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SANYO Donates Systems Effective vs. Flu to United Nations Organization Affiliate - World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows (WAFUNIF)

Posted on: Monday, 15 June 2009, 10:45 CDT

Donation accepted as WHO declares H1N1 first pandemic in 41 years

Help Goodwill Ambassadors Provide Clean Air to Those in Need; Plans to Bring Products to North America

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- SANYO Biomedical and Environmental Solutions (SANYO), a division of SANYO North America, announces that it is donating professional-use 'Virus Washer' air purification systems to the World Associations of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows, Inc. (WAFUNIF), a non-profit, non government organization that consults with the United Nations. This comes just days after the World Health Organization declares the H1N1 flu a worldwide pandemic and weeks after several of the same units were donated to local New York airports and schools to assist in re-opening schools and provide an added line of defence against H1N1. The SANYO 'Virus Washer' units will be donated by the surviving family of Hope White-Davis, former President of WAFUNIF. In addition to the donation, SANYO also announced today that it plans to bring the 'Virus Washer' systems to North America later this year from the fall.

"With recent announcements about airborne illnesses, including the H1N1 flu pandemic, to keep the air safe and healthy in public places, there is a real need for systems that can effectively treat the air," said Masami Murata, President, SANYO North America. "With our donation to WAFUNIF today, we also announce our intention to enter the North American market and offer our electrolyzed water technology to provide environments where people can gather and breathe easier, knowing there are preventative measures in place."

Gerald White-Davis, initially receiving the units on behalf of the late Dr. Hope P. White-Davis, former President of WAFUNIF, said, "We present these 'Virus Washer' units to WAFUNIF in loving memory of Dr. Hope P. White-Davis. It was her dream to take action that would provide for the greater good. This opportunity to provide cleaner air for large groups of people from all over the world is in line with both her vision, as well as the organizational vision."

Once WAFUNIF has received the units, they plan to distribute them according to where they see areas of concern, to help provide safer gathering areas and aid in the fight against the spread of H1N1 as well as other airborne contaminants.

"WAFUNIF is happy to receive this donation from the family of President Hope White-Davis and SANYO," Dr. Valdemar Prado, Senior Research Fellow for Science and Technology at WAFUNIF, commented. "We would like to have the units installed in the UN medical office waiting room areas that provide services to people coming from all over the world. It is vital that we do all we can to support the United Nations organizations and systems, and by offering cutting-edge, preventative technology, we will be doing just that."

SANYO's plans to introduce its 'Virus Washer' employing its proprietary electrolyzed water to North America in the fall include targeting public places or places where people gather. Using widely available electricity and tap water, the 'Virus Washer' is a cheap and effective way to treat the air.

There are already locations in New York that are using this cutting-edge technology. Two units are currently in use at the Office of Nurse Mary Pappas at St. Francis Preparatory in Fresh Meadows, Queens, and The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) in Jamaica Estates, NY. Other units have also been donated and installed in the Medports at JFK and LaGuardia airports. Further donation installations are expected in New York and other areas of the country.

The model donated today, SANYO's professional-use 'Virus Washer' VW-VF10BG, uses a special 'Electrolyzed Water Disinfecting Element' that inactivates viruses and other airborne contaminants. This is achieved by electrolyzed water dripping or running over the purification element in the 'Virus Washer.' Indoor air is then forced to circulate through the element, inactivating airborne viruses which pass through it.

SANYO's electrolyzed water technology has been tested and proven effective in suppressing airborne viruses, bacteria, odors, allergens and mold through global third party certification institutions including RTI, whose testing certification can be viewed at http://www.sanyobiomedical.com/certification. By only using tap water and electricity, there are absolutely no harmful chemicals. The electricity works as a catalyst for the salt in the tap water to create hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid to destroy the protein spikes on the surface of the virus. This prevents the virus from attaching to and infecting healthy cells. Independent testing in Japan and other countries has also demonstrated that electrolyzed water has the unique ability to inactivate human viruses.

For more information on the 'Virus Washer' technology visit http://us.sanyo.com/vw.

About SANYO

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a multi-billion dollar, global leader in providing solutions for environment, energy and for lifestyle applications based on its brand vision, 'Think GAIA.' SANYO Biomedical and Environmental Solutions (a division of SANYO North America Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.), based in Wood Dale, IL, provides laboratory equipment for pharmaceutical, life science and biotechnology applications. Product lines include space-efficient V.I.P.(R) ultra-low temperature freezers, cryogenic freezers, pharmaceutical and medical refrigerators, cell culture incubators, plant growth chambers, and portable autoclaves. For more information, visit http://us.sanyo.com.

SOURCE SANYO North America Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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