N95 masks depend on making a perfect seal with your face. If there are any imperfections, a poor fit, or a leak, the effectiveness drops to almost zero. Masks are also notoriously uncomfortable, aren’t sized to fit children, and people often take them off in public to eat, drink, or adjust the fitting.

HEPA filters have similar problems: their effectiveness varies with particle size and is susceptible to imperfections in sealing. And most filters don’t actually inactivate viruses or bacteria.

Other approaches, such as UV light and ozone fumigation, have their own set of drawbacks. They require more time to treat the air, and UV effectiveness varies as bulbs age and as standoff distance from the bulbs increases.

Our Direct Air Treatment Module (DATM) removes pathogens and inactivates them more reliably and effectively — and economically — than other air treatment solutions. The DATM can be used in a large-scale HVAC format or as a wearable device, with far less intrusion and discomfort than N95 masks.

By directly exposing contaminated air to a non-thermal plasma (NTP), the DATM both removes airborne particles and inactivates them instantly. 

Non-thermal plasmas have been used for years to generate ozone as an indirect form of contaminant treatment for drinking water or to sterilize surfaces — similar to disinfecting with chlorinated water. Ozonation, like UV treatment, requires seconds to minutes of treatment time to be effective. Such treatment times translate into meters-long treatment chambers when dealing with air flows of 3-10 meters per second.

Taza Aya’s DATM uses a non-thermal plasma for direct treatment by exposure to the NTP itself,  instead of indirect treatment by exposure to ozone as an NTP byproduct. The DATM operates at lower power levels and yet generates powerful radicals and excited molecules that inactivate airborne viruses rapidly. The result is greater sterilization in an instant.

“We envisioned the need for future pathogen protection to go beyond traditional respiratory devices, and integrate seamlessly into our daily lives, becoming an ‘invisible shield’ against pathogens.

We believe Taza Aya demonstrates ingenuity and exceptional vision in their aim to deliver respiratory protection to individuals, families, and communities around the world.”

—Melinda Richter, Global Head of J&J Innovation, JLABS