Freeing Water From Viruses and Bacteria

About this technology

Overview

NASA's Johnson Space Center awarded Argonide Corporation a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to determine the feasibility of using the company's NanoCeramR fibers for purifying recycled space cabin water. Through the NASA partnership, Argonide developed a laboratory-size filter capable of removing greater than 99.9999 percent of bacteria and viruses from water at flow rates more than 200 times faster than virus-rated membranes that remove particles by sieving. The filter also removes greater than 99.96 percent of endotoxins. As a contaminant formed from the residue of destroyed bacteria, endotoxins can cause toxic shock and present a major concern in pharmaceutical products. Argonide supplies NanoCeram as laboratory-size filter discs and in the form of a syringe filter. These products provide the biotechnology and life science industries with fast, accurate, and cost-effective tools for separating proteins and other macromolecules. NanoCeram's key applications include sterilizing pharmaceuticals and medical serums; filtering DNA, RNA, and endotoxins; and immobilizing bacteria and mammalian cells in biosynthesis. The filters are capable of sterilizing water from all microbiological pathogens, including biological warfare weapons. NanoCeramR is a registered trademark of Argonide Corporation.