Jet Sink Ventilation: Personalized Airflow Cuts Indoor Infection Risk
UBC Okanagan researchers developed an induction-removal, or jet-sink, personalized airflow device that surrounds the user and pulls exhaled aerosols into a localized purification area, dramatically lowering simulated infection risk to 9.5% (versus 47.6% with standard personal ventilation, 38% with an exhaust-design, and 91% with standard room ventilation) and removing up to 94% of airborne pathogens in a 30-minute scenario. The team plans prototyping and testing in larger spaces and real settings like clinics, classrooms, and offices to improve indoor air safety and potentially influence ventilation standards.