Abstract: Infectious diseases can be transmitted to humans, or between humans and animals, by airborne viruses and bacteria, known as infectious aerosols. Current protective measures that individuals can take to avoid inhaling such aerosols are either marginally effective (personal face masks) or impractical (self-contained breathing apparatuses). Building ventilation systems employing high-efficiency filters to prevent distribution of such aerosols suffer from high energy costs and high filter replacement costs. The development of conventional, intramuscularly administered vaccines takes months or years to produce enough doses to protect a population from a rapidly spreading infectious disease. Airborne viruses and bacteria have been shown to be completely inactivated when exposed to non-thermal plasmas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for electro-hydrodynamic destruction of an aerosol. The method includes receiving air having large aerosols, greater than about 1 micron, and small aerosols, smaller than about 1 micron, and entraining the large aerosols and small aerosols within an airflow. The airflow is directed to an electric field, which causes the large aerosols to react with the electric field to accumulate an electric charge resulting in extraction of the large aerosols from the airflow. The airflow is also directed to a non-thermal plasma such that the small aerosols remain entrained in the airflow and are subject to electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) phenomena. The non-thermal plasma outputs at least one of radicals, excited species, and ionized atoms and molecules capable of reacting with the small aerosols to result in physical and/or chemical destruction of the small aerosols.

Abstract: Infectious diseases can be transmitted to humans, or between humans and animals, by airborne viruses and bacteria, known as infectious aerosols. Current protective measures that individuals can take to avoid inhaling such aerosols are either marginally effective (personal face masks) or impractical (self-contained breathing apparatuses). Building ventilation systems employing high-efficiency filters to prevent distribution of such aerosols suffer from high energy costs and high filter replacement costs. The development of conventional, intramuscularly administered vaccines takes months or years to produce enough doses to protect a population from a rapidly spreading infectious disease. Airborne viruses and bacteria have been shown to be completely inactivated when exposed to non-thermal plasmas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for electro-hydrodynamic destruction of an aerosol. The method includes receiving air having large aerosols, greater than about 1 micron, and small aerosols, smaller than about 1 micron, and entraining the large aerosols and small aerosols within an airflow. The airflow is directed to an electric field, which causes the large aerosols to react with the electric field to accumulate an electric charge resulting in extraction of the large aerosols from the airflow. The airflow is also directed to a non-thermal plasma such that the small aerosols remain entrained in the airflow and are subject to electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) phenomena. The non-thermal plasma outputs at least one of radicals, excited species, and ionized atoms and molecules capable of reacting with the small aerosols to result in physical and/or chemical destruction of the small aerosols.