OKTO Technologies brings ‘breath of fresh air’ to our Covid-19 world

Lisburn-based Smart Building Specialists, OKTO Technologies. has launched a new ‘wellness’ division - OKTOair – to eradicate the problem of indoor air contamination, kill harmful airborne viruses, and revolutionise Building Management Systems in some of the world’s most luxurious homes, offices and hotels.
By Claire Cartmill
Published 14th Aug 2020, 06:00 BST
Philip Dowds, Managing Director of OKTO Technologies is pictured with the largest in the range of filters and the OKTOair dashboardPhilip Dowds, Managing Director of OKTO Technologies is pictured with the largest in the range of filters and the OKTOair dashboard
Philip Dowds, Managing Director of OKTO Technologies is pictured with the largest in the range of filters and the OKTOair dashboard

With such properties located in highly polluted and densely populated city centres, OKTOair’s new suite of Wellness technologies will reassure occupants that the air they breathe is of optimum quality and free from dangerous contaminants and natural allergens/pollens.

The Artificial Intelligence-led disinfecting filtration system is so advanced, testing has proven to remove a proxy virus for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19), from the air with 99.98% elimination within 10 minutes and 100% in 45 minutes. An invaluable feature for hotels, businesses and homes across the UK, this system is set to minimise the risk of virus transmission on their premises.

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Central to OKTOair is an intuitive air management system which continuously monitors, contrasts, and manages indoor air quality, temperature, and humidity.

The technology incorporates a user-friendly dashboard to keep occupants totally updated on all aspects of air quality inside and outside their property.

By analysing 11 key air quality metrics in real time OKTOair provides a detailed breakdown of pollutants, including the levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and ultrafine contaminants measuring 2.5microns (one twentieth of the width of a human hair).

The system then determines how to manage the air to achieve optimum living conditions. This ranges from automatically opening or closing vents and windows, to filtering the air through its bespoke AirWorks by OKTO Disinfecting Filtration System (DFS).

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The DFS filter is so advanced it can remove airborne particulates including harmful contagions and pathogens down to 0.007microns, which is 40 times smaller than when filtered by industry leading HEPA systems. AirWorks then purifies the air using electronic disinfection techniques, killing even the smallest bacteria or virus.

Based on technology developed by the US military to defend against chemical and biological attack, OKTO is the only company in the UK and Ireland certified to design, develop, and implement the AirWorks DFS system.

OKTOair executives are in the final stages of negotiations with several of the world’s leading investment banks to integrate the new system into their London offices. They are also finalising designs for its integration into some of London’s exclusive new Super-Prime residential and hotel developments.

The launch of OKTOair follows 18 months of research and development by the company’s in-house team. However, the process has been fast-tracked in response to heightened concerns surrounding indoor airborne infection risks linked to COVID-19.

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Identified as an ‘invisible’ problem, exposure to polluted air has been a growing concern in densely populated cities such as London, Paris and New York, where the majority of OKTO’s multi-million-pound projects are located.

According to Philip Dowds, MD of OKTO Technologies, air quality, health and well-being lie at the heart of the ‘Smart Building’ philosophy: “The launch has been fast-tracked because of Covid-19. Never has the public need been more focused on feeling safe and protected in the home or work environment.

“OKTOair elevates our Smart Buildings Technologies ethos to a new level by creating living spaces which enable occupiers to thrive and flourish. In the midst of the most densely populated and polluted city centres, where property prices are at a premium, our solutions offer optimum control, comfort, health, wellbeing and ultimately, peace of mind.”

The new systems operate as stand-alone installations or can be included within the wider Smart Building Systems for which OKTO Technologies is already well known. They also range in capacity from small domestic units to commercial/industrial level, scaling up to properties of 500,000 square feet.

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Related topics:LondonLisburn