Bio-Defense Research Group Inc (BDRGI) announced the availability of Path-Away, a technology that neutralizes deadly airborne bio-terror agents such as anthrax and smallpox. Path-Away is effective with a wide range of airborne pathogens, and its use in health care facilities will dramatically reduce the spread of infections that contribute to 90,000 hospital deaths each year.

Path-Away integrates into air handling systems and can provide protection for public and private facilities, modes of transportation ranging from military transports to cruise ships, and even individuals wearing decontamination suits and other protective gear.

The technology originated at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., which granted an exclusive worldwide license for the technology to BDRGI.

"This technology is different from anything we've found in the world market," said John Bacon, APL Technology Transfer Manager. "Every test we conducted using simulant bio-terror pathogens, including anthrax and smallpox-like substances, it significantly destroyed them, as it did with more common pathogens such as staph infections that are often found in health care facilities."

BDRGI is communicating with several agencies and companies in need of the protection provided by Path-Away, including military, government, corporate and health care.