LAST week, I attended two (virtual) tech events that showcased new devices that promise to help us breathe better, cleaner air and hopefully survive this still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
First is the LG Puricare Wearable Air Purifier version 2—possibly the coolest-looking and most high-tech face mask in the market today.
Now, there have been several trends in face masks since the pandemic began. Remember the controversial copper masks? Face mask accessories also became a thing like those mask chains, neck straps and even those negative ion necklaces.
LG, however, takes it to an entirely different level that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before—its a mask + wearable purifier + microphone and speaker—all in one device.
WEAR YOUR CONFIDENCE WHILE BREATHING CLEAN AIR
THE mask itself looks like something straight out of the future, a very chic one at that, with a molded plastic exterior that completely covers the lower half of a person’s face. The upgraded LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier with VoiceOn is the second iteration of the popular device. LG’s re-engineered PuriCare Wearable is slimmer and smarter, offering an enhanced all-around performance along with a convenient voice amplification feature and a more comfortable, lightweight design.
At the virtual event, Dr. Ma. Adelina Sadili, a consultant pulmonologist at Makati Medical Center, led a short discussion about the importance of mask use and shared important pulmonary facts to take in during the pandemic. One of her suggestions to strengthen and keep one’s lungs healthy is to improve air quality at home, something that LG has been working on. But to improve air quality on the go—that’s where the new and improved LG Wearable Air Purifier comes in.
The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier with VoiceON is equipped with a fully automatic fan airflow control system that increases breathing comfort. It also incorporates two H13 HEPA filters, the same ones found in premium air purifiers for the home, to ensure the air the user breathes is as clean and healthy as possible.
Driven by an ultra-small and lightweight motor, the device’s DUAL fans combine with LG’s airflow control technology—which detects the user’s breathing pattern and adjusts airflow accordingly—to help the wearer breathe easier and more naturally.
This advanced system also prevents one of the most annoying things for people like me who wear glasses and mask at the same time—keeping the lenses from fogging up when exhaling. Not to mention some face masks can iritate the skin, make your jaw sweat, and restrict airflow when breathing hard, such as during exercise.
Its seamless, ergonomic design minimizes air leakage around the nose and chin, sealing gently but firmly to the wearer’s face. Weighing in at only 94 grams, the latest model is comfortable to wear for longer periods of time as one charge is said to last for eight hours. The biggest upgrade has to be the VoiceON technology. Employing a microphone and a speaker built into the device itself, VoiceON solves the problem of muffled voices, helping to project the user’s voice so they can be heard and understood without having to speak loudly or, worse, remove the mask.
The upgraded LG PuriCare Wearable will be available in two colors this time: Creamy White and Ocean Black. Additionally, the device will also be offered in medium and large sizes to guarantee a better fit for more consumers. The purifier fits snugly on the user’s face to minimize air leakage around the nose and chin, and is lightweight even with a battery life of up to eight hours of operation on the mask’s low mode and two hours on its high mode.
While LG does not claim the product could prevent someone from contracting Covid-19, the company emphasized how the personal air purifier allows users to take in clean, filtered air. LG’s new Wearable Air Purifier is available in LG’s authorized retailers both in-store and online on Lazada, Shopee, Abenson and Electroworld, and is priced at around P8,818.
I’ll do a more extensive review once we get our own unit in the next few weeks.
PANASONIC’S COVID-FIGHTING AIRCON WITH NANOE X
ALSO promoting clean air is Panasonic, which claims it has technology that can inhibit the novel coronavirus. The company says that while we are still mostly confined at home, it is important to make every effort to keep the indoor air of homes and personal spaces as safe as possible.
Panasonic continues to optimize its decades-long innovation called nanoe X Technology. Last July, the company released news verifying the effectiveness of its nanoe X Technology in inhibiting the novel coronavirus. Through collaborations with Osaka Prefecture University, the company carried out a test, the results of which showed that 99 percent of SARS-CoV-2 was successfully inhibited in three hours through hydroxyl radicals contained in water (nano-sized electrostatic atomized water particles).
Panasonic’s research into nanoe X Technology began more than 20 years ago in 1997. Working on a project of the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry on purification of air in living environments, Panasonic researchers became interested in a technology for generating hydroxyl radicals contained in water. They wondered if tiny water particles could provide a new way to clean air. This was entirely new technology, and it presented significant challenges. The team needed to develop verification methods and evaluation techniques from the ground up, and the electrical discharge phenomenon at the core of the process was difficult to control. In 2003, the team succeeded in creating nano-sized water particles that purify the air. The technology of hydroxyl radicals contained in water was born.
Nanoe X collects invisible moisture in the air and applies a high voltage to it to produce hydroxyl radicals contained in water. Hydroxyl radicals inhibit the growth of pollutants such as bacteria and viruses. They are characterized by being strongly oxidative and highly reactive but normally have a short life span. Contained in tiny water particles, nanoe X has a long lifespan and can spread over long distances. It has an inhibitory effect on both airborne and adhered substances.
This unique technology to Panasonic has been found to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses) and allergens, breaking down PM 2.5 components that have adverse effects on the human body. The inhibitory effect of nanoe X on the novel coronavirus is the latest evidence of the power of this breakthrough technology.
Panasonic now applies this technology to its air-conditioners as it introduces the Panasonic Premium WAC Inverter XU Series Window Type with nanoe X. The air-conditioners and its other appliances equipped with nanoe X contain about 4.8 trillion per second hydroxyl radicals. Because of such a huge quantity of hydroxyl radicals contained in water, nanoe X can inhibit surface-level pollutants by penetrating deep into fabric materials and inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms, allergens, pollen and hazardous substances.
Aside from residential indoor spaces, Panasonic’s air-conditioners and other appliances with such technology are also capable of providing 24-hour air protection in business establishments including restaurants, hospitals, offices, gyms and schools, to name a few.