Ventilation becomes personal

A new Finnish innovation efficiently removes cigarette smoke and provides clean air directly to a workstation. The personal clean air system has been developed in Tekes Fine Technology Programme.

Oy Lifa Air Ltd. product development seeks to innovate effective ventilation and air purifying solutions for smoking areas. For example, in Sweden, where smoking in restaurants is prohibited by law, the new Lifa air conditioning systems have been installed in approximately 30 restaurants.

Working in cooperation with furniture producer Martela, Lifa has developed a workstation to provide each employee with a personal zone of clean air despite the quality of surrounding air.

“A significant number of employees judge indoor air quality to be poor or have symptoms as a result of poor air quality. This is probably due to a fact that only 1% percent of supply air is inhaled,” Vesa Mäkipää, CEO of Oy Lifa Air Ltd. says.

The new air conditioning system can also be used in cruise ships, where individual clean air systems can be installed in each cabin.

“The cabin-specific application combines the positive aspects of the innovation: high-efficiency filtering technology for small particles and gaseous impurities, lower investment and operating costs and long maintenance intervals. In addition, the system can be retrofitted,” Vesa Mäkipää says.

According to Vesa Mäkipää, the Fine programme has greatly helped Lifa to develop indoor technology and turn it into practical products that improve health and security.