Air-Clenz Seatback Vector Illustration
A vector illustration shows a cough stopped, captured, and cleaned by Air-Clenz\u2122.

Air-Clenz Systems™ (Air-Clenz™) was today granted a pioneer U.S. patent, U.S. 11,471,553, as part of the company's ongoing effort to make indoor air cleaner, safer, and healthier for all. The patent covers the back of all seats, chairs or benches used in any indoor venue or vehicle (including aircraft) in the United States when an air purifier or an Air-Clenz™ unit is integrated in or attached to the back of a seat, chair or bench. Additionally, it covers all types of electronic display screens when the electronic display screen acts to block and deflect exhaled air mixed with room air towards and into an air suction intake of an attached, integrated or associated air purifier or Air-Clenz™ unit. Additional patent applications are pending. 

"Today is an important step in a two-year-plus journey for Air-Clenz™," explained company Chief Executive Officer Stuart Sheldon. "It recognizes the visionary thinking of our founder Dr. Ronald Blum, our Chief Scientist Anita T. Broach, PhD., and others to fundamentally change how the world approaches improving indoor air quality. This patent acknowledges that Drs. Blum and Broach were the first to figure out how to quickly stop, capture, and clean an exhaled breath, cough or sneeze within the first three to four feet from someone's mouth and nose, before it — and any possible airborne disease it may carry — can spread through the indoor space." When one sits behind a seat, chair or bench, or in front of an electronic display screen such as a desktop monitor, laptop or tablet, their exhaled air can be blocked and its forward motion stopped, allowing it to be quickly captured and cleaned by an air purifier or an Air-Clenz™ unit. In most cases, the distance from the back of a seat, chair or bench or the front of an electronic display screen is three feet or less from the individual's face, whose exhaled air is being captured and cleaned.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned about the low vaccination rate in Europe and believes a new wave of COVID will soon spread across Europe, as well as an increase in influenza. While the BA.4 and BA.5 variants fuel increasing COVID rates in Europe, the BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB variants are cause of concern in the U.S. and Canada, and BA.2.75.2 in India. Scientists and medical doctors warn that increased respiratory infections will occur this fall and winter in the U.S. COVID, influenza, the common cold, mumps, measles, tuberculosis and whooping cough are all transmitted by airborne infectious respiratory particles from one human to another.

Anita Broach, PhD, Air-Clenz™ Chief Scientist, said, "Because we can't see airborne viruses and bacteria, most people don't realize how easily they are spread by an exhaled breath, cough or sneeze — or by contaminated interior air flow being pulled towards the return of an HVAC [Heat, Ventilation, Air Conditioning] system, or the air intake of a conventional air purifier. Air-Clenz™ is the only known mask-free solution that quickly stops, captures, and cleans an exhaled air breath, cough or sneeze before it spreads throughout an indoor venue or vehicle. Air-Clenz™ can capture and clean an exhaled air breath, cough or sneeze to 99.97% pure in less than 10 seconds. Scientists and health professionals know that an exhaled air breath contains up to 100 micron and submicron particles traveling up to 3.5 miles per hour. A cough contains up to 10,000 micron and submicron particles at up to 50 miles per hour, while a sneeze contains up to 100,000 micron and submicron particles traveling up to 100 miles per hour."

In addition to blocking, quickly capturing, and cleaning exhaled air, Air-Clenz™ increases the clean air turns per hour (ACH) in a room or venue. Multiple highly reputable studies performed or reported by major universities, research institutes, and companies such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), Harvard, Yale, the National Institute of Health (N.I.H.), and the Carrier Corporation have concluded that when indoor clean air quality is improved, not only can cross-airborne infection be reduced, but cognitive ability, productivity, and performance can be greatly enhanced. 

Dr. Ron Blum, Chairman of Air-Clenz Systems™, stated, "We are most pleased and excited about the scope and strength of this new U.S. patent. It provides intellectual property protection for any air purifier or Air-Clenz™ unit that is attached to, integrated in or associated with the back of all types of seats, chairs or benches for any indoor venue, such as office, school, theater, house of worship, home, as well as any vehicle, such as automobile, truck, train, bus, subway, ship or aircraft. This patent also provides intellectual property protection for any electronic display screen, such as an electronic display screen attached to the back of an aircraft seat, the front of computer monitors, laptop computers, exercise equipment, gambling machines, etc., where the electronic display screen blocks and deflects a mixture of exhaled air and room air towards and into an air suction intake of an air purifier or Air-Clenz™ system that is attached, integrated or associated. Further, while Air-Clenz™ utilizes true HEPA filter technology, the patent covers all known possible ways of cleaning and/or purifying indoor and exhaled air. We have been most diligent in protecting our intellectual property. The combination of U.S. 11,471,553 and 11,324,850 now provides Air-Clenz™ with solid patent protection. In addition, Air-Clenz™ has numerous additional patent applications filed and pending in the U.S. and around the world."

About Air-Clenz Systems™

Air-Clenz Systems™ (Air-Clenz™) (www.Air-Clenz.com), based in Atlanta, Georgia, was launched by success-proven inventors, scientists, and collaboration partners attempting to solve major global challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with an eye to benefiting the global population at large. Air-Clenz's proprietary technology and approach are directed at the quick capture and cleaning of airborne particles from exhaled air before they can disperse within an indoor room and be transmitted to others. The technology can be adapted to work in most indoor venues where individuals are seated, including schools, offices, houses of worship, learning institutions, theaters, and vehicles of all types, including aircraft. 

The Air-Clenz™ approach to business is that of licensing and/or selling its IP, after having invented, developed working prototypes, proven and protected its intellectual property.

Air-Clenz Seatback Vector Illustration
A vector illustration shows a cough stopped, captured, and cleaned by Air-Clenz\u2122.

Air-Clenz Computer Monitor Comparison
Computer model illustration shows the significant difference in the spread of an infectious cough without (left) and with (right) Air-Clenz\u2122.