Sharp Corp. said Monday that research by the firm has shown that its air purifying technology is able to reduce airborne coronavirus particles, claiming it as a world first.

The Osaka-based electronics maker said its plasmacluster technology, which emits positive hydrogen ions and negative oxygen ions through plasma discharge, cut coronavirus particles by about 90 percent in an experiment jointly conducted with Nagasaki University and Shimane University.

Since the research was conducted on a small scale and in a controlled environment, it remains unclear how effective the technology would be in a real-life setting.

Researchers conducted an experiment in which they sprayed a solution containing coronavirus in a three-liter apparatus equipped with a plasmacluster device. The aerosolized solution was then retrieved after being exposed to plasmacluster ions for 30 seconds to check the inhibitory effect.

The infectious titer in the retrieved solution was reduced by 91.3 percent compared with the one that was not exposed to plasmacluster ions, Sharp said.

“Based on the result of this experiment, we will consider and provide effective uses of the plasmacluster technology to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus infection,” said Masahiro Okitsu, who heads the smart appliances and solutions division at Sharp.

He said the next step is to conduct a test that more closely simulates a real life environment.

The positive hydrogen ions and negative oxygen ions emitted by plasmacluster devices stick on to the surface of airborne viruses, fungi or other substances. The ions then bond and become OH radicals that can inhibit viruses by taking hydrogen from the protein through their oxidizing power.

Asked if plasmacluster air purifiers already available on the market can help reduce the airborne coronavirus, Jiro Yasuda, a professor at Nagasaki University, said the effectiveness would depend on the level of plasmacluster ion concentration but that they are probably effective “to a certain degree.”

In the experiment, the concentration of plasmacluster ions — 10 million per cubic centimeter — was significantly higher than that found in real-life scenarios. Okitsu said the concentration of ions emitted through existing products is about 1 to 2 million per cubic centimeter even in the immediate vicinity of purifier outputs.

While the experiment has proved effective, Okitsu said Sharp does not plan to directly use the result for marketing purposes due to legal restrictions. To advertise the inhibitory effect on coronavirus, products need to be officially recognized as medical devices, which Okitsu said is not an easy task.

Plasmacluster technology is included with Sharp’s air purifiers and other home electronics products such as air conditioners and refrigerators.