Problem Solved:

Respiratory diseases impose a massive burden on the U.S. Healthcare system, causing 15 million cases annually in U.S. emergency departments alone — and the spread of these diseases while in the hospital (a.k.a. Hospital Acquired Infections, or HAIs) is costing our economy $20 billion each year.

The CDC reports 1 in 250 people entering a hospital will die of an HAI, with preventable suffering and loss of life, in a desperate attempt to help, they've implemented mandatory HAI reporting in 2025, combined with Medicare and private payer penalties for poor HAI performance (those in the bottom quartile) results in the average size hospital getting penalized $200,000 each month. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) adds to the challenge.

The current standard of care for source control is the face masks. The problem persists even when combined with room air purifiers, HVAC air handlers, and vaccines.

BioGuard UVC™ uses a patented application of UVC to inactivate pathogens in real-time from the exhaled breath of infected individuals to prevent the spread of respiratory disease–especially in healthcare facilities. It is pathogen agnostic and day-1 deployable, while its filter-less design does not restrict the ability to breathe.

How It Works:

BioGuard UVC™ is a pathogen inactivation device to prevent the spread of respiratory disease by inactivating airborne pathogens present in exhaled breath before they reach the surrounding environment by exposure to 254 nm germicidal UVC within its enclosed UV Chambers. While UVC is well understood to destroy the DNA/RNA of pathogens rendering them unable to function or reproduce, it is the volume of the UV Chambers, optimized to hold the tidal volume of exhaled breath, that ensures pathogens receive a sufficient dose of UVC for 99.9999% inactivation. A standard USB-battery powers the device for 9 hours.

Novelty and Improvement:

The standard of care for source control is the filter-masks (surgical/face masks) which have an effective rate of 48% for viral size particles—and also concentrates pathogens which are then rebreathed by the wearer increasing their viral load. BioGuard UVC has been accepted into the FDA's Safer Technologies Program for its ability to inactivate 99.9999% of pathogens for all rates of breathing and tidal volumes.

BioGuard UVC provides improved efficacy and safety compared to the current standard of care, and its filter-less design offers no resistance to airflow, allowing wearers effortless breathing, while the system of check valves prevents rebreathing pathogens, and its standard aerosol mask face-piece facilitates supplemental oxygen or nebulization.

BioGuard UVC is a mechanistic breakthrough for transmission prevention of respiratory disease, covered by U.S. Patent 12,343,572 and EU equivalents, it is De Novo/Class II, and has U.S. Congressional directives prioritizing the adoption of UVC for respiratory control in HHS/DoD 2026 appropriations.

Applications:

For use in hospitals' emergency departments to protect staff/patients; military (barracks and ships); public health (dorms, long-term care, transit). It is scalable for high-risk populations worldwide.

Manufacturability and Production:

Designed for high-volume production. Prototypes exist; no exotic materials or processes required—feasible for rapid scale-up via existing U.S. suppliers.