qlair Announces Issuance of US Patent for Technology Assessing Potential Risk of Airborne Pathogens
The technology provides occupants in commercial spaces real-time data and solutions to reduce potential spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses.
RALEIGH, NC, January 28, 2022 – qlair, a leader in Clean Air Management, announced today US patent granted US 11378299 B2 for their COVID Airborne Infection Risk Score (CAIRS) technology. The qlair CAIR Score technology is a feature of their complete Indoor Air Quality platform. It provides users with an immediate indication of potential spread of COVID and other airborne pathogens in their offices, gyms, classrooms and other commercial spaces.
Based on algorithms that take into account key contributing factors such as CO2 levels and humidity collected by sensors in each room, the qlair CAIR Score reports real-time conditions into the qlair IAQ dashboard along with actionable insights for reducing risks.
As part of smart building IOT, the platform can be integrated into building controls systems (BAS/BMS) to automatically correct conditions influenced by air filtration, ventilation and HVAC systems when a higher CAIR Score is reported. Automated actions include increasing outdoor air flow and filtration, treating contaminated air and reducing humidity levels.
Shanahan said, “This patent cements the value that qlair has been providing for the last few years: taking the mystery out of air quality. One of our main goals is to help people not just monitor their air quality but understand it. Instead of having to learn what studies report about pollutant thresholds for clean air during a pandemic, our users can just check their CAIR Score. A healthy CAIR Score is a low-risk environment for viral infection spread, simple as that.”
The technology was a collaboration between inventors Ellie Amirnasr, PhD, CEO of qlair, Michael Shanahan, qlair Product Owner, and Marcel Schoch, qlair CTO and Manager of IoT & Digital Engagement at Mann + Hummel. Additionally, qlair has further pending international patent applications.