Filters

One of the most important means of preventing disease is preventing exposure to pathogenic microbes. As well as providing sterile surfaces, this can take the form of filtration of air and liquids that a patient is exposed to during treatment. The trouble is that many viruses are smaller than the pores of these filters and so can penetrate them, making them useless.

New filters have nanoscale pores that are able to remove even the smallest of viruses. Inclusion of active materials, such as silver nanoparticles or titanium dioxide nanoparticles and UV light sources, can enhance this effect by killing the trapped viruses, bacteria and fungi. Such systems are already being employed in the fight against SARS, to prevent the spread of the virus from infected patients to medical staff.