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#CloseUp interview with UNIVERSO

It is always exciting to be on the verge of new inventions. It is even more exciting to see these inventions born in #CloseUp – that is what we have experienced with UVIRESO. Their team has formed during Hack The Crisis Lithuania online hackathon and has even managed to create a working prototype in 48 hours! The prototype created is a rather revolutionary measure to fight COVID-19: an ultraviolet radiation respirator that could be capable of destroying 99% airborne viruses.


The good news does not end here – just this week UVIRESO was chosen as one of the winners in the Life-Saving Innovations: Stop COVID-19 competition for prototype funding that was implemented by Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (MITA).

 

We have been impatient to learn more about this revolutionary solution – read the interview with UVIRESO team.

 

Why is UVIRESO important to the community, how will it help people?

 

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is predicted that there may be a rise of new viruses that have not yet been detected. For example, modern human interactions with nature and intense travelling have led to an increase in virus-to-human transmission and its sudden spread. Therefore, once the spread of COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2) coronavirus is contained, safeguards need to be in place for possible future outbreaks.

 

That’s where UVIRESO comes in – a UV-powered, multiple-use mask which can destroy any airborne virus at the point of exhaling.

 

By using UV light ability to damage vital parts of virus particles , our team develops a multi-use respirator UVresp 1.0 which can destroy any airborne virus at the point of exhaling. We know about the risks that UV light and Ozone generated by UV light can pose to human, and our objective is to design a device, that poses no harm to a person using it.

 

We expect that UVIRESO UV respirator will help to contain SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus now and other contagious pathogens in future globally. Now we focus on professional-use UV respirator, also on our development board are ideas of a respirator for the general public.

 

How did you decide to create such a solution?

 

The need for such solution arise back in March when hospitals across Europe were overflowing with patients infected with COVID-19, specialized infection hospitals were short of beds, the availability of single-use safety equipment was limited, leaving frontline healthcare workers, support staff and patients at risk of infection.

 

We wanted to act and contribute to the fight against pandemic and asked ourselves if something revolutionary could be done? With an idea of ultraviolet light respirator, we entered the 48-hour Hack-the-Crisis LT hackathon to crash-test the solution.

 

A core team consisting of physicist & project manager Jonas Klimantavičius, electronic engineer Darius Kančys, production engineer Donatas Puodžiukas, mechanics engineer Arvydas Donauskas and operations manager Adomas Klimantas has decided to work together throughout the weekend. The result of virtual team virtual work was a working UV respirator prototype (!) and pitch movie. Since then the team has changed and went global with mentor and business entrepreneur Andrius Žilėnas, communications manager Brigita Kavaliauskaitė, designer Mykolas Mirzinkevičius, 3D modelling and animation lead Ignas Nefas and public relations advisor Skaidra Puodziunas.

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