- A ‘bioinspired super-adhesive filter’ has been tested by Korean scientists
- It uses oil, mimicking ‘mucus-coated nasal hairs’ for better filtering of dust
- Your PC could be a lot more dust-free in the future as a result, if this ever comes to fruition with mesh case filters
The dust filters that aim to prevent particles from getting inside your desktop PC or laptop could take a big leap forward in the future, thanks to an invention that models itself after the human nose.
The ‘bioinspired super-adhesive filter’ has been tested by Korean researchers, and it’s essentially an oil-coated mesh that more effectively stops dust, or other infiltrating particles, in their tracks.
A paper in the journal Nature, authored by scientists from Chung-Ang University in South Korea (as highlighted by Tom’s Hardware), explains that the invention is “inspired by the natural filtration abilities of mucus-coated nasal hairs,” which doesn’t evoke the most pleasant of images.
The reality is that it’s a ‘biomimetic filter’ featuring a thin liquid coating, and just as with nasal hairs, that liquid helps to trap invading particles more effectively, as they stick to it. Or as the paper puts it: “When PM [particulate matter] encounters the mucus, a meniscus forms, generating strong adhesion by capillarity.”
The result of this oil-based filter mimic should be a more dust-free computer. And while the researchers are primarily targeting the likes of household or industrial air filtration systems, the tech could be applied to anything where a dust filter is needed, including the humble PC.
The filters use a “thin, uniform silicone oil layer” which is sprayed on, and they capture significantly more particles than traditional efforts, and are effective for 2-3x longer, we’re told.
To extend their usable lifespan, the filters can be washed, dried, and the oil reapplied by simply spraying it on (with a non-toxic oil obviously being used).
Analysis: maybe snot
Should we prepare ourselves for the Cooler Master Mucus 5N0T PC case, then? Well, maybe not, but this innovation could have serious benefits for the world of computers.
There’s a balance required with the typical desktop PC case or laptop chassis, in that they need plenty of vents to keep the components inside cool. However, a lot of space for air to move through for cooling means a lot more dust potentially enters the PC.
Traditional meshes try to capture that dust, but don’t always do much of a good job. Sure, they help, but if you look inside your PC (through the glass window on the side, if it has one), you may notice it’s pretty dusty in there.
After a few years, dust can accumulate in a considerable quantity, particularly around the CPU fan and likely the graphics card as well, if you don’t clean inside your PC case. And let’s be honest, most of us are way too good at procrastinating when it comes to that kind of PC housekeeping (I know I am).
New filters that rely on oil could be a real boon in terms of keeping your PC a lot more dust-free throughout its lifespan, perhaps eliminating the need for any cleaning at all one day – or at least making this chore a far more infrequent task.
If all this talk has inspired you to clean up your PC, do so very carefully (using a can of compressed air), and make sure you look at some good advice on how to carry this out properly (without damaging fans). That’s especially the case with laptops, and I wouldn’t recommend trying to open a notebook case, in order to clean inside, to anyone but the most tech-savvy readers.
