Panasonic announces the success of the experiment using a Panasonic’s air conditioner, verifying of inhibitory effect of nanoe™ X technology on the adhered novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Panasonic announces the success of the experiment using a Panasonic’s air conditioner, verifying of inhibitory effect of nanoe™ X technology on the adhered novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Bangkok (14 January 2021) Mr. Hiroyuki Muto, Managing Director of Panasonic A.P. Sales (Thailand) Co., LTD., announced the success of an experiment of nanoe™ X using Panasonic’s air conditioner on the adhered novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 which is the cause of COVID-19. This experiment was conducted in collaboration with a global contract research organization Texcell*1 and Texcell has verified the inhibitory effect of the nanoe™ X technology with the benefits of hydroxyl radicals on the virus.

nanoe™ X is Panasonic’s patent technology to generate hydroxyl radicals contained in water. Generally, one of the means to inhibit viruses is to utilize hydroxyl radicals. However, hydroxyl radicals themselves easily react with substances in the air, and their lifespan is said to be less than 1 second. On the other hand, nanoe™ X has a long lifespan of approximately 10 minutes and can spread over long distances because it is contained in water. So, nanoe™ X technology can inhibit on the adhered novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) effectively.

Panasonic has succeeded on two experiments prior to this one using nanoe™ X device on the novel coronavirus in 45L space last year*2. For further investigation, Panasonic challenged to test using air conditioner with nanoe™ X in a larger test space. Even in these difficult circumstances, Texcell has now certified that nanoe™ X does have 91.4% of the inhibitory effect on the adhered novel coronavirus in the actual space of 6.7m3 in 8 hours using the air conditioner with nanoe™ X. This testing was carried out in a closed laboratory environment and was not designed to assess its efficacy in uncontrolled living spaces. However, what is remarkable this time is that the experiment was conducted in a condition that is more similar to the actual spaces encountered in our real life by using actual product in the space with the size that is equivalent to station wagon car.

nanoe™ technology is also effective to inhibit bacteria and viruses, mould, allergens, pollens, and hazardous substances, and unpleasant odor. Currently, the nanoe™ X technology of Panasonic is equipped in particular models of Panasonic air conditioner, air purifier and other products available in Thailand.

Mr. Hiroyuki Muto, Managing Director of Panasonic A.P. Sales (Thailand) Co., LTD states that “At the core of Panasonic endeavors in delivering good-quality air to people is nanoe™ technology, one of our proprietary air purifying technologies. We aim to allow everyone to enjoy healthy and comfortable atmosphere through our products with nanoe™ technology even in COVID-19 era. As a company that commits to ‘Quality Air for Life’, we will keep making effort in providing solution for all people in Thailand”. As a part of our effort, Panasonic Thailand provided the air purifiers to Samitivej Children’s Hospital and an elderly care center named U well. It is one of our CSR activities”.

Panasonic A.P. Sales Thailand commits to Thailand market, consumers, business customers furthermore by providing high product quality and customer services across the country at the ‘Japan Quality’ standard. We will continuously contribute to Thailand people by supplying our best products of home appliances which is our unchanged company philosophy as we have been doing so over the past 37 years.

For reference

Testing the inhibitory effect of air conditioner with nanoe™ X on the adhered novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in a space of 6.7m3. 

  • Overview

A comparative verification was conducted in a space of 6.7m3 containing the novel coronavirus. (SARS-CoV-2)

  • Results

Over 91% of adhered novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) activity was inhibited within 8 hours.

Note: This verification was designed to generate basic research data on the effects of nanoe™ X on the novel coronavirus in laboratory conditions different from those found in living spaces.

  • Methodology and data

Organisation : Texcell (France)

Subject : Adhered Novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Device : Air conditioner with nanoe™ X

Method :

- The air conditioner with nanoe™ X is installed in a space of 6.7m3.

- Gauze saturated with SARS-CoV-2 virus solution was exposed to an air conditioner with nanoe™ X from a distance of 0.7m in a 6.7m3 room for 24 hours.

- The virus infectious titre was measured and used to calculate the inhibition rate.

  • Results data

Test subject

Inhibition rate

Capacity

Hours

SARS-CoV-2

91.4%

6.7 m3

8 hours

SARS-CoV-2

99.7%

6.7 m3

24 hours

Notes

*1 Texcell is a global contract research organization that specializes in viral testings, viral clearance, immunoprofiling and R&D or GMP cell banking, for your R&D, GClP, GLP and GMP projects. With more than 30 years of experience and roots within the Pasteur Institute in Paris, Texcell has a long recognized expertise in viral testing with a broad range of protocols for the detection of adventitious agents. Texcell is the first spin-off of the Pasteur institute of Paris created in 1997.

*2 The two prior experiments of nanoe™ devices on novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

August 2020: https://www.panasonic.com/th/corporate/news/articles/01-panasonic-japan-en.html

November 2020: https://www.panasonic.com/th/corporate/news/articles/02-panasonic-ap-en.html