Horizon looks at six innovations and technologies that are currently being developed to address the coronavirus.
1. Surface coating that explodes the coronavirus
According to UK scientists, an antimicrobial coating that destroys the coronavirus could help decontaminate commonly used surfaces. The coating, which can be dipped or sprayed onto surfaces like touch screens and elevator buttons, is made of synthetic antimicrobial peptides (miniproteins), which burst the virus’s outer lipid membrane, effectively killing it .
“This technology forces the microorganism to burst, almost like when a balloon touches a cactus,” said Dr. Hugo Macedo, CEO of air purification technology firm Smart Separations, which is developing the coating.
“We tested it against E. Coli, against H1N1 and, very recently, we have also tested it against SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus),” said Dr. Macedo. “In our preliminary tests it has destroyed the virus .”
Dr. Macedo and his team are exploring different applications for smart coating, including improving personal protective equipment (PPE). Antiviral stickers , which contain the coating on one side and an adhesive material on the other, could be applied to commonly used surfaces like ATMs, says Dr. Macedo.
The company is also looking at ways the coating can be applied over its product, a ceramic-based filtration system that could destroy airborne molds, viruses and bacteria such as legionella. The company presented its technology to investors at a European Innovation Council event in April, and in July launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a ceramic-coated air filter for use in offices and nursing homes.
2. Autonomous disinfection robot
An autonomous robot that emits ultraviolet C (UV-C) light and is currently used in hospitals to stop the spread of hospital-acquired infections is being tested for efficacy against coronavirus.
The UVD (Ultraviolet Disinfection) robot uses UV-C, a type of ultraviolet light that does not normally penetrate the Earth’s ozone layer. Since it is not naturally present on Earth, biological material is particularly vulnerable to the effects of UV-C radiation.
“When a microorganism is hit by this type of ultraviolet light, it penetrates the cell membrane and destroys all the larger molecules within the cell,” said Claus Risager, CEO of Danish professional robotics firm Blue Ocean Robotics, who designs, develops and produces the robot. “This means that the functions of the cell basically stop, so it dies .”
UV-C light is commonly used to decontaminate hospitals of bacteria and viruses, however stationary light sources indicate that there are often areas that are not detected by radiation. As a self- driving machine, the UVD robot is capable of roaming rooms and killing 99.99% of bacteria , says Dr. Risager. A 300-bed hospital with intensive care units and surgical spaces, he says, needs between 10 and 15 of the machines to disinfect effectively.
Blue Ocean Robotics, which has previously received funding from the European Innovation Council, says initial results for the coronavirus are positive. “The coronavirus is quite large and quite heavy, which means that it is very vulnerable. It is one of the most easily destroyed viruses, “said Dr. Risager.
3. Glow-in-the-dark tests
In the Netherlands, a group of scientists are creating a bioluminescent test kit that could be used to confirm whether someone’s immune system is producing antibodies in response to the coronavirus . The sensors are made of proteins that use luciferase, an enzyme used by fireflies to produce their glow, and emit blue light if antibodies are present in a blood sample.
The structure of each sensor protein is separated into two parts called “domains”, one that produces blue light and the other that emits green fluorescent light. Proteins will remain green unless a specific antibody is detected, in which case the binding of the antibodies triggers a structural change within the protein, changing the color to blue . The emitted light is not powerful enough to be visible to the naked eye, but it can be detected by a smartphone camera.
According to Maarten Merkx, professor of protein engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology and host of the ABSENS and LUMABS projects under which the technology was developed, the brightness makes it particularly suitable for diagnostic points of care. “The principle of the trial (test) is very simple and does not require a lot of fancy equipment, so for that reason it could be done in many different places ,” he said.
Originally conceived to detect antibodies to other conditions, Prof. Merkx’s team is now developing two variations of the technology, one to detect antibodies produced in response to SARS-CoV2 and the other to indicate the presence of the virus itself by detecting traces of viral proteins. Professor Merkx says that once developed, the tests could give results in as little as 30 minutes . “They could be useful for quick triage, making sure that if there is a suspicion, you can quickly confirm that there is an infection,” he said.
4. Infection-proof transport capsule
Initially designed as part of the Norwegian response to the 2014 Ebola crisis, the EpiShuttle is an insulated single-patient transport capsule that has been used by air ambulance teams to transport infected patients out of coronavirus hotspots. to regions with greater capacity to treat them .
Controlling infection in an air ambulance can be difficult due to lack of space, equipment, and water. There is no physical separation between the cockpit and the passenger cabin, which means that pilots, who cannot use PPE due to their own equipment, are at risk of infection. The EpiShuttle capsule is completely sealed except for a series of air filters to trap and contain microbes. This closed environment contains the infection, allowing patients to move safely through the air.
“What we’ve seen in the response to the pandemic is that transportation has been a very significant part of it, because you have epicenters with a lot of patients and the intensive care capacity in those regions has really been overwhelmed,” said Ellen Cathrine. Andersen, CEO of EpiGuard, the company behind the EpiShuttle: “With enough transport capacity, you will be able to move patients to areas with less pressure and more intensive care capacity available .”
In addition to their deployment in air ambulances and helicopters, EpiShuttles have also been used by ground ambulance personnel, as well as internally by hospitals to protect infectious patients from healthy or vulnerable people. The capsule design is currently being updated under the EpiShuttle 2.0 project to include a gas-based disinfection system, allowing for easy reuse.
5. 3D printed glasses to monitor vital signs
According to the inventors, a monitoring system made with 3D printing that is used like glasses, could give health professionals faster and more accurate data on the progress of the condition in patients with coronavirus . The glasses , which continuously monitor a person’s vital signs, were developed by Team Discover, a group of students from Hungary who participated in April’s EUvsVirus hackathon event to spur innovation on coronavirus.
Developed over 48 hours with the advice of doctors and nurses, the system is currently in the prototype phase. “We were thinking about what form it should take, whether it should be a headband or some kind of walkie-talkie, ” said Peter Lakatos, a Data Science student and member of the Discover Team. “But then we turned to the frame of the glasses, since it would be the most intuitive to use.”
The glasses have three sensors: an infrared temperature monitor, an oximeter to measure pulse rate and oxygen saturation, and lastly, a microphone to monitor respiration and inhalation.
“Since we can measure patients more regularly, we would get a more accurate trend analysis,” Lakatos said. “We could warn the nurses more quickly if a case is deteriorating.”
The team is now in talks with Hungarian and international organizations to see how to make the technology widely available. They believe that the glasses could be used to monitor patients with a wide variety of conditions, reducing the time burden on medical personnel. “It is a very useful product for hospitals because it not only keeps their staff safe, but it also allows them to expand their operations and makes them more efficient,” said Lakatos.
6. Online comparison system for health equipment
A real-time platform that connects healthcare providers with providers of PPE and medical devices could bridge the critical gap between supply and demand and avoid equipment shortages , says its founder.
Boris Mihov says that the coronavirus crisis has revealed a shortage in terms of valuable data. “How do you let the world know that you are producing something that healthcare providers need?” He said. “As you can see right now, during the Covid crisis, the supply side of the equation is totally absent.”
The AidBind platform, which was also developed during the EUvsVirus hackathon , aims to facilitate the acquisition of medical devices and PPE by encouraging the clear and transparent exchange of information . This includes the needs of medical institutions, manufacturers’ stocks, and areas where charities and NGOs can channel the donations they receive.
According to Mihov, the platform will also help these charities and philanthropic organizations to function better. “It’s extremely difficult for them to coordinate right now,” he said. “So just by providing the data and making it available to these stakeholders, their job will get easier and easier.”
The AidBind platform will launch in Bulgaria in the next 4-6 weeks, with the goal of launching it internationally in the coming months.
Artículo original
This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine
