A homegrown Filipino company that started out making in-store audio systems has expanded into the Internet-of-Things (IoT) by creating an app-based hygiene solution for disinfection to fight the spread of Covid-19.
The “WAV Disinfect App” developed by local firm WAV Global can control the wireless ozone machines, which the company also created.
These machines, according to WAV Global CEO Carlos Hinolan, convert oxygen or O2 available in ambient air of the room or space being disinfected and transform it to ozone or O3.
Hinolan explained that ozone will last between 30 minutes to four hours before the third oxygen atom breaks apart and reverts into oxygen. On a lower concentration level, it will typically take 30 minutes to up to two hours for ozone to break down into breathable oxygen.
He said the ozonation process does not produce any residues or by-products such as other harmful gases that are released along with the ozone.
The ozone machine has a powerful built-in fan that distributes the ozone homogeneously in all corners of the room or space being disinfected. This ensures whole room or space disinfection, including all small cracks and corners.
Hinolan said ozone is lethal for viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms, including pests such as rats. It destroys viruses by diffusing through the protective protein shell or capsid into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage of the viral deoxyribonucleic acid (“DNA”) or ribonucleic acid (“RNA”).
At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid by oxidation or breaks apart the lipid or fatty envelope. Once the capsid or envelope of the virus is fragmented, its DNA or RNA core can no longer survive.
Hinolan stressed, however, that customers can only book for a disinfection session and that the ozone machines are not for sale.
The executive said the WAV Disinfect App can be downloaded by smartphone users to schedule disinfection sessions in their homes or workplaces.
The mobile app establishes and sets the required disinfection parameters for the ozone disinfection of a particular space and turns on and off the ozone device using their mobile devices.
“We currently have around 400 bookings per week,” said Hinolan during a Zoom session with local journalists, noting that most of the requests are booked by clinics and similar places where the threat of Covid-19 is high.
He said a typical disinfection session costs around P2,500 – which is half of the usual rate for similar disinfection sessions that use harmful chemicals.
As the only one of its kind in the Philippines, Hinolan said he is optimistic that the health solution can help in keeping customers, employees, and the general public calm and confident on the safety and hygiene of government offices and business establishments in the country.
