The invention provides an antimicrobial fiber which exhibits excellent antimicrobial properties even without the addition of antimicrobial agents and can remain antimicrobial even after repeated washing. The antimicrobial fiber comprises a fiber having on a surface thereof a polyacetal copolymer (X) containing oxyalkylene groups, the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups in the polyacetal copolymer (X) being 0.2 to 5 mol % relative to the total of the molar amount of oxymethylene groups and the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups.

An improved technology for inactivation of viruses, for example the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic, is described. The technology can include a device that includes a substrate coated in a polymer that is infused with a pathogen inactivating material. In various embodiments, at a given time, a portion of the pathogen inactivating material is exposed to the environment, and the device is configured to periodically or intermittently expose additional pathogen inactivating material to the environment. For example, the polymer can be ablative or sacrificial.

An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol generating substrate; an air inlet (16); an air outlet (28); an airflow passage (22) extending from the air inlet to the air outlet; an atomisation chamber (23) within the airflow passage; an aerosol-generating element within the atomisation chamber configured to atomize the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and an inlet filter (24) in the airflow passage between the air inlet and the atomisation chamber. Advantageously, the inlet filter is configured to allow for a flow of air into the airflow passage from the air inlet, through the inlet filter, but configured to prevent liquid, or liquid droplets greater than a predetermined size, within the airflow passage from passing through the inlet filter towards the air inlet.

A washing machine (900) includes a drum (910) in which washing operations are carried out, a drainage hose (950) fluidically connected to the drum (910) and fluidically connectable to a drainage system and a filter group (1) positioned along the drainage hose (950). The filter group (1) filters synthetic microfibers of micrometric size and is made of a non-woven fabric having synthetic fibers.

A face mask includes a fabric filter configured to be worn on a user's face. A composition with anti-viral properties is arranged on the fabric. The composition preferably includes anti-viral oils and an anti-viral metal such as copper or copper oxide.

An air management system of a vehicle having a conditioned area includes at least one duct defining a flow path for delivering air to the conditioned area and a filter arranged within the at least one duct upstream from the conditioned area. The filter includes a filter media having at least one filter media layer including a plurality of fibers. A coating is applied to at least a portion of the plurality of fibers and the coating is operable to deactivate a microbe arranged in contact with the coating.

An air filtration device may include a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration media configured to filter particulates of at least 0.3 microns in diameter. The HEPA filtration media may include graphene oxide (GO) as an antibacterial and antiviral material configured to inactivate trapped micro-organisms. The HEPA filtration media may be a mat of randomly arranged fibers coated with GO or a mat of randomly arranged GO fibers. The device may be shaped and configured for use in an air purification system or for use in a protective face mask.

Self-sterilizing filtration materials are disclosed that include at least one polydopamine-functionalized layer. The at least one polydopamine-functionalized layer is configured to heat to a sterilization temperature when illuminated by light with a light intensity. The self-sterilizing filtration materials may be included in a filtering respirator mask. Methods of sterilizing filtration materials and filtering respirator masks containing at least one polydopamine-functionalized layer by exposing to sunlight are also disclosed. In addition, methods of producing a self-sterilizing filtering respirator mask by polydopamine-functionalizing at least one layer of the filtration material in an existing filtering respirator mask.

There is disclosed a leukocyte removal filter material comprising a nonwoven fabric having polybutylene terephthalate fiber. The average fiber diameter of the nonwoven fabric is 0.9 to 1.5 μm, the formation index corresponding to a thickness of 0.3 mm of the nonwoven fabric is 15 to 70, and when the average fiber diameter of the nonwoven fabric is X and the specific surface area of the nonwoven fabric is Y, X and Y satisfy the following relational expression (1):
Y≥−0.65×X+1.75  (1).

A filter may remove PM.sub.2.5 and/or other airborne pollutants, which filter has fibers of an average diameter of no more than 500 nm, the fibers of at least 90 wt. % polyacrylonitrile, relative to all fibers in the filter; and a catalyst of at least 90 wt. % TiO.sub.2, relative to all catalytic metals in the filter, dispersed onto the fibers. The fibers need not be charged. The TiO.sub.2 may be condensed or precipitated onto the fibers out of a liquid containing the TiO.sub.2 and the fibers by simple methods. The catalyst may be activated by UV irradiation to decompose particulate matter having an average particle size of 2.5 μm or less, i.e., PM.sub.2.5, and/or other airborne pollutants from air. Such filters may be implemented around areas of vehicle traffic, e.g., as elements of traffic lights, and may be used to controllably purify polluted air.