Vigilair Systems News Archive

November 2005

Legionnaires' Disease

21 people died and more than 120 others became ill due to an outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Toronto, Ontario. Click here to learn more about how VIGILAIR® and UV can prevent the tragic results of Legionnaires' Disease and other airborne pathogens such as SARS.

October 2005

Stop the Spread of Avian Flu

VIGILAIR® offers public health providers an excellent tool to fight the spread of contagious airborne diseases. Installed in Critical Care areas, VIGILAIR® combines high efficiency filtration with germicidal irradiation to capture and inactivate microorganisms. Click here for links from around the world on the latest pandemic concern, Avian Flu.

September 2005

USA Today article: UV as Bioterror Prevention

National newspaper USA Today recently published an article highlighting the benefits of using UV to protect buildings against bioterror attacks. Quoting a Georgia Institute of Technology Professor, Jiri Janata, the article says UV protection has applications in any public building that has a Heating. Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Professor Janata, who is an Emminent Scholar in Sensors and Instrumentation for G.I.T., says UV can be effective against both biological and chemical attacks. Click here to read the article.

August 2005

Staph Study Raises Concerns

A just released two year study on Staphylococcus aureus says the infection causes "significant" burdens on hospitals in the U.S. Click here for more information on research that says S aureus causes increased hospital costs, LOS and patient mortality.

July 2005

Ground Breaking Report on Hospital Acquired Infections

Pennsylvania leads the way in this country for public disclosure of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) rates. Click here to read a study on the state's first full year of data collection. Analysis of the data shows that HAIs caused approximately 1,800 deaths in Pennsylvania and cost an additional $2 billion in hospital charges.

June 2005

VIGILAIR® CEO Addresses Air Quality Symposium

VIGILAIR® CEO Tim Leach was tapped as an industry expert by the United Technologies Research Center this month. Mr. Leach addressed UT’s annual Indoor Environmental Quality workshop in East Hartford, Connecticut. This prestigious symposium draws together national experts in cutting edge HVAC technology to share ideas and opportunities. Representatives from the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, the Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Minnesota, Penn State University and the University of Colorado also addressed the group. United Technologies is a $37 Billion organization that is parent to many companies including Carrier and UTC Fire and Security. Mr. Leach chaired a discussion on the future of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation and Indoor Environmental Quality.

May 2005

CDC, NYS Recognize UV as Infection Control Measure

Evidence is mounting that airborne pathogens play a greater role in infection transmission than was earlier believed. Click here to read the CDC's recommendation for the use of UV in controlling SARS. New York State's Department of Health goes further by acknowledging that UV can be a part of environmental control for SARS, smallpox and other airborne agents.

April 2005

Is SARS Transmitted Through The Air?

Two new studies suggest that infected SARS patients can aerosolize the deadly Corona Virus that causes SARS. Click here for more information on this groundbreaking research.

March 2005

Interpol Chief: "There is no criminal threat with greater potential danger to all countries, regions and people in the world than the threat of bioterrorism."

Click here for more details on Interpol's first ever summit on bio-terror. Among the intelligence shared was a claim by France's Interior Minister that al Qaeda has developed and trained with biological and chemical substances in regions of Afghanistan. More than 150 countries participated and pledged better coordination to defend against terrorists.

February 2005

CIA Think-Tank Predicts Bio-Terror Attack

The National Intelligence Council says that a terrorist attack using biological or chemical weapons is likely to occur within the next 15 years. Click here to read excerpts from the report. You can download the entire report by clicking here. The NIC is an influential group that reports to the CIA and other various members of the US intelligence community.

January 2005

Toronto Hospital Study-SARS Costs

An article in the Canadian Journal of Public Health assesses costs associated with containing a SARS outbreak in a Toronto hospital. Click here for a review of the Journal article that states, "If hospitals don't spend modest sums to keep pathogens out of their facilities, they will end up spending big sums to contain them once they get out of control."

Energy Advocates Recognize UVGI

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has recognized UVGI in its recent report, Emerging Energy Saving Technologies. The ACEEE organization plans to conduct further review of UVGI and its potential to save energy consumption. Click here to review the UVGI portion of the report. The ACEEE is a group that has contributed to the energy policies of both the Bush and Clinton administrations.

October 2004

Doctors Urge Action on Bio-Weapons

The British Medical Association warns that bio-weapons pose a greater threat to mankind than chemical or nuclear weapons. Click here to read more about the dangers associated with the evolution of biological weapon technology.

August 2004

VIGILAIR® Proves Effective at Killing SARS

Click here for more information on laboratory testing that proves VIGILAIR® is effective at killing the SARS virus. (Adobe Acrobat needed to view file)

June 2004

VIGILAIR® Protects Precious Lives

The patients and staff of the Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY are now protected by VIGILAIR®, Ultra Violet Germicidal Irradiation systems were installed in all Hospital's air handlers. Hospital administrators are looking to VIGILAIR® to reduce nosocomial infections and energy consumption while increasing HVAC performance. A regional center for excellent pediatric care, Women's and Children's Hospital annually admits more than 28,000 patients, and serves another 123,000 outpatients.

May 2004

FP Technologies has named Stuart Williams as Director of its Health Care Division.

Mr. Williams will lead the company's expansion into the healthcare market, targeting hospital systems. Most recently Mr. Williams served as President of Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo, NY. Previously, he was CEO and President of The Williams Group, a national healthcare consulting firm. Mr. Williams served as President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Columbus, Ohio and held administrative positions at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Currently he is an adjunct faculty member of the School of Public Health at Ohio State University.