Intellicon's New Mailroom Device Eliminates Cross-Contamination Potential Of Mail-Borne Bio Hazards.

Business Editors & Health/Environmental Writers

Intellicon Inc., an innovator of ultra-violet (UV) technology used in industrial purification processes, today announced the availability of its Bio Sweeper(TM) MailSafe(TM), a dual technology device that stops mail-borne bio-terrorism at the door.

The MailSafe device is a decontamination system that combines proven UV-C (ultra violet-C) germicidal technology and HEPA filters to effectively kill any viruses, bacteria, and spores on the surfaces of all incoming mail and small packages that may be a victim of cross contamination or a targeted bio-terrorism attack.

The MailSafe is the central part of an effective strategy to prevent hazardous and potentially deadly contamination trails like those that shut down the Hart Senate Office Building and post office facilities for more than three months.

The unit is specifically designed for budget conscious small and medium-sized mailrooms that service office buildings, corporations, legal offices, financial institutions, laboratories, and state and local government offices.

Tragically, the mailroom and postal workers who were not the target of the anthrax attacks last fall, suffered from the exposure to the contaminated trail. As part of a simple procedural change to the handling of incoming mail and packages, the Bio Sweeper MailSafe unit is designed to stop this trail at the door, while protecting those workers most likely to be exposed -- mailroom employees.

Workers simply feed letters and envelopes into the system's slot to expose all surfaces to a high concentration of lethal UV-C light. The built-in medical grade HEPA air filter circulates and cleans the air of any contaminants up to 20 times per hour, keeping the infectious levels to a minimum.

The optional isolation compartment allows operators to open any suspicious letters, small packages and overnight items, containing, determining and killing any potential attack in the mailroom and preventing exposure beyond the room.

The standard MailSafe unit can treat mail and overnight packages up to 15 inches x 12 inches and 1 inch thick. The operator simply feeds the mail into the opening at the upper right of the system.

The mail is then transported at a controlled speed between two sets of five high-intensity UV-C light sources that disinfect both surfaces of a piece of mail, killing any viruses, spores, and other biological contaminants on the surfaces. Unlike e-beams and gamma machines, the MailSafe's use of UV-C guarantees that the package contents will not be harmed or damaged during this process.

Throughput rates are up to 1,500 pieces per hour. Faster throughputs are available.

While being exposed to the UV-C radiation, each piece of mail is also swept by a continuous flow of air that will remove particles that may come out of a letter. All air, including the room air, then passes through a high-efficiency HEPA filter that traps contaminants as small as 0.3 microns (0.3 millionths of an inch) in diameter.

Since anthrax and other bio organisms are at least 1.5 microns, the MailSafe will safely trap 99.97% of potential infectious and harmful microscopic bodies dangerous to human life.

The system is also designed for the safety of mailroom workers. All harmful effects of the UV-C light are contained within the system. UV-C is absorbed by the painted surfaces and the plexiglass viewing panels. The HEPA filter constantly filters the air and continuously removes spores, viruses, and bacteria from the mailroom.

A side benefit is that some of the viruses and bacteria removed are the same ones that cause the common cold and the flu, and since the flu and anthrax symptoms are similar in their early stages, less flu cases will mean less worry on the part of associates and more effective diagnosis and treatment of both illnesses.

Price and Availability

A complete self-contained Bio Sweeper(TM) MailSafe with HEPA filter and conveyor for a 750 piece throughput rate, the MS 140, is priced at $17,500. The PS 200, a system with an isolation compartment, HEPA filter and UV-C lamps for manual inspection and sanitation of packages and mail up to 15 x 15 x 6 inches, is priced at $13,250.

Higher throughput machines, larger compartments and other operator options are also available. Delivery is four to eight weeks ARO.

About Intellicon

Intellicon specializes in the design, manufacturing and installation of microprocessor control, data acquisition and test devices interfaced with electronic and electromechanical devices. These products feature local intelligence that will let them execute most of their operations, stimulus, response, measurement, and analysis, independent of a central controller.

In lighting technology, Intellicon has combined compact, high efficiency electronic ballasts with intelligent control to deliver more efficient operation to traditionally non-controlled products. The company has developed precision control systems for UV curing and air purification.

Customer Contact

For more information on Intellicon or the Bio Sweeper(TM) MailSafe(TM), customers should contact Gary Halmbacher at 714/751-9257; Fax [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]; or visit: http://www.intelliconelectronics.com.

About UV-C

There are certain forms of radiation that have enough energy to completely destroy the chemical bonds within the cells of any biological agent and hence are called ionizing radiation. UV-C, while the less energetic of this radiation, has a very elegant kill mechanism for these biological agents.

To understand how UV-C works to destroy bacteria and viruses, knowing the make-up of DNA is important. All biological entities have their unique identities stored in DNA. The order of the base pairs is what codes for all the cell proteins and functions that make each cell individual.

The four nitrogenous bases of DNA are arranged along the sugar-phosphate backbone in a particular order (the DNA sequence), encoding all genetic instructions for an organism. Adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), while cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). The two DNA strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases forming a double helix type structure.

Whenever a cell replicates, such as when bacteria, viruses, and spores multiply and grow, this genetic information must be passed on to the new cell. To do this the DNA in the cell makes a copy of itself. This copying process is not unlike the unzipping of a zipper, each side being identical to the other.

Unlike the more energetic X and Gamma Rays that directly kill cells by ionizing them, or disassociating them, UV-C light fuses any place on the DNA chain where two "T"s are side by side in that chain. By fusing the two base pairs, the organism can no longer reproduce. Using the zipper analogy, the UV-C light binds two zipper teeth together such that it cannot be unzipped.

So while the organism may live, the lack of reproduction means it is no longer capable of infecting a host such as a human being. Because of this characteristic, UV-C has long been used to purify both potable and wastewater.

UV-C does not penetrate any surfaces, even a sheet of paper. This disadvantage is not as serious as it first appears. First, mailroom equipment, such as the Intellicon Bio Sweeper MailSafe product line, provide a chamber for opening suspicious pieces of mail thus exposing the contents of any letter to UV-C light and killing any biological agents contained within the letter.

Second, most instances of anthrax (the CDC documents 22 victims since September 2002, 11 inhalation of which nine were in the letter trail and exposed to the spores and two were victims of cross contamination with no known connection) were a result of handling a letter or in the same facility that the letters passed through.

It could be argued that all these people could be classified as victims of cross contamination since the letters were not addressed to them. All were unlucky enough to be contaminated by the letters leaking spores into the air or onto surfaces where they caused either cutaneous or inhaled anthrax. Thus, air filtering and surface cleaning would have reduced their exposure.

Wavelengths

Ultra Violet is subdivided into three distinct wavelengths in increasing order of photon energy.

UV-A 400nm-315nm: Often referred to as "blacklight," this is the longest wavelength region and lowest energy, it represents the largest portion of natural UV light.

UV-B 315nm-280nm: Partially blocked by the ozone layer, this is the most aggressive component of natural UV light and largely responsible for sunburn (erythema).

UV-C 280nm-100nm: Only generally encountered from artificial light sources since it is totally absorbed by the earth's atmosphere. It is this wavelength that is absorbed by the protective ozone layer. The MailSafe unit uses lamps that produce 253.7 nm, the wavelength that is closest to the most deadly wavelength that neutralizes biological organisms.

Only the shorter wavelength UV-B and UV-C light are dangerous for biological materials. UV-C is the part with the shortest wavelength and is the most lethal to bacteria and virus, destroying their DNA when exposed to a UV-C filter system.

Microbiologists employ UV-C germicidal lamps as engineering control measures to reduce infection caused by airborne transmission of bacterial pathogens within closed environments. In addition, some of the water we drink has been sterilized using UV-C light, as well as a wide variety of food, drinks and medical supplies packaging.

UV-A light is commonly found in fluorescent inspection processes to make working life easier for quality control engineers, forensic scientists, fire officers and auction houses to name but a few. Under UV blacklight hairline cracks can be detected in aircraft structures, automotive steering systems and many other critical components.

In the field of forensics, UV blacklights help unearth vital evidence at crime scenes and plays an important role in identifying the causes of fires. UV blacklights are used as a means of revealing imperfections and evidences of restoration in art works, an important aspect of authentication for valuation and sale.

The special effects industry uses UV to produce stunning visual effects as if by magic. Festival tented environments use UV responsive drapes, pop concerts use multi-image "trompe l'oeil" backdrops illuminated by UV and night clubs use UV blacklights to make white clothes glow in the dark.

In recent years UV light curing of materials has emerged as perhaps the most exciting and versatile material technology. These single components, solvent-free material systems cure almost instantaneously on exposure to UV light with efficient use of energy. They offer unrivalled and unique process advantages in times of stringent legislation changes restricting the use of many solvents.

UV-A, UV-B and UV-C light sources are employed depending upon the type of material to be processed, i.e., adhesives, resins, coatings or inks.

Note to Editors: Slides available by contacting Fred Golightly at [e-mail] or calling 949/706-3100.