The company is seeking FDA approval for its products, which would be made in Texas
Swiss hygiene company Livinguard is applying its technology that destroys coronavirus 229e on textiles for products such as face masks.
The company’s research shows that textiles treated with Livinguard’s technology can destroy pathogens of all kinds upon contact, including human coronavirus, and can be sustained through multiple uses and washes. Testing under the supervision of Dr. Charles Gerba at the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona has recently demonstrated a greater than 99% inactivation rate of HCoV-229e on the textiles used in Livinguard masks as per the ISO 18184 protocol. This is widely accepted as being representative of performance against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 infection.
Livinguard is using the technology on face masks that are sold worldwide, although they are not yet available for sale in the United States or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. ReadyOne in El Paso, Texas, is expected to manufacture the Livinguard masks in the U.S. The masks are currently made in Portugal, Israel, Sri Lanka, Jordan, UAE, India and China. Each mask can be used up to 210 times, with no compromise on efficacy.
The principle underlying the technology is its ability to destroy microorganisms on contact, including bacteria and viruses, and to do so continuously and permanently. In addition to masks, the technology can be applied to any textile, the company said.
“We are enthused and grateful to be able to offer a powerful tool in the fight against coronavirus,” said Sanjeev Swamy, founder and CTO of Livinguard. “The unique characteristics of Livinguard will provide users with an unprecedented level of security.”
