Suppressing allergens with Plasmacluster Ion tech

Do you usually greet your day suffering from excessive sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose? Well, if you answered yes, then you’re probably one of approximately seven million other Filipinos who are suffering from allergies.

Allergies can gravely affect one’s lifestyle and budget. Some have serious allergy attacks that they are forced to stay at home till the allergic reaction subsides, resulting in wasted working hours and consequently, lost productivity and wages.

One of the most common allergy-inducing substances is dust and dust mites – microscopic spider-like creatures that feed on the flakes of human skin.

The dust found in our homes is composed mainly of shed human skin, which keeps dust mites alive. While dust mites don’t bite or sting, they are one of the most significant sources of allergens, or allergy-inducing substances. It is a risk factor in the development of allergic diseases like rhinitis, common colds and other respiratory diseases.

Making matters worse is the fact that dust mites are just one of the many allergens that are airborne in our homes.

Fortunately, Sharp is doing something significant in its mission to help everyone lead a better and healthier life. For one thing, the company has developed the revolutionary Plasmacluster Ion technology to help suppress harmful allergens.

Plasmacluster Ion technology removes harmful airborne substances by releasing positive and negative ions into the air. Working in collaboration with research institutions worldwide, Sharp subsequently proved that Plasmacluster Ion can suppress the activities of 26 types of bacteria, mold, fungi, viruses and allergens that are floating in the air.

Sharp knows the tremendous benefits that consumers can get from Plasmacluster Ion that’s why several of the company’s products now feature this truly innovative technology.

For instance, Plasmacluster Ion is present in Sharp air-conditioners and air purifiers to ensure that the air we breathe is pure, clean and odor-fee. Plasmacluster Ion can also be enjoyed in Sharp refrigerators, as it keeps foods fresher longer.

How does Plasmacluster Ion technology suppress allergens? Well, a built-in Plasmacluster Ion generator produces positive and negative ions from the water molecules (H2O) and oxygen molecules (O2) in the air. These ions, which have strong germ-killing qualities, are released back into the air.

By themselves, these positive and negative ions are inherently unstable, but they become stable when they cling to "something." When they encounter airborne germs (like mold spore and viruses) or toxic substances (like tobacco smoke), they form clusters surrounding the offending entity.

At that point, a chemical reaction occurs on the cell membrane surface, and the ions are transformed into OH radicals, a powerful, active but unstable material that robs the harmful substance of a hydrogen (H) atom.

As a result, the OH radicals inactivate the harmful substances by severing the protein on the cell membrane, opening the holes. The OH radicals instantly bond with the removed hydrogen, forming water vapor, and return to the air.

In allergy sufferers, the allergy antibodies cover the surface of mast cells present in the mucosal epithelia and tissues of the throat and nose. When an allergen protein contained in dead mites or their fecal pellets binds with the antibody, irritant substances like histamine are released outside the cell walls, irritating the mucosa of the nose and throat and inducing an allergic reaction, which can include coughing, sneezing and runny nose.

To investigate how Plasmacluster Ions act on the proteins in mite allergens, electrophoresis, a method of separating and analyzing protein, was conducted. It confirmed that the protein, which is the cause of the allergy, is destroyed by the ion treatment. The Plasmacluster Ions suppress the allergen by rupturing and destroying the allergen protein by fragmentation.

No less than the Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter in Hiroshima University, Japan, one of the world’s leading authorities in allergy research, validated the effectiveness of Plasmacluster Ions in suppressing the allergenic potency of mite allergens.

Research results also proved that Plasmacluster Ions are effective against a wide range of inhalant allergens as well as other harmful substances like bacteria and viruses.

Indeed, Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion technology is yet another testament to Sharp’s noble commitment to "bring well-being to both people and nature."