University of Alberta develops sanitization tech to kill COVID-19 virus

Using light to sanitize objects The U of A and a Calgary company teamed up to help stop the spread of COVID-19 with UV light. CTV News Edmonton’s Jessica Robb reports.

A new sanitization product aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 will soon be used in Edmonton and Calgary.

The TESER ACT unit was developed through a partnership between scientists at the University Alberta and Calgary based on advanced sanitization technologies company TESER.

It uses ultraviolet-C light (UVC) from hundreds of LED bulbs to kill viruses including the flu, common cold viruses, and E.Coli bacteria, a U of A release explained.

"We determined how much UVC light was required to fully inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent it from replicating," said Ryan Noyce, research associate at the University of Alberta and one of the scientists who helped develop the device.

Researchers found the technology was able to kill the virus within just one minute.

The university says while UVC light has been known to kill pathogens for around a century, TESER needed scientific proof that it would be effective against COVID-19 in order to meet Health Canada regulations.

"It’s well established technology, UV is well known as a good tool for killing all kinds of biological organisms," said David Ens, professor of medical microbiology at the University of Alberta.

The company created two models which are able to sanitize everything from cellphones to luggage and non-invasive medical instruments.

"Really simply, it’s a decontamination box," said Phil Alle, president and CEO of TESER. "It’s nothing too complicated. We wanted to make it extremely simple for use."

With the possibility of additional COVID-19 variants developing in the future, researchers say the unit is also capable of killing mutations of the virus.

"It’s kind of like fire," said Ens. "Fire will destroy just about anything it doesn't matter (if it’s) a big house,(a) little house, (a) stone house."

The company hopes to use the device in the medical field, including in laboratory practices in the future.

"Helping with testing, being able to bring out instruments or things that have been exposed to viruses (and) being able to clean them faster and move between labs," said Alle.

He says TESER is also working on an air sanitization unit which could integrate UVC technology to kill multiple viruses.

The government of Canada has given the company a grant for the first 10 units, which are planned to be used at the Edmonton International Airport and government offices in Edmonton and Calgary this spring.

The project was funded with help of the federal and Alberta governments through research and innovation agencies including Alberta Innovates and InnoTech Alberta.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb.