oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Point of use filter Legionella Inventors: Hodon Ryu US Patent 11 104.591 TRL 3 Context The bacterium Legionella pneumophila causes Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever. Most people become infected when they inhale microscopic water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. Incidence of Legionella infections has been increasing since 2000 and a recent study estimated that the true number of Legionnaires' disease cases may be 1.8-2.7 times higher than what is reported.1 With a total estimated direct healthcare cost of $402M, annually, it is increasingly important that point of use water systems disable Legionella bacteria.2 Summary EPA Researchers Ryu and Woo have invented a point of use filter to disable Legionella. Currently optimized for use in showerheads, the filter disables the bacteria with low-power light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at many wavelengths in many channels and is boosted by a photo reactant metallic layer. Optimized for consumer use, the filter assembly will require less frequent maintenance than barrier-based filtration methods and is compatible with both standard and low flow shower head systems. The filter assembly is species agnostic and may be used to disable opportunistic pathogenic bacteria beyond Legionella. Potential Applications • Consumer DIY • Groundwater Well Systems • Clean Water Solutions for Developing Countries • Healthcare Facilities Contact Meghan Sheehan. JD. CLP Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) Specialist wvwv.epa.gov/ftta 1 Collier SA. Deng L. Adam EA, et al. Estimate of b urden and direct healthcare cost of infectious waterborne disease in the U nited States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021:27( 1): 140-9. 5 Ibid. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development for disabling j Hvounqmin Woo ------- |