The Altapure patented technology produces a dense cloud of ultra small /sub-micron aerosolized droplets along with an active and constantly replenished vapor phase. The technology combines with the ability to achieve quick kill times while leaving no residue with water and vinegar vapor as the end products. Altapure calls this process Ultra-Cron or (USSMD) is produced using a carefully selected sterilant and is capable of deep penetration and wide dispersion. The system demonstrates unparalleled efficacy and kill time against industry recognized “gold standard” dry spore challenges. The extremely small droplets and density of USSMD are associated with a fundamental change in the character and behavior of the aerosol. Neither OSHA, EPA nor ANSI standards limit it use.

 THE BENEFIT

“In all the testing that I have done over the years at Raven, I have never seen any method kill both G. stearothermophilus and B. atrophaeus in less than fifteen minutes and yours was showing all killed in less than a minute. I was floored .”

Deb Dwyer

Director of Operations, Raven Labs

Altapure droplets are so small that USSMD has successfully sterilized resistant spore strips inside medical sterilization packaging in about 20 minutes while leaving essentially no residue. The company’s first application of the technology is focused in the area of sterilization and high level disinfection. Altapure’s technology is small, compact and nearly silent. This makes possible the creation of a portable/mobile units or small footprint fixed unit aerosol generator capable of delivering a sterilant containing only environmentally friendly and EPA approved agents for the purpose of local high level disinfection (medical cold sterilization), “clean room” disinfection, area disinfections, or remediation of local or distant areas contaminated by bacteria or virus including bio-terrorism agents.

While gases also possess diffusion and penetration capability, the sparse nature of individual gas molecules in the air are exponentially less effective, requiring the use of high concentrations of dangerous gases and long process times. Altapure’s small droplets take the best of both worlds, imitating the diffusion and penetration capabilities of a gas while maintaining the kill power of a liquid. Yet despite its incredible gas-like diffusion and penetration capability, USSMD are much easier to sequester when required.

THE PROOF

Experiments demonstrating the efficacy of Altapure’s aerosol against the most resistant biologic organisms were confirmed by the University of Wisconsin Hospital, Raven Biologic Laboratories of Omaha, NE., an independent, internationally recognized reference laboratory and others. In testing with medical grade spores of geobacillus stearothermophilus and bacillus atrophaeus, brief exposure times demonstrated 100% kill of these two gold standard organisms. The current profile of efficacy demonstrates a process that is superior to all other available technology and has a significantly improved safety and handling profile. Naked exposed strips impregnated with these resistant bacterial spores demonstrated almost immediate kill, while spore strips packed inside medical sterilization envelopes were killed in cycle times less than 20 minutes.

THE NEED

Nosocomial, or hospital-acquired, infections remain a major challenge in United States healthcare institutions. Despite advances in antibiotic, disinfection agents and processes, many experts believe that we are losing this war. Infections contracted in hospitals represent the fourth largest killer in America. Current estimates suggest two million patients will contract infections while in hospitals and an estimated 103,000 will die as a result. This represents as many deaths as from AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined.

Many of these pathogens are known to exist on surfaces within the hospital environment. Further, it is clear that this environment serves as a reservoir and breeding grounds for organisms with increasing resistance to antibiotics. Current trends concentrate cleaning by human interface, increased hand washing, and developing newer antibiotics to combat the ever-increasing threat of antibiotic resistance. This strategy essentially concedes the hospital environment battleground of emerging resistance. Altapure’s technology is well suited to meet this challenge because it is not limited by temperature, humidity and human exposure. The technology is not tied to any specific agent and is not limited by temperature or humidity.

This new technology finally opens the possibility of actually destroying the reservoirs of resistant organisms with the goal of having the environment permit only minimal temporary colonization with community organisms in the future. Over the last several years there have been numerous situations that have developed in the food production industry directly related to bacteriological contamination. It is intuitive obvious that current methods are inherently inadequate. The Altapure technology is well suited to address there problems.

THE MARKETS

The implications for Homeland Security are as great as that for healthcare institutions and food production. Every building subjected, or suspected of being exposed to contamination must be cleaned up before it can be re-occupied. Biological agents can bring a health care, commercial, government or military facility to an immediate standstill due to contamination of the internal facility environments with no quick way to effectively decontaminate staff, space or equipment. Communities could lose such resources as police stations, government buildings and public transportation locations while waiting for lengthy remediation processes. The wait for contaminated buildings to be cleaned up has sometimes been measured in years. The current preferred method to remediate these sites involved the use of chlorine dioxide that had to be produced on-site by huge generators mounted on tractor-trailer trucks. The ability to sterilize an area after anthrax or other biologic agent contamination is currently not available at the first responder level, so sites are simply closed and sealed with cleaned up plans to be considered later.

The Altapure large capacity aerosol generator is completely portable and designed to military specifications. It weighs less than 200 pounds, runs on 110V AC ( could work with a small generator and extension cords) and can output enough aerosol to treat 30,000 cu ft per hour. It would allow first responders to immediately remediate contaminated sites, returning them to the community without the prolonged loss of their resources. The machine is designed to meet the Department of Defense’s need for a portable unit to be deployed with regular forces. Further, since the current agent being used is an oxidizing agent, it should be effective for chemical agents as well as biologic agents. Additionally, the underlying technology is agent independent meaning that other liquid agents or combinations of agents could be used for specific needs.

THE VISION

Altapure’s ultrasonic technology has been engineered to make a significant difference in the method in which biological contamination is addressed.