‘Because ultimately, it’s all of us:’ Orillia medical esthetician joins clean air research team

Looking for solutions to keep his anti-aging clinic safe from COVID-19, an Orillia medical esthetician and his partner have become ambassadors in a Canadian-made portable air filtration system and they are working to bring the technology to other companies within their industry.

“We actually had clients who were a little scared to come in because of COVID and this is putting them at ease,” Ben Tiessen said. 

Blade (a medical esthetician) and Ben Tiessen’s business, The Anti-Aging Clinic — at 43 Colborne St. W., in Orillia — is the first of its kind to use the Airborne Infection Isolation and Removal (AIIR) device by Care Health Meditech.

Care Health Meditech — based in Kelowna — has teamed up with researchers from the University of British Columbia to develop the AIIR device. Stephen Munro, managing partner of operations with Care Health Meditech, said AIIR isolates and eliminates airborne droplets and particles, like the COVID-19 virus. AIIR was originally designed for dental offices, Munro said. 

The company has plans to expand AIIR. They are working with Interior Health Authority in British Columbia, the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia on a device for operating and emergency rooms, Munro said. Care Health Meditech has received federal grants for the AIIR project, he added.

Munro said Care Health Meditech is doing this “out of a passion for public health.”

“Because of that, we made decisions that were good not just for public health, but good for the local economy,” he said, adding the research and development, manufacturing, workers and components are Canadian. 

The Anti-Aging Clinic in Orillia paid about $4,000 for an original model. 

Blade and Ben are on AIIR’s advisory board and have provided input on how the device could be altered to better serve their industry. A less expensive, more user-friendly model is coming out soon.

Asked why they are interested in getting involved in introducing the product to their market, Blade said: “Because ultimately, it’s all of us. It has to be everyone protecting everybody, or it’s not going to work.” 

AIIR is just one of a series of COVID-19 safety protocols at The Anti-Aging Clinic.