PHILTER™ CEO Christos Nicolaidis discusses the company’s vision for a world of clean air and its first-of-its-kind microfiltration technology—a new tool in the mission to eliminate harmful airborne particulates and improve human health.
What is PHILTER all about?
Christos Nicolaidis:We at PHILTER have developed innovative microfiltration technologies that eliminate harmful airborne particulates in a variety of settings. These harmful particulates are toxic, and carcinogenic and are commonly breathed in. The experience of COVID made all of us more aware of harmful airborne particulates, which may include viruses and bacteria.
What makes our clean air technology so unique is its small footprint, which means PHILTER can eliminate particulates at the source, before they become airborne.It’s a completely new concept in eliminating harmful air, and it enables us to address several vertical markets that have a need for eliminating exposure to toxic and carcinogenic air. These include harmful vapor common in surgical wards, secondhand smoke from cannabis and nicotine, and smoke from soldering irons and other industrial uses. All of these have a much higher impact on healthy environments than most people realize.
That sounds like a lot to address. What is PHILTER focusing on at this time?
CN: The initial application of our technologies is to address the pervasive health issues of secondhand smoke generated from cannabis and tobacco use. PHILTER technology only needs a very small footprint, enabling us to eliminate secondhand smoke at the source. It would be a healthier world if no one smoked or vaped, but that is not about to happen, since we know smoking and vaping are not going away. In fact, cannabis consumption is now outpacing alcohol consumption. Our technology reduces harm by eliminating secondhand smoke and its harmful effects.
At PHILTER we’re all about human health, and our technology is based on this ethos. Eliminating secondhand smoke from vaping and smoking is a critical issue, especially with the growth of the cannabis market and the increase in nicotine vaping. We are a technology company at our core, and the initial problem we’re focusing on is eliminating the harm from secondhand smoke.
We’ve come a long way when it comes to restrictions on smoking, including bans in nearly all public spaces in most states. Why the need for further mitigation of secondhand smoke?
CN: The restrictions and other regulations on smoking were an important development, but they did not lead to the end of secondhand smoke. In fact, it drove many people to smoke in their homes, cars and other private or social settings. And as people consume in enclosed spaces, non-smokers, non-vapers, and the environments within those settings continue to be affected. A good HVAC system can help, but it doesn’t eliminate exposure for others. In fact, a study by MIT and Virginia Tech indicated that particulate matter in secondhand smoke will linger in the air for 30 minutes and go out as far as 20 feet. As vaping grows and cannabis adoption continues to accelerate, the problem will only get bigger. The idea of filtering smoke at the source before it even enters the environment is a totally new paradigm in the battle against secondhand smoke.
How does PHILTER’s microfiltration technology work?
CN: Our internal innovation team has spent years developing this tech. The simplified explanation is a user’s exhale moves through a five-step process in a space of only 3 inches, as it manipulates airflow and attacks particulates at a molecular level. Gen 2, which is coming soon, works similarly but without the need for traditional filters. Both technologies require a very small footprint and very low power, making them ideal for integrating at the source of smoke creation, like in a vape device or on a surgical laser. This process eliminates up to 99.75% of toxins and other unwanted materials, down to 0.3 microns, and we expect it will eliminate even more with our Gen 2 technology.
Is PHILTER anti-tobacco? Anti-cannabis?
CN: Philter is pro clean air! For us it’s not about what you inhale—it’s about what you exhale. What we exhale is what affects others. And we are all about harm reduction with clean air.
Many cannabis and nicotine consumers have experienced times when they wanted to exhale their cloud or plume. And other times they wish the smoke would go away and not expose friends or loved ones or pets. PHILTER gives people a choice for the first time ever, creating an environment where everyone can co-exist. We give people the ability to control whether or not to produce secondhand smoke.
We operate under the understanding that existing restrictions or regulations aimed at reducing secondhand smoke exposure in public places do not eliminate the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Our mission extends to the correlation between restrictions on public usage, the rise in vaping and smoking, and the escalating health and environmental risks associated with secondhand smoke.
Is secondhand smoke something smokers and vapers are concerned about?
CN: Our premise is that if given a choice, there are smokers who will prefer not to produce secondhand smoke, at least some of the time. To test the theory, we launched a series of pilot products to gather market insights. We sold hundreds of thousands of these pilot products and surveyed thousands of consumers. It confirmed a few things. Cannabis usage in private spaces and homes contributed heavily to an increase in secondhand smoke exposure. 91% of respondents said they were concerned about the impact of secondhand smoke on the environment. And 89% felt better about their cannabis consumption when secondhand smoke is eliminated. This validated our understanding of the mounting challenges posed by indoor smoking and vaping.
Additionally, our consumer surveys indicate medicinal users are acutely aware of the impact of secondhand smoke and prefer to eliminate it.
What’s next for PHILTER?
CN: Smokers will continue to smoke. Vapors will continue to vape. Cannabis is growing at a very high rate. We want to tackle the secondhand smoke problem with technology…it’s the only way to do it effectively. We’re incredibly excited about the launch of our integrated cannabis vape device that allows for inhale and exhale through the same mouthpiece. This will be the first device that produces clean, odorless air rather than secondhand smoke. We can make the air cleaner. We believe this is a critical and very important mission! It’s the next evolution of conscious consumption and what the world of consumption will look like.
As I mentioned, there are other applications for our technologies, all centered around clean air and human health. We’ll have more to say about those during the next year, more to come. For now, our focus is on empowering consumers to clean the air while consuming cannabis or tobacco. In doing so, consumers positively impact the lives of those around them. That is what we are all about, improving human health.
