airborne bacteria, fungi, viruses, allergens, and the like, becoming OH (hydroxyl) radicals with very high oxidizing power. This process has introduced a unique air purification technology that works to suppress bacteria’s activity by breaking down proteins on their surface through a chemical reaction. Plasmacluster technology is proven to eliminate airborne mold, stop the proliferation of adhering mold, suppress airborne viruses’ activity, stick to viruses, suppress the activity of airborne bacteria, and suppress the effects of airborne allergens.
The ZENsational air purifier model developed exclusively for QNET by Sharp is available only through QNET’s e-commerce based direct selling platform. Since its launch in November 2017, the SHARP-QNET ZENsational has been a favorite of QNET’s India based customers and has consistently been its top-selling consumer durable product. This is the second product rolled out by Sharp for QNET.
Commenting on the results of the study, Rishi Chandiok, Regional Director (South Asia) for QNET said, “QNET congratulates Sharp for again proving themselves to be innovators in air purifying technology. We launched the first SHARP-QNET air purifier five years ago for our customers in India through successful joint collaboration and it proved to be one of our top selling products. Since then our partnership with Sharp has continued to grow in strength with the very successful ZENsational model. The findings of the study strengthen our Indian product portfolio during a time of a major global health crisis.”
Researchers participating in the research include Professor Jiro Yasuda of the National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University;
Professor Asuka Nanbo (a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology) of the same institution; Professor Hironori Yoshiyama of the Department of Microbiology, Shimane University, Faculty of Medicine (also, a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology); and researchers at Nagasaki University, an internationally respected authority on infectious diseases research.
Dr. Jiro Yasuda, Professor of National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University, commented on the findings: “It is well known that disinfectants such as alcohol and detergents (surfactants) are effective in reducing the risk of the virus surviving on materials. However, there are few effective countermeasures for infection via aerosols (micro-droplets) beyond wearing a mask. Today, we demonstrated the effective inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in airborne droplets by using Plasmacluster technology. We expect it would be useful to reduce the risk of infection in real spaces like offices, homes, medical facilities, and vehicles, too.”