Project description
High-tech against Legionnaires disease
Bacterium Legionella cause Legionnaires disease, a severe pneumonia with 50 % fatality. Legionella’s presence in water systems at hospitals and hotels leads to outbreaks resulting in about 2 000 deaths each year in Europe, with EUR 1 billion in healthcare costs as the time-consuming microbiological analysis through in situ sampling delays medical response by 13 days. The EU funded Hydro-S3DP project will bring to market a groundbreaking solution of the disinfection platform for Legionella prevention in hospitals and hotels’ water heating and cooling systems. Based on the IoT, combines virtual and physical sensors with Big Data and machine learning processes and high-tech disinfection systems. It enables the detection of Legionella in just two hours and immediate disinfection treatment.
Objective
Legionella is responsible for around 2000 deaths in Europe every year, resulting in a direct cost of 1B€/year for EU healthcare systems including working days lost and those numbers increase by 9% every year. In 2015, 7034 Legionella outbreaks have been occurring in the whole Europe with a fatality rate reaching up 50% in the hospital-acquired infections and 50% of the outbreak cases associated with holidays associated facilities. Up to now, the Legionella detection is performed through in situ sampling and analysis in Microbiology Laboratories, delaying the results and any possible actuation by 13 days. Hydro-S3DP is a global secured IoT solution, combining virtual & physical sensors with Big Data Machine learning process and state-of-the-art disinfection systems that allows in-situ detection of Legionella proliferation and direct disinfection for bacterial treatment in water cooling & heating systems in less than 2h. Moreover, Hydro-S3DP acts directly on the lime deposition reduction within the cooling & heating system, allowing an energy bill saving up to 70 000€/year in hard water environment per building facility and an increase of the system life span from 5-8 to 25 years. All together, the EU market for hospital and hotel is estimated to be ~3.4B€/year. Upon commercialization of Hydro-S3DP in Spain and progressively in the rest of Europe sales are projected to reach 5.5M€ and to employ 12 people by 2022 (1.5 year after the end of the Phase II). More than an economical solution for cooling & heating systems, Hydro-S3DP responds to a challenge of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control by preventing any Legionella outbreaks as well as offering a solution for hospital and hotel to improve their energy efficiency in accordance with the COM(2016)860 Directive from the Energy Union, and ensure their water security.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringwater engineeringwater supply systems
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.