Auto Manufacturing Giant Magna Develops Sanitizing Box That Could Kill Coronavirus

Auto parts manufacturing giant Magna International has developed a Puro ozone sanitizing device that may be capable of killing coronavirus. According to a release from the Canadian company, the equipment is even ready for an accelerated production run. So what's the holdup? Magna needs a partner to help test and validate that the devices, which have already been proven to kill MRSA, can eliminate COVID-19 as well.

Puro operates on proprietary software developed by Magna and converts oxygen into super-cleaning ozone molecules that quickly kill bacteria and odors. Once the item is sanitized, the device converts the ozone back into oxygen to be safely released. Since there’s no water involved, the device is ideal for sterilizing surfaces that can’t be boiled or otherwise sanitized. It's also capable of holding large, oddly sized elements while being safe to use on everyday items like eating utensils.

The device itself isn’t new and has been floating around the depths of Magna’s skunkworks team since 2012 when it was first tested and proven capable of killing MRSA bacteria. Magna says that all it needs to get the Puro into the hands of healthcare professionals is a partner to test and validate its effectiveness, but the company believes that it has the capability to scale up and build a significant number of units within just a few weeks.

Magna joins a growing list of automotive heavy hitters that are stepping up to help with coronavirus recovery and prevention efforts. Earlier this week, Ford announced a partnership with 3M and GE that will eventually result in a massive production run of ventilators and other protective equipment for people at the front lines of the pandemic, and GM is undertaking similar measures with Ventec.

The parts supplier has already converted from manufacturing vehicle seating equipment in Mexico and Europe to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production, aiding in the worldwide shortage of N95 masks.

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