FAQs

Radic8 is the company that owns and manufactures the highest certified clean air technology in the world, called Viruskiller™.

History: Viruskiller™ core technology was initially funded by the Korean Government after the 2003 SARS epidemic. For the past 16 years, the technology has been focused on killing airborne viruses and has since been installed in over 80% of hospitals in South Korea, all lung examination rooms, universities, and more.

Airflow: One of the most overlooked aspects in air sterilization is controlled airflow. Viruskiller™ units have been designed in collaboration with South Korea’s Aerospace University to achieve unparalleled airflow control in indoor settings ranging from operating theaters, to waiting rooms, to offices.

Single Air Exchange Kill Rates: If a technology draws contaminated air in, then pushes it back into the breathing zone without completely sterilizing it, it dramatically increases the risk of cross contamination. When it comes to viruses, the only relevant test results are on a single air exchange, where our tech achieves 99.9999% virus kill rates.

Studies show that viruses can penetrate HEPA filters, so after our HEPA we use our patented reactor chamber which is full of UV radiation and nano oxidisation that breaks the RNA of viruses. Our test results show a 99.9999% kill rate on respiratory viruses, including Coronavirus, on a single air exchange.

HEPA filters are designed to trap particles down to 0.3 microns and viruses are much smaller than that. Studies show that viruses penetrate HEPA filters. Studies also show that microbial contamination can grow on HEPA filters and they themselves can become a source of microbial contamination.
Virsukiller technology is designed to kill all viruses and our test results show a kill rate of 99.9999% on a single air exchange.

Note: The HEPA filters used in the Radic8 technology are positioned before the reactor chamber, therefore anything that passes the HEPA filter is destroyed in the Radic8 reactor chamber.

There are many factors that can affect the efficiency of photo catalytic oxidation. Some include the quality and power of the UV lamps, the type and size of the photocatalytic surface, the technology used to coat that surface, etc.

That means not all devices using photo catalytic oxidation are created equal. Their efficiency varies greatly.

• Even though we use photo catalytic oxidation, our reactor cell is patented and unique. It achieves a 99.9999% kill rate on all respiratory viruses in a single air pass without releasing any by-products.

• We use the highest quality UV-C lamps that are certified ozone-free for their entire recommended lifespan.

• The process we use for coating the filters with TiO₂ (titanium dioxide) ensures that no ultrafine particles are going to be released from the units during the photo catalytic process.

The Viruskiller™ technology was funded by the Korean Government as an emergency response to the 2003 SARS epidemic and was developed by a consortium of universities and government bodies. The first virus killing tests arrived in 2004, showing a 99.9999% kill rate on Corona Virus, Adeno Virus, Influenza Virus and Polio Virus.

Since then, the technology and individual units have been tested numerous times on different strains of bacteria, ozone generation, ultra fine particles, VOC’s and more. There is probably no other technology on the market as extensively tested as Viruskiller™.

The Viruskiller™ technology was developed in South Korea where it also has its largest installation base. There are over 370.000 commercial installations in South Korea alone, which cover more than 80% of hospitals and universities, all lung examination rooms, schools, government buildings, restaurants, elder care homes, etc.

Radic8 products are used in many sectors as well as the medical sector. We have therefore not registered it with KFDA as a medical device.

Radic8 devices are installed in schools, care homes, universities, shops, restaurants, etc. They don’t have to and are not registered as medical devices – we don’t register with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But it is CE-approved, and in the US it’s CSA-approved [certified by Underwriters Laboratories].
Other certifications: FCC, ISO (9001:2015)

Our tests were conducted on SARS coronavirus which has almost an identical size/structure/envelope as the current Covid19 and is widely accepted as a substitute.

The forced airflow will greatly reduce surface settlement of viruses and therefore reduce the viral load on the surfaces. Radic8 technology does not actively kill viruses on surfaces but it does reduce the amount that can settle on the surfaces by destroying them while they are still in the air.

The Viruskiller™ units aim to create a controlled airflow in any indoor setting. The powerful fan will draw contaminated air away from the breathing zone, sterilize it and then send it back into the breathing zone. This will greatly reduce the risk of cross contamination through airborne and droplet particles. Please see the attached PDF for more info on controlled airflow.

Whilst Covid19 is thought to be predominantly transmitted by droplets, they can be various sized droplets, including fine droplets that can stay in the air for hours. Droplets not only released whilst coughing or sneezing. The simple act of talking, eating and even breathing can release them. (please see the attached video from Japan). This is why many governments, including our own, have now made mask wearing compulsory for the general public. There are many studies that have been done on this matter (such as this one: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973).
In addition, it is a known fact that virus droplets attach to larger particles in the air such as dust, pollution or other particles and then effectively becomes airborne. This is why maintaining clean air reduces the risk of viruses being transported through the air. There is increasing evidence that the Corona virus is airborne due to pollution and other particulate matter. (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution)

Absolutely, yes. We control the flow of air and take the virus out of the breathing zone. We then process the virus through our patented technology and kill it with 99.9999% efficiency on a single air exchange.
There are a lot of questions on how South Korea has managed to flatten the coronavirus curve so quickly, and one of the reasons is that they have OVER 370,000 commercial installations of the Viruskiller™ technology to tackle airborne and droplet disease transmission.

Radic8 technology is often used in conjunction with A/C units and the airflow from the A/C should be taken into account before best positioning of the Radic8 devices are decided upon.  A/C airflow should aid the airflow being directed into the Radic8 device as opposed to countering it.

Windows will allow fresh air input and this is important but it is not advisable to have the Radic8 units too close to an open window. Airflow from an air conditioning unit will influence the forced airflow of the Radic8 unit and should enhance the flow of air going into the unit as apposed to countering it. 

The units can easily be moved to different rooms. The smaller units are light enough to be carried by one person, and the tower units have casters that allow them to be pushed around. Even though the units are mobile, they are not meant to be used in that way. They must be plugged in in order to work and stay in the same place while working, in order to create efficient airflow within the space it is covering. In special circumstances, such as dental surgeries, the VK 401 can be mounted on a trolley in order to always be placed in the ideal position.

It is usually best to select a unit based on the area to cover. If the ideal unit is not suitable for a space (e.g nowhere to place a tower unit in a room), then we would suggest using a different unit that was more suited and maybe use a combination to adequately cover the space (e.g installing several VK-401s on the walls instead). 

Yes, we take 2.4 m as an average ceiling height for simplicity, however when we specify units for a space we also ask for the cubic meters of the room. If the ceiling height is higher than 2.4 m it could indeed affect the unit required.

All the units have multi layered filtration and a reaction chamber.
Vacuum / wipe the pre filter on a weekly basis as part of your routine shut down procedure.
Yes, the filters can be easily replaced by opening the drawers on the tower units or unscrewing the side panels on the VK 401. The reaction chamber can also be changed at home or by a maintenance contractor for commercial installations.

The reactor cell (which contains the UV lights) needs changing after 8000 hours of use. That’s approximately 3 years of use, 8 hours per day. All Radic8 units will alarm you when it is time to replace the reactor chamber. You can get all the spare parts from our websites or through your local distributor.

We recommend using PPE and placing the filters in a sealed bag before disposal.

No. The pre-filters trap larger, coarse particles and are safe to handle.

The lifespan of the filters (activated carbon and HEPA) varies from unit to unit (from 2000h to 8000h) and the reaction chamber lasts 8000 hours.
The unit will alert you that they needs to be replaced.
Yes, the filters can be easily replaced by opening the drawers on the tower units or unscrewing the side panels on the VK401. The reactor cell can also be changed at home.

You can install your VK 401 on the ceiling but it needs to be a very strong ceiling because the unit weighs 12 kg.

Yes you can put VK 401 on a counter it does not have to be wall mounted. But remember, our devices need to be plugged at all times. You need to be careful when managing a mobile unit.

It comes with the screws needed for wall mounting.

Most rooms that we install our equipment have incoming ventilation and/or air conditioning. The key in these circumstances is to get as many air exchanges per hour through our equipment as we can in order to combat the extra air flow. This forms part of the specification process that distributors should conduct with each customer prior to them placing their order, if there is significant air being brought into the space, we would need to increase our equipment capacity

The units are very easy to install, operate and maintain, they are plug and play.
We offer online training of distributors and we also have training videos for each and every product, one video is a product overview explaining what it does, how it works and where best installed, the other is a maintenance video showing step by step how to clean filters and how to replace filters and reactor chambers. The units also come with very clear and user-friendly user manuals.

This depends on the unit and the space available, but in general the maximum available space should be left around the unit. The optimum location for a tower unit, with 4 way directional airflow, is the center of a room with clear space on all four sides.

Air flow is a very important factor to consider. Ideally, closer to the entrance of the room so as to maximize air flow capturing any contamination from outside the room when the door opens.
However, we have five devices for different applications. We also make specialist devices for contamination and disease control, so in that instance we’d have a negative pressure device. We offer devices for operating theatres where we also create positive pressure. Then we do bespoke installations in the UK.

We’ve partnered up with the largest ambulance manufacturer in the UK, O&H, and they’ve started installing our Radic8 technology to protect frontline staff.

We follow best practice guidelines wherever they exist, for example in operating theaters. Where there are no standards in place we specify units according to room size and usage, usually aiming to achieve at least three room changes per hour. 

Where local facilities exist, the UV lamps can be recycled. The reactor chambers can be dismantled at the end of their lifespan, the metal part and UV lamps recycled and the plastic parts disposed of responsibly.

No. The unit doesn’t produce any byproducts.

The filters vary between most units as they have different thickness and size.

Depending on the unit. From 15W (Hextio), 48W (IAQ Inline,) 96W (VK 401), 210W (VK 103), 280 W (VK 002), 350 W (VK 102) to 360 W (VK Medi)

Yes, having a forced airflow greatly reduces surface settlement

Radic8 tackles droplet and airborne disease transmission routes and, at the same time, reduces direct and indirect contact transmission routes (if the airborne harmful particles are killed, they won’t fall on the surfaces).

Our technology keeps the indoor air fresh to stop the transmission of diseases

This depends on the number of air changes per hour achieved, and this in turn depends on the size of unit used for the space. In general environments (office and domestic), three room changes per hour are reccommend, so a smell should be lessened almost immediately and removed after 20 minutes.

The Viruskiller is effective on odours of all types, however it is not designed to be used to remove oil and smoke from commercial kitchens and restaurants. It will deal with odours from toilets effectively, however to deal with very high concentrations of odours or toxic gases (e.g from industrial processes) we would normally recommend it is used alongside effective ventilation.

All units can now be controlled with a Wi-Fi plug to operate remotely and controlled by Building Management Software.

Hextio and the Viruskiller VK 002 / 102 / 103 series have built in Indoor Air Quality Sensors to automatically detect when there is a high level of particulate or gaseous pollution in the air and turn the fan up automatically until levels are reduced.

The Viruskiller units do not impact the relative humidity of the air. At present there is no way to control the RH through the unit. There are options to control carbon dioxide leaves and temperature (positive pressure units).

No. No by-products come out of the reactor chamber. Also, all our units are ozone free (tested!)

First, we use a powerful fan to force air into the unit. Second, we specify the correct unit based on the cubic metres and usage of the room to ensure that sufficient room changes per hour (how often on average all the air in the room is forced through the machine) are taking place. This can be between 3 room changes per hour in a domestic setting to as many as 70 in an operating theatre.

“It depends on the model.

VK-MEDI: 8 watt, 8 ea
VK-102: 6 watt, 16 ea
VK-002: 6 watt, 8 ea
VK-401: 6 watt, 8 ea
Hextio: 6 watt, 1 ea

Note: Part of our patented process is amplifying the power of the UVC lamps by using ultimate reflection and refraction enhancements

Most dental surgeries are small and the unit placed on the patients feet end wall is generally acceptable. 
1 to 2 meters away from the dental chair is okay.

That depends if the oral aerosol unit killed viruses in a single air exchange, if it did not it could be responsible for spreading the virus and creating an uncontrolled airflow.

The phosphor is caught within the HEPA filters and the mercury vapor is captured/neutralized in the activated carbon filters and PCO process.

A lot of technical work has gone into making the Viruskiller™ units as quiet as possible whilst still ensuring maximum airflow.

You can install your VK 401 on the ceiling but it needs to be a very strong ceiling because the unit weight is of 12kg

We recommend to switch off the unit before fogging. High moisture content would affect the filters efficiency.

“The placement of the unit is very important to create airflow in the most efficient way. We recommend the installation of the VK-401 to be feet-end to remove it from the breathing zone of dentist, patient and assistant. “

Yes, we neutralise the airborne pathogens. This helps in reducing the contaminated droplets onto the surfaces in the indoor space.

The average time for a normal sized surgery ranges between 4-6 minutes. this can be worked out exactly by establishing the cubic feet of space in your surgery (W X L X H). The flow rate is 141CF/min in a VK401. If your room is 564 cubic feet then 564/141 = 4. Therefore the flow rate for a complete air exchange is 4 minutes.