Air pure systems given green light

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The U.S. government has given the green light to a international air purification company to test the environment for bio-hazards and infectious diseases.

  The Food and Drug Administration clearance has opened the door to international markets for Failsafe Air Safety Systems Corp to market its processes throughout North America.

The Tonawanda company owns the rights to a patented mobile air safety process and products for disaster preparedness, infection control or anywhere air purification is needed.

 The company sells portable/mobile air scrubbing systems along with bedside and mobile isolation systems and freestanding containment chambers.

Failsafe was awarded a $150,000 state grant last year to test its air purification technology against bioweapons and assist the company with further FDA clearance. The grant comes from New York state's Commercialization Assistance Program, administered by the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center.

"When I got here, the inventor had gone about as far as he could in terms of marketing and sales," said Paul Chirayath, CEO. "He hit a big road block with the FDA. The grant was the launch of the company on all fronts."

An international marketing partnership is in place and three area manufacturers make the devices including Isolation Systems Corp. of Tonawanda.

Isolation Systems President Ted Arts is the device's inventor. His firm began developing the system after Sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo subways several years ago.

The company was founded in 1996 and was previously known as SmokeBooths Ltd., marketing air-purifying stalls for smokers. A second product is marketed to hospitals and other entities and is used as an isolation booth for patients with tuberculosis and other communicable diseases to protect health care workers. The unit can be wheeled into a room and placed around the bed. A second unit is portable so patients can be moved around the hospital for tests.

"The products are really starting to get a lot of attention in terms of what is happening around the world," Chirayath said. "Revenues have grown substantially, due in fact to not straying from the company's business plan."

That plan included focus on establishing distribution and sales channels worldwide, introduction of new products, identifying and establishing key partnerships along with obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances and certifications.

"This allows them to use the platform of portable isolation wherever it is needed," said Jerome Schentag, professor of pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy at the University at Buffalo. "The FDA doesn't endorse the product but indicates the product has met certain requirements for approval to proceed. This approval allows for the promotion of the device to potential customers."

Schentag said customers accept the product has met certain standards for safety and efficacy.

"The device industry has the same sort of designations in terms of safety and removal of particles from the air and other requirements," he said. "It was a year ago in China that SARS occurred. This is very timely because there is demand for protection from unknown respiratory illnesses."