Mr Wang explained that although some air was filtered out, it would first mix in the centre of the cabin.
"When we sneeze, the air gets swirled round multiple times before it has a chance to go out through the filter," he said.
Using high resolution simulations, he conducted multiple experiments before coming up with a solution.
His specially designed filters could fit into existing air design and offer passengers "personalised breathing zones", no matter where they were sitting.
They could be implemented over night and would improve fresh air inhalation by up to 190 per cent, he said.
In 2013, 26 passengers on a Qantas flight from Chile to Sydney were quarantined after an outbreak of norovirus on the 14 hour flight.
The Centre for Disease Contol (CDC) recommends cabin crew combat in-flight infection by minimising other passengers' exposure to the ill traveller, keep interactions brief and wear rubber gloves and face masks when necessary.