Benzinga | May 19, 2021 08:33AM EDT

DSS Launches DSS PureAir And Makes Investment Into Innovative Proactive Air And Surface Purification Solutions Technology From Puradigm

Document Security Systems, Inc. ("DSS" or the "Company") (NYSE:DSS), a multinational company operating businesses in consumer packaging, brand protection technology, blockchain security, direct marketing, healthcare, real estate, renewable energy, and securitized digital assets, today announced the launch of DSS PureAir, Inc. ("DSS PureAir"), the Company's new wholly owned subsidiary targeting commercial and residential air purification markets, following a significant investment into Puradigm LLC, a manufacturer of proactive air and surface purification solutions that have proven to be safe, scalable and provide 24/7 protection to all indoor environments.

"We are excited to launch our newest division, DSS PureAir, to further our vision of securing healthy living," stated Frank D. Heuszel, CEO of DSS. "Before COVID-19, the market for air purifiers was strong, and now growth is accelerating even more. We are excited to support and partner with Puradigm to enable us to rapidly enter this growing global market with best-in-class products."

The global air purifier market was valued at $10.7 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to grow at a 10% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2021 through 2028, according to data from Grandview Research.

Puradigm's patented, scalable purification products actively and safely purify both air and surfaces in any room. They can be customized for indoor spaces of all sizes, including homes, offices, schools, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, assisted living facilities, food processing facilities and more, and include free standing, wall mounted, HVAC and personal protection devices.

Puradigm is unique from other disinfection technologies (chemical cleaning, UV light, vaporized hydrogen peroxide) because it produces Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) particles in very large quantities, which actively purify both air and surfaces safely, while people are present. These highly energized plasma molecules kill bacteria and viruses by piercing their cell walls, similar to a pin pricking a balloon. There are no downtime periods, chemical handling procedures, harmful residues, room clearance protocols, manpower requirements or adverse side effects.

Puradigm's proactive technology has been shown to be effective against a wide variety of pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, H1N1, E. coli, MRSA, Listeria, C. difficile, staph, and many more. It is the most validated purifier on the market.

A new study from the University of Florida ("UF") confirms the efficacy of Puradigm in inactivating SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers at UF's Department of Medicine found that Puradigm's proactive air and surface purification technology inactivates 73.33% of infectious high levels of SARS-CoV-2 on stainless steel surfaces within only 15 minutes of exposure to the technology, 93.3% after 60 minutes, and 97.7% after 4 hours. After 24 hours of exposure to Puradigm's proactive technology the study shows the SARS-CoV-2 was undetectable.

These results are consistent with those of an independent study done by Central Michigan University and Insight Research Institute which tested the effectiveness of Puradigm's technology on S. aureus, C. difficile and Dengue virus type 2 (DenV-2) used as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. Their results showed that Puradigm's technology caused a > 99% average reduction in bacterial growth and a 98.5% average reduction in viral infectivity. These findings were published in the March 2021 edition of Infectious Disease Reports, an international, open access peer-reviewed journal that publishes scientific papers about infectious diseases.

"We are thrilled to be working with DSS PureAir as our strategic partner for global expansion. Puradigm has seen its sales pipeline increase more than 500% in the past 12 months and this investment will allow us to accelerate our product rollout to multiple key markets around the world," added James Gabriel, CEO of Puradigm. "We believe our technology is critical to contain current as well as future pandemics and can dramatically minimize contamination in indoor spaces. Most importantly, our technology can run safely on a continuous basis even in fully occupied spaces."