Ergonomic platform for the detection of airborne viruses

    Our cost-effective, reusable and near real-time technology provides vulnerable individuals and healthcare professionals with a tool for accurate detection of their exposure to airborne viruses before the manifestation of any severe symptoms

    About us

    We are a team of biotechnology and software engineers eager to make a difference and apply our knowledge to tackle the global challenge of frequent respiratory disease outbreaks.


    We aim to develop an ergonomic platform, composed of a sensing device, cloud infrastructure and mobile application, to revolutionise the detection of airborne viruses with a rapid, reusable and cost-effective technology. Knowledge of the precise timing of exposure to viral hazards will lead to improved infection control measures, better preventive care and reduced burden of respiratory infections, particularly in healthcare settings.


    Our technical concept has been endorsed by the international research community, and we look forward to developing it into digital bio-threat detection solutions for the public.

    How does it work?
    1
    Detection
    Immobilised on the ferromagnetic chip oscillating in the magnetic field, stable antibody fragments, or nanobodies, recognise and bind to viral targets present in the airflow. Resulting change in mass induces a proportional shift in electromagnetic parameters, allowing to calculate the viral load.
    2
    Alerting
    Validated operation in liquids and gases enables detection of viral load in ambient air, exhaled breath condensates or biological fluids, with less effort than conventional laboratory techniques. The integration of a device into the IoT allows for rapid alerting of patients and healthcare professionals of exposure to viral hazards before the onset of severe symptoms.
    3
    Improved infection control

    Enabling immediate protective measures:


    • Donning personal protective equipment
    • Following infection control protocols to minimise the risk of transmission: hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, proper sanitation, self-isolation
    • Taking antiviral medication if at high risk
    Our offer
    We help to improve the detection of airborne viruses in clinical, workplace and home settings by offering our platform in the following configurations:
    Collective systems
    Incorporated into ventilation and air conditioning to monitor the presence of infectious viruses in the ambient air and alert patients and healthcare professionals in the vicinity of the sensor.
    Point-of-care sensors
    Reusable and rapid alternative to conventional molecular techniques for early disease diagnosis: identification of infectious agents in exhaled breath condensates and biological fluids.

    Why choose VAir?

    • Affordability
      The lower cost and simple maintenance make our platform affordable for individuals, small entreprises and healthcare facilities, as opposed to commercially available biodefence devices targeted at large military actors.
    • Social impact
      Our solution aims to reduce the social and economic burden of chronic and age-related conditions by mitigating the additional morbidity and mortality of respiratory viral infections.

      We dedicate our products to people at risk of complications from respiratory infections: the elderly, pregnant women, infants and patients with chronic diseases.
    • Durability

      The use of low-cost ferromagnetic alloys, known for their durability and longevity, enables reliable operation over long time, reducing the need for frequent calibration and maintenance.


      The stable conformations of nanobodies reduce the potential for denaturation at elevated temperatures (up to 70ºC), together with the high density of immobilisation allowing the reusability of our devices.

    • Flexibility
      Allows the integration of multiple detection modules with different capture elements to simultaneously detect multiple airborne viruses: SARS-CoV-2, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza.
    • Convenience
      As our system is based on highly specific nanobody-antigen binding, it doesn't require a human operator to perform additional biochemical assays to identify the species of a pathogen, unlike existing aerosol analysers.
    Meet our team
    • Ekaterina Kukhtenko
      Chief Executing Officer, Product Owner
      Ekaterina is responsible for the development and evolution of VAir in line with cutting-edge research, customer needs and market trends. She brought together the core members of our team and helped them to show their unique talents in the work process. Now, she is the representative of VAir, identifying and engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure their support.
    • Matvei Ovtsin
      Chief Technical Officer
      Matvei integrates the team's needs and requirements into IT planning and operations. He is in charge of IT infrastructure, software development and maintenance processes with focus on security.
    • Desmond Akabetso Nde
      R&D Engineer
      With a solid experience and a passion for pushing the boundaries of technical possibilities, Desmond is in charge of our hardware development, overseeing the entire cycle from conceptualization to validation in the field.
    Discover our partners
    Sign up for VAir Newsletter

    Get updates on VAir development from our R&D team

    By submitting this form, I agree to receive email notifications about product news. I acknowledge that VAir may process my personal data I provided above for these purposes.

    Made on
    Tilda