See the Difference!
Altapure
Competition
What Makes Altapure Different?
- Complete sub-micron aerosol size (0.69 micron average)
- Aerosol cloud density
- 6 Log kill of viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungus
- Extremely short (50 minute common) room process time (Exit to Reuse)
- EPA registered “Cold Sterilant” performance
- Extremely low chemical ingredient percentages
- No residue and completely biodegrades
- Integrated air reprocessing equipment
- Remote tablet control
- Patented automated vent cover system
| Tomi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Droplet Size | Not Published | Not Published | 0.69 micron (sub-micron) |
| Sub-micron average, gas-like droplet size | No | No | Yes |
| Extreme thin film applied to surfaces by sub-micron cloud | No | No | Yes—dry process |
| Hydrogen peroxide percentage | 7.8 | 5 | 0.88 |
| Corrosive to hospital equipment? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Leaves heavy metals such as silver on surfaces | No | Yes | No |
| Total cycle time (Process start to Room reuse) | Not Published | 2 Hours Reported | < 50 Minutes |
| Fails to kill M tuberculosis in room | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Meets EPA mandated 6 Log reduction kill of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for disinfection | No, Only 4 Log | No, Only 4 Log | Yes, 100% Kill, No Growth |
| Meets EPA mandated 6 Log reduction kill of Staphylococcus aureus for disinfection | No, Only 4 Log | No, Only 4 Log | Yes, 100% Kill, No Growth |
| Achieves 6 Log reduction kill of Influenza Virus | No, Only 4 Log | Unknown | Yes, 100% Kill, No Growth |
| Liquid is an EPA registered “Cold Sterilant” | No | No | Yes |
| Approved for food contact surfaces | No | No | Yes |
| Room size restrictions | Unknown | Yes, up to 3,663.7 ft3 / 104 m3 | No |
| Process sensitive to temperature and humidity | No | Yes | No |
| Post treatment dehumidification and/or ventilation required | Yes, not included | Yes, not included | No, Included in System |
| Requires HVAC system control | Yes | Yes | No |
| Area must be proven safe with expensive air monitoring device before entering | Yes | Yes | No |
| Immediate room entry after treatment cycle | No | No | Yes |
| Includes air processing system | No | No | Yes |
| Can achieve 100% spore elimination in adjacent rooms with one unit operating | No | No | Yes |
| Room Entry Restrictions | No entry until ppm is < 0.2 ppm | No entry until ppm is < 0.2 ppm | Immediate |
| Remote start and tablet control | No | No | Yes |
| Automatic vent cover system | No | No | Yes |
| Aerosol jets / nozzles can potentially clog | Yes | Yes | No |
| Disinfection of coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) | Unknown | Unknown |
Aerosol Science
Altapure's aerosol is new and unique because it contains a very heavy concentration of relatively uniform small droplets in the submicron range (0.69 micron). This is possible because Altapure's EPA approved “Cold Sterilant” is aerosolized with a patented high-powered ultrasonic sheer wave.
Altapure's aerosol average size is not a bell curve in its distribution, but has instead a unique drop-off in the sub-micron range due to its sheer wave generation. This large generated cloud of the sub-micron droplets are able to behave like a gas, while delivering the activity of a liquid to any targeted surfaces.
If the majority or average of the deployed aerosol droplets are larger than the sub-micron range, then the generated aerosol is not gas-like like some have claimed.
Aerosol size impacts critical aerosol droplet behaviors:
- Settling Velocity
- Diffusion Coefficient
Settling Velocity - The larger the diameter of the particle, the faster it settles and the less time it has to remain airborne and to spread out. The smaller the droplet size, the better the performance. For example, a 0.6-µm droplet is almost ten (10) times better at staying aloft than a 2-µm droplet, and almost fifty-seven (57) times better than a 5-µm droplet.
Diffusion Coefficient - This relates to how aerosols disperses into a space. An inverse relationship exists between droplet size and its diffusion coefficient. Diffusion and Brownian Motion increase rapidly and exponentially as droplet size decreases. Again, the smaller the droplet size, the better the performance. For example, a 0.6-µm droplet is almost four (4) times better at diffusion than a 2-µm droplet, and ten (10) times better than a 5-µm droplet.
Compressed Air Nozzle Fogging Technology
This platform utilizes air pressure and a nozzle / jet apparatus to create and propel a liquid droplets into a treated space. Droplets produced in this fashion fall within a range of 9–100 µm and greater. All droplets are affected by the force of gravity. This technology is plagued by its “large” droplets and its lower density aerosol output.
The larger the droplet, the greater the gravitational force affecting its ability to stay aloft and reach far away surfaces. Brownian movement is also reduced, lowering the ability of the mist or aerosol to effectively treat complex surface geometries, adjacent rooms, and long vertical and horizontal runs. The corollary is also true: the smaller the droplet, the longer it will stay aloft and reach faraway surfaces. Larger droplets are also wet and can tend to puddle on horizontal surfaces.
Disadvantages Of Compressed Air / Nozzle Misting Or Fogging Systems:
- Unable to achieve “no growth” for C. difficile spore kill throughout connected spaces or rooms, and even for many systems in the same room as the aerosol generator
- Large droplet sizes
- Wet
- Short aerosol suspension time (due to large droplets)
- Reduced aerosol flow / penetration / Brownian movement
(aerosol size dependent) - Reduced ability to treat complex surface geometries and long vertical & horizontal runs
- Small aerosol plume volume & plume density
- Compressed air source needed
- Application process can be loud
- Aerosol nozzles / jets can clog endangering success
- “Arc” charged particles can be repelled by mismatched surface charges
- Longer application times
One competitive “fogging” system uses a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and silver. However, the presence of the silver ion residue prevents its use in pharmaceutical cleanrooms and most food applications as silver is considered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be a toxic heavy metal.
Another competitive “fogging” system also failed to kill the bacterial challenges located in a test room, as discussed in the article below. Many different factors can contribute to this failed outcome including, but not limited to, (a) the aerosol cloud is not effectively dense, (b) the aerosol particles are too large, and (c) the deployed chemical isn’t efficacious enough to have a successful outcome on the biological challenge.
https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(10)02090-4/fulltext
Electrical Arc & Compressed Air Nozzle Misting Or Fogging Systems:
Another example of a modified compressed air system involves using a compressed air nozzle system that passes the liquid solution consisting of at least 7.5% Hydrogen Peroxide through an electrical arc which is claimed to create a "cold plasma ionized gas". This technology suffers from various problems. One of many problems is the large aerosol droplet size as discussed above.
Another problem is that due to the physio-chemical structure of their charged droplets, the hydroxyls remain uncombined with atmospheric products for ONLY as long as ten (10) seconds, which is a severe handicap for achieving the needed enhanced effect or efficacy for airborne or surface-attached pathogens that are more than ten (10) seconds away, due to long travel distances, complex geometries, or even areas that might have complex airflow patterns.
An even more pressing problem with this technology is that the aerosol droplets are “charged”. This is not desirable since if the charge is "the same" between the aerosol and the targeted surface(s), the aerosol may be repelled from, and not have contact with, the targeted surfaces. This outcome is especially problematic in places where life and health is at risk and surface disinfection / decontamination is expected or needed.
Literature Quote:
"The plasma is tuned to a specific bonding frequency of active ingredients and creates a high concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as negatively charged hydroxyl ions. The negatively charged ions aggressively seek out positively charged areas to attach themselves, allowing for a thorough covering of all surfaces within the treatment area."
The Current Regulatory Environment
The large area disinfection market is currently in a “wild west” scenario where the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seems to have given up policing product claims and enforcing federal laws and guidelines.
Altapure is advocating for new US Federal legislation to mandate compulsory standardized testing to ferret out actual performance facts from the marketing hype in the marketplace, and control the claims of “large area disinfection & decontamination” products, especially those who pretend to “act like a gas and eliminate pathogens in a treated area”. With dangerous pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 that cause COVID-19 disease, MERS-CoV, C. auris, MRSA, CRE, VRE, and C. difficil, buyers deserve to be provided with data acquired in a standardized manner so they can equally compare the actual performance of various products.
Please have your microbiology lab challenge all microbiological and viral product claims to EPA and AOAC test standards, using at least the EPA’s Log 6 standard test protocols for hospital disinfection claims and sporicidal claims, for all products claiming large area disinfection, sterilization, or decontamination, of surfaces in a treated space (including distant surfaces that are not horizontal, under toilet seats and tables, and around corners in adjacent rooms).