Life Innovation Business Expansion Project

LIVMOA^™ 4500AS

Toray Industries, Inc. has developed LIVMOA^™ 4500AS disposable personal protective clothing. The new offering conforms with the JIS T 8115 Type 4 standard for the chemical spray resistance of chemical protective clothing. It also offers excellent dust protection and breathability and outstanding water resistance from the addition of seam tape.
Toray developed the fabric for this product in 2021. It employs a highly durable SMS (spunbond + dense, water-resistant meltblown + spunbond) nonwoven, antistatic fabric. This fabric protects against dust and can withstand a water pressure of 1,000mm H₂O (where the water pressure resistance at seams is less than 1,000 mm H₂O¹), which is hard to achieve with regular SMS fabric.
Toray believes that LIVMOA^™ 4500AS is the world's first clothing to be Type 4-compliant while delivering an air permeability of around 7 cc/cm² per second².
This new product can provide protection in a variety of tasks in which water resistance is vital. They include controlling dioxin levels at waste incineration facilities and performing major regular factory repairs. They also encompass work at chemical plants, maintenance, working in dirty areas, or removing asbestos.
Since debuting the LIVMOA^™ series in 2017, Toray has broadened the lineup to cater to diverse applications, including dust protection, infection control, and clean rooms. It will keep developing offerings that combine comfort and functionality for various needs.

1. 1 Seams are resistant to under 1,000mm H₂0 water pressure.
2. 2 Based on Toray research

Conventional disinfection with antiseptic solutions and other chemicals is effective and fast-acting on viral infections. The downside, however, is short volatilization, necessitating regular disinfections. While non-volatile metal-based antivirals offer generally lasting protection, the issue is that many of them take at least an hour to deactivate 99.9% of viruses.
Toray responded to that situation by developing antiviral particles that deactivate 99.9% or more of SARS-CoV-2 virus (the cause of COVID-19) strains in just 15 seconds and 99.99% or more of the strains within 5 minutes. The company achieved this by adding virus adsorption and oxidative degradation capabilities to cerium oxide particles through proprietary synthesis and surface treatment techniques. Toray drew on functional particle design, synthesis, and surface control technologies that it has developed over the years. The new particles deactivate viruses around 100 times faster than conventional metal-based antiviral agents. They are thus among the world’s quickest deactivation delivery vehicles.
Another benefit is that the particles do not volatilize and are lasting protection. That is because they do not use the virus deactivation principle of slow releases with drugs, metal ions, or other active ingredients. The particles also offer excellent safety and resist discoloration and corrosion.
Prospective media for the particles include building materials, paints, and packaging materials. They could thus be deployed in diverse products, including in public spaces in which numerous people might gather, necessitating measures to safeguard from virus infection. Other targets could be public transportation facilities, restaurants, medical and eldercare facilities, interior walls and railings at schools, and regular appliances and food packaging.
Antiviral particles could coat or be kneaded into diverse items. These could include non-woven fabrics for Toray’s masks and medical gowns, air filters, car seats, and other products that could benefit from these particles to prevent droplet and contact infections. Toray will gradually roll out test samples of the particles to customers.

1. 3 The creation of these particles stemmed partly from a joint research effort with Professor Satoshi Taharaguchi of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Azabu University under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s Feasibility Study Program on Materials and Biotechnology.

SATAKE・HotBalloon^™ ablation catheter

Toray has secured insurance coverage for the SATAKE・HotBalloon^™ ablation catheter currently sold by Toray Medical Co., Ltd. to treat drug refractory recurrent symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation in Japan. The company is authorized domestically to manufacture and sell this product.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm from abnormal electrical signal in the atria. There are four main types of such fibrillation; paroxysmal (terminates within 7 days), persistent (sustained beyond 7 days), long-standing persistent (sustained for at least 12 months) and permanent atrial fibrillation.
Around 70,000 ablations for atrial fibrillation are performed in Japan each year. An estimated 20% of those procedures are for the persistent type.
Toray secured marketing approval in 2015 for the SATAKE・HotBalloon^™ ablation catheter to treat drug refractory recurrent symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. There has been a growing need in recent years to also use this product for persistent atrial fibrillation.
The company accordingly obtained marketing approval in October 2021 to add HotBalloon™ to indications for treating drug refractory recurrent symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation, with insurance coverage beginning in May 2022. Toray expects this additional indication can be a new treatment option for persistent atrial fibrillation patients.