Despite strict epidemic prevention and control, people contract the virus every day, the pandemic has gradually become the norm. When new cases are detected, it is not only necessary to conduct real-time tracking, but also to identify potential superspreaders to avoid the extensive spread of the virus. Ther German aerosol monitoring specialist Palas® has developed the so-called Resp-Aer-Meter, a universally applicable measuring device that uses breath to determine how potentially infectious a person is. The device identifies exhaled particles with highly accurate size resolution and helps detect possible superspreaders.
An important building block for greater safety
It is well known that the coronavirus is spread via the air or aerosols. However, what many people do not know: The number of exhaled aerosols gives an indication of changes in the lungs and the potential risk of infection posed by the infected person. “Not everyone who is ill is equally infectious and passes on the disease. To determine this, the Resp-Aer-Meter can make an important contribution and make infections more visible,” explains Dr. Maximilian Weiß, CEO of Palas®. In contrast to standard test procedures, the Resp-Aer-Meter does not simply show a positive or negative result, but also the quantitative degree of the potential risk of infection and contagion. It is thus another important component in the fight against the pandemic. Maximilian Weiß says: “With the additional use of this device, measures to contain the pandemic can be optimized, for example, quarantine times: People who are not infectious do not have to remain in quarantine longer than necessary.”
Further fields of application
Recently, the pre-published study “Aerosol measurement identifies SARS-CoV 2 PCR positive adults compared with healthy controls” at Frankfurt University Hospital, shows that within the positive group of individuals there is considerable variation in the number of aerosols exhaled and a few individuals become superspreaders. Resp-Aer-Meter can detect the presence of infectious virus in the body only by exhaling. The test results can be obtained immediately after the test, and the monitoring data has a substantial reference value, which can be used as a reference index for disease.
Resp-Aer-Meter has a wide range of applications, especially for venues with large crowds and a large flow of people. Last March, Palas® started a partnership with the German handball league club MT Melsungen. The players and employees were tested with the Resp-Aer-Meter before each encounter to detect a possible infection at an early stage. At the same time, because the characteristics of the exhalation device provide a wide range of additional information and data, Resp-Aer-Meter is also suitable for medical and scientific fields.
How the Resp-Aer-Meter works
Palas® Resp-Aer-Meter can immediately show how many particles of which size exist in the breath. In addition to the mandatory traditional swab testing, the use of such technology would give an additional safety feature to prevent the transmission of viruses. Once a certain value is exceeded, the person being tested is considered potentially infectious and can be isolated from others in advance so that a continuous spreading of viruses on a large scale can be stopped.
Palas® Resp-Aer-Meter
Benefits
·  So-called superspreaders can be identified in 30s thanks to a high number of particles
·   Fast differentiation between infectious and less infectious Covid-19 carriers
·   Measurement of the aerosol concentration and aerosol size in exhaled air
·   Detection of particles from 145 nm to 10 µm
·   Highest resolution, especially in the virus size range from approx. 145 nm to 1 µm
·   Immediate evaluation and documentation of the measurement result
Applications
·   Detection of potential superspreaders (Covid-19, flu virus)
·   in industry, e.g. meat processing, automotive, chemistry
·   in airports, train stations, public buildings
·   at events such as trade fairs and seminars
·   in hospitals and nursing homes