Published on: 2026-07-23
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The startup AllerPack (a backpack with a built-in forced clean air supply system) became the winner of the federal competition “Student Startup” of the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations and received one million rubles to create a working prototype and conduct tests. The project authors are design engineer, master’s student in “Computer Engineering and Digital Manufacturing” at the SPbPU Institute of Industrial Digital Engineering Andrey Lisichko, and medical expert, specialist student in the “General Medicine” program at the Siberian State Medical University Irina Tkacheva.
Shortly before that, the guys took third place and received the “Most Technological Project” award at the entrepreneurial ideas competition The Blue Ocean Open Polytech Entrepreneurship Competition 2026, organized by the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade of SPbPU with the assistance of the Polytech Innovation Support and Development Fund and supported by the Higher School of Technological Entrepreneurship PISH “CI” of SPbPU.
What is the essence of the AllerPack project? The authors’ idea is to create a backpack with a built-in forced clean air supply system for individual respiratory protection of people suffering from allergies, asthma, and respiratory diseases, and simply for everyone who has to breathe the polluted air of a metropolis.
Imagine: a spring morning, the sun, budding trees, everything around is blooming and fragrant. But for you, this is not joy, but a trial. Allergy turns a walk into torment. A medical mask doesn’t help; on the contrary, it adds unpleasant sensations, making it hard to breathe. You have to take antihistamines by the pack, and many of them cause drowsiness. The only way out is to not go outside, not open windows.
In such a situation, the AllerPack backpack can be a lifesaver. Inside it are a powerful filter and a fan. They draw in dirty air, purify it, and deliver it under a lightweight transparent mask. The device filters out more than 95% of allergens, pollen, and fine dust. You breathe clean air, yet do not feel any resistance to breathing, as if the mask is not there at all. The backpack looks like a regular urban accessory; it can be worn to work, study, or jogging. The charge lasts for six hours of continuous operation.
AllerPack has three main advantages that competitors lack. First of all, the device does not obstruct breathing: a built-in fan supplies purified air, allowing the user to breathe easily and freely. This product stands out favorably compared to traditional protective means, such as medical masks and respirators, which cannot be worn for long periods. Unlike antihistamine drugs, AllerPack does not combat the effects of allergens entering the body but prevents their penetration.
The second advantage is integration into an everyday accessory: the backpack is indistinguishable from a regular city backpack and does not look like a medical device. With it, a person can lead an active lifestyle without discomfort or health risks. The product’s weight is small — up to 2.5 kg.
The third advantage is the affordable price (15–20 thousand rubles), which is several times cheaper than industrial PAPR systems (50–150 thousand rubles) and electronic masks (for example, Dyson Zone — 70 thousand rubles).
Thus, the innovative value of the product lies in simultaneously reducing the manufacturer’s costs (use of standard components, 3D printing) and increasing its appeal to the consumer (comfort, style, mobility).
“The novelty of the project lies in the fact that we are adapting the medical PAPR technology for the mass consumer for the first time in the format of an urban accessory, which has no direct analogues on the Russian market,— say the developers. — The project’s results can be scaled to all regions of the Russian Federation and CIS countries, where the problem of air pollution and seasonal allergies is no less acute. The technology does not require complex infrastructure: the device is completely autonomous and can be used in any urban conditions. The design is modular, allowing the product to be adapted to different climatic and environmental conditions.”
In the near future, the developers plan to create a working prototype — a functional model with specified characteristics: filtration efficiency of over 95%, air flow rate of 50–70 l/min, autonomy of more than six hours, noise level below 45 dB, and weight under 2.5 kg. The next stage is laboratory testing: measuring filtration efficiency, air flow rate, noise level, and autonomy. After that, user testing will take place — prototype testing on a focus group (allergy sufferers, asthmatics, athletes) during the flowering season.
Final steps: preparation of design documentation for production transfer, registration of patents for utility models and industrial designs, as well as the launch of a pilot batch and market entry through marketplaces (Ozon, Wildberries) and B2B channels.
All of this is expected to take two to three years. In the longer term, scaling up production is planned over the next three to five years — transitioning from 3D printing to injection molding to reduce costs; expanding the product range — creating models for different segments (sports, children’s, premium); entering international markets — exporting to CIS and Asian countries where air pollution is most acute; certifying the design as a medical device for use in medical institutions and social services.
At all stages of the project, the team is accompanied by mentors of the “Grant-Lab” acceleration program at SPbPU: Artyom Gusarov, Kirill Ignashov, and Makar Tersky. The project received expert evaluation from Anastasiya Klimin, chair of the jury of The Blue Ocean Open Polytech Entrepreneurship Competition, associate professor at the Higher School of Production Management of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.