Toilé technology

Toilé is the only toilet registered as a medical device by the Ministry of Health (No. 2021139, UDI: 8056459897007) and protected by international patents. It is able to extract air directly from the bowl during use, especially during flushing, when the spread of contaminated bio-aerosol is at its highest, conveying it outside the building. By extracting air at the source, this specially designed toilet counteracts the spread of both bad odours and viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. The Toilé ceramic body is designed with a dedicated duct for extracting contaminated air directly from the toilet bowl.

A growing number of international scientific studies highlight how toilet use is a serious source of contagion. Viruses and bacteria, including coronaviruses, are present in human waste, and toilets spread these pathogens through the aerosol generated during use and flushing. Some of Toilé’s distinctive features include: • Separate chambers prevent overlap between the flushing flow and the extracted aerosol flow; • The system continues its extraction activity throughout the entire time the toilet is in use, especially during flushing; • The air handling system, including extraction and discharge of air containing contaminated aerosol, is already integrated inside the toilet, so no additional masonry work is required to create dedicated ducting; • It features the hydraulic connections of any standard toilet, in accordance with EN33, allowing quick replacement of any toilet.

Possible alternative technologies that could be adopted in public bathrooms include: (i) traditional wall-mounted air extractors, or (ii) air extractors connected to the flush cistern. In the first case, air exchange takes a long time, so it is not possible to prevent the spread of aerosol, which may then be inhaled by the next user and settle on surfaces, contaminating them. In this case, use of the bathroom should be prohibited until the air has been completely renewed. In the second case, extraction takes place through the pipe connecting the flush cistern to the toilet. However, with this system it is not possible to extract aerosol, because during flushing the air extraction capacity disappears completely as the pipe is filled with water.