Remote UVC power supply

Abstract

An excimer bulb assembly includes a krypton / chlorine excimer bulb and a band pass filter. The excimer bulb assembly does not emit substantial amounts of UV C radiation having a wavelength greater than the fatal 240 nm to UV C wavelength. The band-pass filter is adapted to block a large amount of UV C radiation having a wavelength in the range of 240 nm to 280 nm. The assembly may include a capture reflector, a smart chip, and / or a heat sink. The bulb and its electrical connector may be formed as a cartridge. The assembly may include a housing, and the cartridge may rotate in the housing.

Description

This application is a divisional application with application number 202180072437.4, application date August 23, 2021, and invention name “Far UVC Power Supply”. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application serial number 17 / 080,390, filed on October 26, 2020, entitled “CARTRIDGE BASED UV CSTERILIZATION SYSTEM,” which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application number 63 / 069,436, filed on August 24, 2020, entitled “HUMAN SAFE UV C STERILIZATION SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0002] The system of the present invention belongs to the field of ultraviolet light disinfection, especially in the field of ultraviolet light disinfection of wavelength C band (UV-C). This disinfection is currently used in hospital operating rooms, burn wards and similar areas that require high degree of disinfection. The main difference from these existing uses is that the system of the present invention will be safe to use in the presence of humans and living tissue. Background Art

[0003] The coronavirus pandemic has changed many aspects of human life in every country. These changes will remain even after the virus is controlled by vaccines and antibodies. People no longer like to be in close contact with others in public. The spread of common flu and colds is now being treated with many of the same technologies that were used during the pandemic.

[0004] UV has three different wavelengths, A, B, and C. UV-A is what we typically associate with "black light" and black light fluorescence. It has the longest wavelength of the three and is the least capable of killing viruses, bacteria, and similar pathogens. Its wavelengths range from 315nm to 400nm.

[0005] UV-B is the favorite wavelength used in tanning salons. It is dangerous in excess around living things because it is both strong enough to burn and long enough to penetrate cells and cause irreparable genetic damage. Its wavelength ranges from 280nm to 315nm.

[0006] UV-C is considered one of the most effective wavelengths for killing small pathogens because the shorter the wavelength, the more powerful it is. It was only recently discovered that some wavelengths in this band are long enough to kill pathogens, but short enough to not penetrate living cells. Living cells are many times larger than the tiny pathogens we want to kill. UV-C has wavelengths from 100nm to 280nm, and wavelengths generally considered safe for exposure to human tissue are 200nm to 230nm. UV-C does produce undesirable ozone, especially at wavelengths shorter than 200nm.

[0007] Several studies have shown that hairless mice can withstand 20 times more than the currently recommended UVC of 200nm to 230nm for humans, for 8 hours a day, with no side effects. These studies were conducted at universities in Japan and Columbia University in the United States. These studies extended the time to 6 months, and still no side effects. Recently, Japanese people were also tested, with exposures of 250 times the amount required to kill 99.9% of pathogens, and the test subjects showed no side effects, no sunburn, nothing.

[0008] There are several technologies that can produce UV light in germicidal wavelengths, gas discharge lamps have been around for a long time and can kill pathogens depending on the gas used. Low pressure mercury produces 254nm and has been the standard for decades, it is basically a fluorescent lamp without the phosphor inside to convert UV to visible light. LEDs have recently been commercialized in the UV-A and UV-B spectrum, but they are very inefficient. There are some in the longer wavelengths of the UV-C spectrum. A Japanese research project recently created an LED at a lower 200nm, which is the safer part of the UV-C spectrum, but it is very inefficient and will not be commercialized in the short term.

[0009] Several companies are making UV-C excimer lamps that emit 222nm, such as Ushio's 12W Care222, and Eden Park's Flat Excimer Lamps. The Ushio lamp has a flat panel filter that is separate from the bulb and blocks all of the unwanted spectrum produced by the bulb, which is any wavelength longer than about 237nm. The Eden Park device has no filter attached at this time, and therefore emits 25% of its energy in the dangerous wavelengths from 230nm to at least 380nm.

[0010] When these filters are not in place, these lights will emit a spectrum that is unsafe for living tissue. If a maintenance worker attempts to replace the bulb, they could be exposed to harmful light. If the glass filter breaks or degrades, the user will be at risk.

[0011] Finally, the materials used are critical. UV-C cannot penetrate plastics and many glasses, and only quartz glass can be used without huge losses or complete inability to emit UV-C light. Even nitrogen and moisture in the air can absorb or block UV-C if it travels too far in the air.

[0012] There is a need for an affordable UV germicidal light that kills pathogens well and in any case does not harm people present. Summary of the invention

[0013] The device of the present invention provides a human-safe UV-C disinfection bulb that can be used in continuous public places. The bulb is safe, efficient, and inexpensive in all circumstances, and can self-monitor and report conditions.

[0014] Columbia University research has shown that a bandpass filter tuned from 200nm to 230nm can kill pathogens and will not harm human cells, but the device of the present invention will use 207nm or 222nm excimer technology, combined with an integrated bandpass filter that blocks all wavelengths of the spectrum greater than 234nm. This slight change in filtering increases the available emission light by 2.5 times compared to the 200nm-230nm version, and there is very little emission in the 230nm-232nm range. Ushio has products that filter starting at 237nm, but this runs the risk of letting too much harmful radiation through. Ideally, the filter material will be deposited directly on the housing of the bulb, which will be made of quartz glass, which will block all harmful light even if it is handled during installation or maintenance. The 207nm version requires bromine (Br) and argon and krypton (Kr) gases. The 222nm version uses krypton (Kr) and chlorine (Cl). Ideally, the filter material is very pure hafnium oxide deposited at 2um to 3um, forming a cutoff filter 234nm-400nm at a depth of about 0.0001. This type of excimer bulb ideally uses a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), which is where the two main electrodes are located outside the quartz shell, and in order to excite the gas, very high voltages, i.e., thousands of volts, are required. Therefore, the gases inside the shell do not come into contact with any metal that may contaminate them. Some Ushio lamps have a conductor inside the shell, a bit like a hybrid short arc / DBD bulb. The device of the present invention avoids the problems of different materials and shell contamination, as well as the need for multiple types of glass (such as Ushio glass) by keeping all electrodes outside the shell. The bulb of the present invention does require a higher arc voltage, but this is a small challenge for all the benefits provided by the quartz shell solution alone.

[0015] The integrated bandpass filter can be deposited on a separate quartz sheet which will be permanently attached to the housing of the bulb around the edges using a UV compatible adhesive. The filter will be integrated into the final assembly. This will protect the user from UV exposure under all conditions, including bulb replacement and maintenance.

[0016] The safety DBD device of the present invention will also have an integrated capture reflector on the back of the bulb housing, and two additional integrated reflectors, one on each side of the bulb, set at 45 degree angles to the filter face to maximize light output. Light passing through the filter is severely attenuated if it passes through the filter at any angle that is not absolutely perpendicular to the plane of the filter. Depending on the components of the filter, light passing even 10 degrees from perpendicular will be attenuated by 50%, with greater attenuation and absorption occurring at greater angles.

[0017] The reflector can be a separate material that can be permanently attached to the housing of the bulb using a UV compatible adhesive around the edges. The shape of the bulb is ideally a flat quartz tube with two flat sides parallel to each other. This design will be the cheapest and easiest to configure, and is scalable. Other desirable but not optimal bulb shapes could be tube-based designs with complex shapes that would allow the reflector on the back to be optimized for different beam angles and patterns. A flat round tube based bulb would emit a Lambertian mode if desired.

[0018] The safe DBD bulb of the present invention will be cassette style for easy replacement with rigid exposed conductors. The life of a 222nm excimer bulb is typically about 8000 hours and the brightness will drop rapidly when they lose 10% of their brightness. The high voltage and driver of the excimer bulb is unique and cannot be connected to other power sources, so each different bulb power / size will require a unique connector to avoid connection between electrically incompatible parts, and polarization is also desirable. The main high voltage electrode is ideally a conductive ink made of silver or similar conductive metal, printed in a grid pattern over the light-transmitting or filter area. The second main electrode will also be at 0 volts and a conductive ink is used because this will reduce parts. Due to the high voltages used in the excimer bulb, a safety cut-off switch should be included in the fixture of the present invention in the event that a maintenance worker opens the fixture to safely replace the bulb.

[0019] This security bulb will also have a built-in smart chip that has a non-resettable serial number, manufacturing date, use date, temperature limits and a Hobbs meter or timer. In order to not be hacked, the smart chip should preferably use encryption technology. The light fixture of the bulb will communicate with the smart chip on the bulb, and the light fixture will have an Internet of Things (IOT) connection. The light fixture of the bulb will monitor the life of the bulb, when it first turns the bulb on and off, if it exceeds or it runs over the temperature, if it is nearing the end of its life? This will protect the user in the event that the filter begins to degrade or the light intensity is not within specifications. It can notify or be polled by the maintenance software and request a replacement. The IOT connection can be used to talk to remote sensors that measure the output of different locations around the light fixture environment where people are exposed. Because this type of bulb does not emit much visible light, the light fixture should include multi-color LED indicators so that users can quickly tell at a glance whether the light fixture is working properly.

[0020] Because light output decreases over time, and the safety fixture of the present invention has feedback about the ambient light level, the fixture can increase output over time to have a constant output level. The fixture ideally has a light sensor to determine the light output. The output level can be estimated by the time used, and the table can be programmed into the fixture so that the fixture can constantly increase the output power to get a near constant lumen output, or at least a good estimate.

[0021] When emitting light that kills germs and the public is exposed to it, absolute safety is the first standard that must be met, tested and verified. Safety measures for such lamps should not be a luxury, but a requirement to allow UV-C light exposure to the public.

[0022] The public should be able to access the data collected when entering an area protected by the present device. They might ask, "What is the kill time for pathogens on surfaces in the air? At what percentage output does the system operate? How much time per day can a person spend in this environment?"

[0023] The nature of a DBD excimer bulb is that the gas can overheat, causing a drop in lighting levels, so proper cooling is required. The safety bulb of the present invention can have a ceramic or metal heat sink on the back. The housing can also have extruded linear fins to increase the surface area for convection cooling, similar to the design of an aluminum heat sink. The fins will be on the outside of the light-emitting housing. A fan can blow air into the bulb to reduce the gas temperature, especially when the power level is increased. A temperature sensor can be part of the bulb to provide temperature feedback, and the speed of the fan can be adjusted to have a constant housing temperature.

[0024] Another reality with excimer bulbs is that they are sometimes difficult to start in cold conditions, and they require a coiled filament, resistor, or similar heating element to preheat the gas. These can be used to preheat a safe UV-C bulb at low temperatures or even normal starts, and can be inside the quartz housing or, ideally, outside the quartz housing, or enclosed in a ceramic heat sink. The power supply in the fixture must have additional circuitry to implement this feature. The lamp of the present invention will use a pulsed square wave instead of a sine wave to drive the bulb. Sine wave power supplies for these high voltage applications are standard, but all energy below the peak voltage of the sine wave is not converted into light, but only heat.

[0025] The safety device of the present invention can use either 222nm or 207nm chemistry or both. Using two separate shells will allow for tailoring of specific wavelengths to best kill emerging pathogens. Each chemistry has a different drive voltage and arc gap, but the power supply can be easily configured to drive one or both at the same time. Ideally, the device of the present invention would use a DBD where the electrodes are on the outside of the glass shell. This type of discharge requires very high voltages to excite the gas inside, but using this technology the gas inside the shell can never be contaminated by electrode corrosion, a common problem with gas discharge lamps after a period of use.

[0026] The safety bulb of the present invention will be used in environments where there is conventional visible light from a fixture, and the bulb of the present invention can be combined with a conventional light source in a single fixture. If any unfavorable visible colors are emitted from the UV-C portion of the fixture, the spectrum of visible light can be modified and mixed to normalize the mix or average of the colors from the fixture. This type of fixture is ideally a "can" which is mounted in a circular hole in the ceiling.

[0027] The safe system of the present invention can be packaged like a typical light bulb. The ballast or power supply can be installed on the base, and the bulb can emit light in all directions, just like an LED or compact fluorescent bulb, and it can also include traditional lighting.

[0028] The foregoing has summarized the more important features of the invention disclosed herein so that the detailed description below can be more clearly understood and the contribution of the inventors to the art can be better appreciated. The invention is not limited in its application to the structural details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. On the contrary, the invention is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced and performed in various other ways not specifically enumerated herein. In addition, the following disclosure is intended to apply to all replacements, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive unless the specification expressly limits the invention in this way. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a line drawing of a low-pressure mercury bulb (prior art) from a photograph;

[0030] Figure 2 A line drawing of a Ushio Care222 excimer lamp and driver (prior art) from a photograph;

[0031] Figure 3 A line drawing of a planar excimer lamp (prior art) from Eden Park, taken from a photograph;

[0032] Figure 4 This is the 207nmBr Kr emission spectrum;

[0033] Figure 5 This is the spectrum of 222nm Kr Cl emission;

[0034] Figure 6 This is the spectrum of 207nm Br Kr emission when properly filtered;

[0035] Figure 7 This is the spectrum of 222nm Kr Cl emission when properly filtered;

[0036] Figure 8 For the basic light bulb diagram;

[0037] Fig. 9 An exploded isometric view of the light bulb assembly;

[0038] Fig.10 is a side view of the bulb assembly;

[0039] Fig.11 This is an isometric view of the light bulb box;

[0040] Fig.12 An exploded view of a multi-bulb lamp;

[0041] Fig.13The fixture is depicted as being aimed downwards, with the bulb pointed straight down;

[0042] Fig.14 The fixture is depicted pointed downward with the bulb aimed at a 45-degree angle;

[0043] Fig.15 A heat sink for a safety bulb with a heating wire;

[0044] Fig.16 It is a safety bulb with UV-C and general lighting elements;

[0045] Fig.17 Temperature-regulated lamps with fan-cooled safety bulbs;

[0046] Fig.18 A block diagram of a lamp, including the driver, bulb, temperature sensor and safety cut-off switch in the lamp;

[0047] Fig.19 Network diagram for IoT light bulbs and systems;

[0048] Fig. 20 To depict the output of a pulse wave power supply compared to a sine wave;

[0049] Fig.21 To depict the output of the pulse wave power supply at full power and dimming;

[0050] Fig. 22 A single-phase dielectric fluid cooled UV bulb is depicted;

[0051] Fig.23 To describe the liquid-cooled high-power excimer bulb of the present invention;

[0052] Fig.24 is a block diagram of a liquid cooled bulb of the present invention having a coolant system resulting in a high power excimer lamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The embodiments herein and their various features and advantageous details are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processes and manufacturing techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are merely to facilitate understanding of the manner in which the present invention may be implemented and to further enable those skilled in the art to implement the embodiments herein. Therefore, these examples should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claimed invention.

[0054] Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is important to understand that the present invention is not limited to the details of the structures and steps described herein in its application. The present invention can have other embodiments and can be practiced or executed in various ways. It should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for the purpose of description, not for limitation.

[0055] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 A representative depiction of a (prior art) low pressure mercury bulb 100 is shown in FIG. The bulb 100 has several parts, electrical contacts 102 and 104, a metal support structure 106, a main electrode 108, mercury and argon gas 110, an outer shell 112, a tip support 114, a striking electrode 116, a resistor 118, a glass base 120, and a second main electrode 122.

[0056] Figure 2 A newer, different technology is shown, where a Ushio Care 222 excimer bulb and driver system 200 is shown in block diagram form. The bulb 202 is driven by a driver 204 through two wires 206 and 208. The bulb has two main electrodes 210 and 212. The housing and filter are separate and not shown.

[0057] Figure 3 The next figure in FIG. 3 shows a planar excimer lamp, namely the Eden Park planar excimer lamp 300. It has two narrowly spaced quartz glass planes 302 and 304, with electrodes 306 and 308 on the outside of the front plate 310 and the back plate 312. The lamp has no filters or reflectors.

[0058] exist Figure 4 , a spectrum graph of Br Kr emission 400 at 207 nm is shown. The main emission spike 402 at 207 nm is a wavelength that is safe for human tissue and is lethal to small pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. A small amount of emission at 230 nm 404 is also shown, which is at the dangerous edge of the spectrum that is incompatible with human exposure. Additional emission at 270 nm 406 is shown, which is extremely dangerous for human exposure even at this low level. Finally, there is an emission spike at 290 nm 408, which is unsafe for human exposure.

[0059] exist Figure 5, has a different spectrum than the previously shown chemistries, the 222 nm Kr Cl emission 500. The main emission spike 402 at 222 nm is a safe wavelength for human tissue and is lethal to small pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, but it continues at low levels into the lethal 240 nm 504 range. There is also a small emission bump in the 260 nm range 506, which is very dangerous even at such low levels.

[0060] exist Figure 6 In FIG. 6 , a spectrum of safe 207 nm Br Kr emission 600 is shown with a peak at 207 nm 602. 207 nm is a safe wavelength for human tissue, lethal to small pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, and due to subtractive filtering, there is no emission in the dangerous wavelengths.

[0061] exist Figure 7 , a spectrum graph of safe 222 nm Kr Cl emission 700 is shown with a peak at 222 nm 702. 222 nm is a safe wavelength for human tissue and is lethal to small pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, and due to subtractive filtering, there is no emission in the dangerous wavelengths.

[0062] exist Figure 8 , an excimer bulb 800 of the present invention is shown. The bulb 800 has a quartz shell 802 containing a gas combination at a pressure of about 300 mbar, depending on the specific chemical involved, 207 nm Br Kr or 222 nm KrCl. The two flat sides are parallel to each other and about 10 nm apart, but this varies with different power levels, fill pressures and drive voltages.

[0063] The quartz shell 800 starts out as a cylindrical shape and is heated and pulled through rollers which flatten the two sides, front 802 and back 804, making them parallel to each other. The ends of the flattened tube are then sealed at both ends 806 and 808 by heat welding to seal them. The fill point 810 shown starts out as a small fill tube that is melted closed after the bulb is cleaned and filled with low pressure gas. The sides 812 and 814 of the bulb also allow light to pass through, right side 812 and left side 814. Prior art devices have ignored these light paths, while the device of the present invention will utilize a lot of wasted light energy.

[0064] exist Fig. 9An exploded view of a safety flat tube design bulb assembly box 900 is depicted in FIG. Start with the bulb 800 as the center of the assembly. The front electrode 902 is a ground or 0 volt grid that is placed directly against the surface 802 of the quartz bulb. It can be made of a corrosion resistant conductive metal such as molybdenum or silver. Ideally, this front grid 902 or screen will be closest to the user, which is why the ground potential or 0 volt potential is selected for this side. To eliminate the production of ozone, the grid will be used as a conductive liquid or ink to eliminate oxygen from the circuit. Similarly, the rear electrode 904 is the positive electrode. It is also placed directly against the back 804 of the quartz housing. The voltage on this side is about 10,000 volts and is as far away from the user as possible. This electrode 904 will be plated or applied as a conductive ink to eliminate oxygen from entering between the conductive electrode and the high voltage electrical path.

[0065] A back reflector 908 is added to the outside of the back electrode 904. The back reflector 908 and back grid 904 can be combined into one component that is both conductive and reflective, and can likewise be evaporated on a layer of aluminum that will be deposited directly onto the back side 804 of the bulb 800 to further minimize components and cost. Side reflectors 926 and 928 are set at a 45% angle so as to capture light escaping from the sides 812 and 814 of the bulb 800 and send it directly forward and parallel to the light emitted by the main face 804 of the bulb 800. As close as possible to the two side reflectors 926 and 928 and the front electrode 902 is a UV filter plate 906, which is made of polished quartz and a hafnium oxide coating to form a narrow bandpass filter in the range of 200nm-234nm.

[0066] Heat sink 910 can be aluminum, but is ideally ceramic to increase electrical insulation of high voltage back electrode 904. Heat sink 910 will prevent any unfiltered light from emitting through the cracks between reflectors 908, 926 and 928 or from the end of bulb 800. Ideally, heat sink 910 will also capture many of the individual elements of the bulb assembly mentioned so far, including bulb 800, rear reflector 908, side reflectors 926 and 928, rear electrode 904, front electrode 902, and front filter plate 906, and it will be tightly sealed using UV compatible epoxy, which will be used around the edges of bulb 812 to stabilize the mechanical connection between these parts and completely seal the intrusion of air and dust. Prior art designs allow air to blow directly on the bulb, and over time, dust will be deposited on the inner surface of the bulb and filter. Dust can absorb a lot of UVC light and quickly become very inefficient. The device of the present invention eliminates dust intrusion from these faces by making a sealed box 900 using end caps 912 and 914. These end caps 912 and 914 of the bulb assembly 900 will be made of ceramic, and the end cap 912 will encapsulate the thermal sensor and smart chip 916, as well as provide a mechanical rotation point for the bulb, which includes a locator 918 for presetting individual position stops in the lamp. This means that there are no wires or cross-wires connected to the light box. The smart chip and temperature sensor 916 have an operating schedule, serial number, manufacturing date, temperature, out of range flags, and encrypted communication capabilities to prevent counterfeit operation. There is a conductive jumper 930 connected to the front electrode 902, which passes through the ceramic end cap 912 and then electrically connects to the conductive pin 920. Similarly, there is a conductive jumper 932 connected to the rear electrode 904, which passes through the ceramic end cap 914 and then electrically connects to the conductive pin 922. There are 3 plated conductive traces 924 around the ceramic end cap 912, which are connected to the smart chip and thermal sensor 916. These traces 924 allow communication from the bulb box 900 to contacts on the light fixture receiver to allow the light fixture to communicate with these chips 916. Such mechanical and electrical connections are well understood by those skilled in the art, and other connection methods may be used. The assembly becomes an easily replaceable safe UVC bulb box 900, which is sealed and all high voltage parts are insulated and removed from people handling it or being exposed to it.

[0067] Fig.10A cross-sectional side view of an assembled safe UV-C bulb cartridge 900 is depicted. The bulb 800 has a negative electrode 904 plated or applied directly onto the quartz. Similarly, the positive electrode 902 is applied directly onto the front face 804 of the bulb 800. Behind the negative electrode 904 is a rear reflector 908. The right side reflector 926 and the left side reflector 928 are at a 45 degree angle to the front face 804. They are both captured and contained by a ceramic heat sink 910. There is a slight air gap between the bulb 800 and the filter 906, which is sealed by a ceramic sheet and an ideal UV resistant sealant.

[0068] Fig.11 An assembled safe UV-C light bulb box 900 is depicted. The assembled box 900 has an optical aperture 1102 that is sealed around the edges, preventing air and dust and unfiltered light from passing through.

[0069] Fig.12 An exploded view of a multi-box variable beam angle light fixture 1200 is shown. Each of the 3 bulb boxes or heads 900 rides in a ceramic saddle 1218 with a conductive spring clip 1220 that holds the metal pins 920 and 922 of the bulb box 900 and connects electrical power to the bulb box 900. The saddle 1218 and corresponding end cap 912 on one end are different sizes than the saddle 1218 and end cap 914 on the other end, which allows the ends to be polarized so that the bulb box 900 can only be inserted one way and the zero voltage potential 902 is always on the front surface, while the high voltage potential 904 is always on the back side, away from the user.

[0070] The saddle 1218 also holds a detent spring 1216 which mates with detent ridges and grooves on the bulb end caps 912 and 914. This allows the bulb cartridge 900 to have several precise angles which can be easily set, with the spring 1216 holding them 900 in each position but allowing finger pressure to allow it to snap into the next detent position. The front bezel 1222 of the fixture swings away from the base 1202 via a latch and hinge connection 1208 between the front bezel 1222 and the rear housing 1202 to expose the bulb cartridge 900 for maintenance or replacement. When the front bezel 1222 is fully closed, it presses on a safety switch 1210 mounted in the rear housing 1202, which, being depressed, energizes the fixture 1200. Proximity and distance checks are also determined by a distance sensor 1214 which looks through a small hole in the bezel 1222 and checks the distance to the nearest object or floor. The safety switch 1210, distance sensor 1214, and data from the smart chip and thermal sensor 916 of the 3-bulb box are all connected to and coordinated by the smart power supply 1204. The power supply 1204 also has digital communication capabilities, such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet. The fan 1206 supported by the fan frame 1224 draws air through the perforations in the front baffle 1222, and then blows the air over the top of the power supply 1204 and the heat sink 910 of the bulb box and exhausts it through the holes in the base 1202. The power supply 1204 measures the temperature of the bulb box 900 and changes the speed of the fan 1206 to obtain the best efficiency of the bulb box 900. The mounting plate 1226 can first be installed to a standard electrical box in an existing building environment, and then the plate snaps into the rear housing and can be rotated in the rear housing track to allow the upper frame to be aligned in an unlimited number of directions. Because the UV-C filter tends to allow light to pass only at narrow angles, the emitted light tends to be a narrow beam. The fixture of the present invention allows for multiple heads in a single fixture to allow for wider beams and asymmetric light dispersion to best accommodate the widest range of environmental constraints. Ideally, the fixture will have an illuminated indicator 1228 to show function and / or malfunction from a distance, in the illustration the indicator 1228 is a backlit sign. The preferred embodiment shows 3 bulbs in a fixture, but any number of bulbs may be used in the apparatus of the present invention.

[0071] exist Fig.13 , the fixture is aimed downward with the bulbs pointing straight down 1300. The fixture 1200 has three bulb boxes 900 aimed straight down 1302 for a tight beam angle below the fixture 1200. This creates the narrowest possible beam for the fixture and would be used in situations where the ceiling is very high or where the emitted light needs to be focused.

[0072] exist Fig.14, the fixture is aimed downward with the bulbs at 45 degrees 1400, where the fixture 1200 has three bulb boxes 900, each bulb box is aimed at 45 degrees 1402. The wide beam angle below the fixture 1200 would be used on lower ceilings or to cover very wide areas.

[0073] exist Fig.15 A safety bulb heat sink with a heating filament 1500 is depicted in FIG. The heat sink 910 can be modified to have a heating element 1502 that is permanently mounted through a hole in the heat sink or simply embedded in the ceramic along its long axis. The heated heat sink 1500 conducts heat to the bulb 800 and heats the gases inside so that they can ignite when needed. Electrical heating elements 1502 have been around for over 100 years and are well known to those skilled in the art. When it is necessary to start the lamp 1200 in cold conditions, the heating element 1502 is controlled by an intelligent power supply 1204. Once the bulbs 900 are running, they warm up and the heating element 1502 can be turned off. Additional electrical contacts are required for the addition of the excimer bulb assembly of the present invention.

[0074] Fig.16 A side view of a screw-in UV-C safety bulb 1600 is depicted. For illustrative purposes only, this description uses a flood type bulb 1602, but any type of screw-in bulb is suitable for the present disclosure and the present disclosure is not meant to be limiting in any way, just an example. The safety bulb with UV-C and general lighting elements 1600 is placed in a screw-in bulb housing 1602. The conventional electrical contacts of the screw-in bulbs 1612 and 1614 lead to the driver / power supply 1204. The driver / power supply 1204 then powers the UV-C portion 900 of the safety bulb with UV-C and general lighting elements 1604 through wires 1606 on a circuit board 1616, which are connected to a clamp mounted on the circuit board, which is not shown for simplicity. The driver / power supply 1204 also separately powers the white LED 1604 portion through wires 1608. The translucent face 1610 of the screw-in UV-C safe bulb 1600 needs to be made of quartz glass, ideally with a diffusing surface such as sandblasted or other texture. UV-C will be absorbed by any plastic or traditional glass cover. The flat cylindrical bulb 900 of the present invention is combined with multiple LEDs 1604 on a circuit board 1616. These LEDs can all be one white, or they can be a mixture of colors or different color temperatures, with different colors of LEDs 1604 being mixed by individual LED 1604 controls. The color of the light emitted by only the safe UV-C portion of the device of the present invention will not be visually bright to the human eye, and it will also include a pink-purple cast. The white LED can be pink or purple deficient, so when both the safe UV-C and white LEDs are turned on, the combined light will have a neutral color spectrum.

[0075] Fig.17 A lamp with a temperature regulated fan cooled flat cylindrical safe UV-C bulb lamp 1700 is depicted. A smart power supply 1204 communicates with a smart chip 916 in the bulb 900 via a low voltage data line. Above the heat sink 910 is a small muffin fan 1206 that blows toward the heat sink 910 and the bulb 900. The fan is controlled and powered by the driver / power supply 1204. The smart driver / power supply 1204 interrogates a thermal sensor 916 encapsulated within a ceramic base. Based on the power sent to the bulb 900 and the reported temperature, the driver / power supply 1204 will drive the fan 1206 to the appropriate speed to regulate the temperature of the bulb 900 in a closed loop. The heat sink 910 may or may not be necessary, as, by way of example and not limitation, a low power bulb does not require a heat sink 910, and a high power bulb may require a large heat sink or a pin-fin heat sink 910. The driver / power supply 1204 will also power the resistive heater when the bulb 900 is not on and the thermal sensor senses that bulb ignition is not possible due to low temperature. The driver / power supply 1204 will then power the resistive heater before powering the bulb 900. Later, once the bulb 900 is operating, the driver / power supply 1204 may have to power the fan 1206 to cool the bulb 900. In the lamp of the present invention, the power supply uses a pulse wave high voltage DC power supply to power the excimer bulb. The width of a single pulse wave can be varied to control the brightness of the bulb 900, or some pulse waves can simply be skipped to adjust the light output. Most excimer bulbs are currently driven by sine wave power supplies, and they have too much uncollectible energy below 9000 volts. This energy just heats the shell and does not produce light. The top of the pulse wave may be a little rounded, but it looks like a square wave, it has straight edges and no useless power. The predicted output of the bulb over time can be programmed into the power supply so that as the timer in the bulb ages and reports, the power supply can increase the power slightly to compensate for the lower efficiency, thereby having a constant lumen output over time.

[0076] Fig.181 is a block diagram of a driver, a bulb 900, a distance and proximity sensor 1214, a brightness sensor 1224, a smart chip 916, and a safety cut-off switch 1210 in a lamp housing. The bulb 900 is connected to a driver / power supply 1204. The driver / power supply 1204 has a switch 1210 that is wired to a door or front bezel 1222 of the lamp housing so that whenever the door 1222 is opened, the power to the bulb 900 is turned off. This is a particularly important safety issue because excimer lamps can operate using several thousand volts. The driver / power supply 1204 talks to the smart chip 916 and verifies through communication with the smart chip that the bulb 900 is valid and has not been tinkered with, and is a valid replacement. Counterfeit bulbs are likely to have no bandpass filter and emit dangerous wavelengths to the user. The distance / proximity sensor 1214 ensures that the output power level is appropriate for the distance to the ground, and can change the output power level to the bulb based on the distance. If the proximity sensor 1214 and smart power supply 1204 sense an object in very close proximity, such as a maintenance person trying to work on the light fixture 1200, the proximity sensor 1214 and smart power supply 1204 look for a lower power level or shut down. The proximity sensor and distance sensor 1214 can be the same sensor. The UVC light level intensity sensor 1224 can observe the ground or the light bulb. It will be filtered to see only the 200nm-230nm wavelength. It can determine the total light output, and the smart power supply / driver can use this information to adjust the output to obtain a constant lumen output. The smart functions of the power supply 1204 can be moved to a separate circuit board, which can then control the power supply 1204. These functions are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0077] Fig.19 is a network diagram of the IoT light bulb and system 1900. The device 1200 of the present invention can have an LED 1228 on the basic light fixture 1200, which will indicate that it is turned on and is disinfecting. This can be a constant LED 1228 or an intermittent LED 1228. Similar to a smoke detector, when working properly, the light 1200 will indicate "good" or "normal" in one color IE Blue or Green (IE Blue or Green) and "caution" or "error" in another color IE Amber or Red (IE Amber or Red). The indicator 1228 can be in the form of a backlit sign.

[0078] Someone entering the room can quickly see that the light 1200 is working or needs maintenance by looking at the LED 1228. The LED 1228 can also indicate the output level. It can have an LED that turns on when there is a low activity and low bacteria load event, and when there is a high activity and increased bacteria load event, the light increases output and the LED 1228 will change to signal the event. The light fixture can receive data from a crowd density sensor and use that information to set the output power level.

[0079] Crowd density sensors 1906 such as the rf monitor CrowdScan 1906 from Antwerp or the Lidar based device Density 1906 from San Francisco have the ability to determine how many people are in a given space at a given time without invading their privacy, i.e. using camera or cell phone snooping technology. There are several services similar to these, they are just simple examples of crowd density sensors 1906 that communicate as IoT 1906 and internet resources such as the device 1900 of the present invention.

[0080] The lamp 1200 may integrate several different types of communications 1904, including Bluetooth 1904, WiFi 1904, cellular 1904, Sidewalk from Google 1904, and hardwired technology 1904, just to name a few. This communication 1904 will allow monitoring of the lamp's functionality and allow the lamp to be remotely controlled through a remote fixture.

[0081] The lamp 1200 can have a local mechanical control system, such as a simple on / off and dimmable light switch. The lamp 1200 can also have a control panel with switches and LEDs to control many lights. The LEDs in the panel can display the status or light (on, off, status, etc.). The device lamp 1200 of the present invention can be integrated with other traditional visible / functional lighting. These physical controls also allow control of those lights. The physical controls can vary depending on the lamp application. For applications where the lamp 1200 is permanently installed in the space, the controls can be integrated into the facility infrastructure. For stand-alone portable applications, the controls can be fully integrated into the lamp 1200 to include an integrated power supply and graphical user interface display and control panel with a power level indicator.

[0082] The luminaire 1200 can communicate 1904 with the facility / installation manager and operator. This information can be accessed by a web interface on a smartphone app 1906, laptop 1908, or desktop computer 1908. The luminaire 1200 will push information to the location, and the operator can pull information from the luminaire 1200. The wireless interface can be customized to the needs of different users. The luminaire 1200 can communicate what output level it is at, the energy consumption level, the internal temperature, the life cycle / hours the bulb 900 has been used, and how soon it needs to be replaced, working in conjunction with motion detection to determine if there is a high bacterial load in the space where it is installed. The operator can also control the level of output of the luminaire 1200 and arrange customizable operating modes to best disinfect the area and optimize energy consumption.

[0083] The fixture 1200 can communicate the status to the public or space occupants. This information can be accessed by a smartphone 1906 application, a web interface on a laptop 1908 or a desktop computer 1908. This will assure the occupants that the space is being disinfected. The information can also be displayed on an information display in the space.

[0084] Fig. 20 is a diagram showing a pair of power pulse trains for driving an excimer bulb and showing the difference between 10,000 volt sine wave 2002 power and 10,000 volt pulse wave 2006 power. Only the highest voltages between 9,000 and 10,000 volts shown in the bright area will produce usable light. All voltages below 9,000 volts will produce heat, and heat will minimize the power of the bulb. The dark areas 2004 between the sine wave outline and the central white area are all wasted power and are converted to heat generated inside the bulb, rather than coming out as light. There is no wasted voltage in the example of the pulse wave power supply. The device 1200 of the present invention will ideally use pulse wave power 2006 in its power supply 1204. This will increase the efficiency of the bulb by 50-100% over existing sine wave based UV lamps. It is also possible to reduce the voltage of the pulse wave 2006 to below 10,000 volts to dim the output of the bulb 800. According to the graph provided, the voltage range is 100% at 10,000 volts and 0% at 9,000 volts, which is a very narrow voltage range that must be modified and controlled.

[0085] Fig.21is a diagram showing a train of power pulses 2100 for driving an excimer light bulb, where pulse wave 2102 is 100% dimming, pulse wave 2104 is 50% dimming, using a symmetrical pattern by reducing every other wave, and pulse wave 2406 is 50% dimming, using an asymmetrical pattern. The power supply only needs to remove a single pulse to reduce the brightness, and because the pulses are very fast, between 10k Hz and 250k Hz, the small loss is not noticeable, and even at 100%, the amount of visible light produced is negligible. Intelligent power supplies have microprocessors that can subtract some of the pulses to adjust the output of the lamp to a level of 1% or less. This technology is well known to those skilled in the art. These graphs are examples only, and the actual voltage will vary with the bulb design and the gas composition inside.

[0086] Fig. 22 A side view of an excimer bulb 800 with variable focus depicted as system 2200 is shown. The bulb 800 places a quartz lens 2204 with light shaping capabilities in the light path 2202. The lens 2204 can be circular and symmetrical or linear to best match the initial light path 2202. The lens 2204 can also be a continuous or stepped Fresnel lens. The lens 2204 can be moved closer to or away from the excimer bulb 800 to change the focus and expand or narrow the beam angle of the final emitted light 2206. In order to make the relationship of the bulb to the lens clear, the figure is simplified and does not show the filters or mirrors or other mechanical components mentioned earlier.

[0087] Fig.23 A liquid-cooled high-power excimer bulb 2300 is shown. It consists of an outer shell 2302 and an inner shell 2304, wherein the outer shell 2302 is shorter and the inner shell 2304 is longer, which are connected by two end caps 2306, which are welded together by heating. The area between the inside and the outside has a filling point 2308 on one of the end caps 2306. The filling point 2308 is similar to the filling point on the existing excimer bulb, and the chamber 2318 between the two shells is evacuated and filled with the aforementioned suitable excimer gas through the filling point 2308. The outer wall 2310 of the outer shell 2304 has a conductive grid 2312 adhered thereto, and it becomes the negative electrode around the circumference of the tube 2304. Similarly, the inner wall 2314 of the inner tube 2304 has a conductive grid 2316, which surrounds its inner circumference and becomes the positive electrode. Light is emitted uniformly in all directions from this type of bulb.

[0088] Fig.24A block diagram of a liquid cooled bulb 2300 with a coolant system that produces a high power excimer lamp 2400 is shown. The bulb 2300 has a tube 2412 connected to an input 2402 that is connected to the output of a pump 2404. The input of the pump is connected to a return loop 2406 of tubing that extends out and wraps around to the output 2408 of the bulb 2300. Inside the tubing 2406 and pump 2404 and the inner wall 2316 is a single phase dielectric liquid that is circulated using the pump 2404. This dielectric liquid 2410 is commonly used in large data centers where the entire server is submerged in a container to cool the server components. The liquid 2410 conducts heat very well, but does not conduct electricity, which is a very important characteristic of the device 2400 of the present invention, and the liquid 2410 will be in contact with the 10,000 volt conductive mesh 2316 of the bulb 2300. Heat is generated in the interior 2318 of the bulb 2300 and is carried away by the pump 2404 and dissipated into the environment on its journey through the return loop 2406 before re-entering the pump 2404 where recirculation continues. The return loop 2406 may include a separate heat sink 2406 similar to those used in the computer cooling industry, which is well known to those skilled in the art. A power source 2414 is connected to the bulb 2300 using a negative lead 2416 connected to an external grid 2312. The power source 2414 is also connected to the bulb 2300 using a positive lead 2418 which is connected to the internal grid 2316 and in contact with the coolant 2410. The cooling 2410 allows more power to be introduced into the bulb 2300, allowing for an unparalleled powerful excimer lamp 2400.

[0089] It should be understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "consisting of" and their grammatical variations do not exclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps or integers or combinations thereof, and these terms should be interpreted as specifying the components, features, steps or integers.

[0090] If the specification or claims refer to "an additional" element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.

[0091] It should be understood that where the claims or specification refer to "a" or "an" element, such reference is not to be construed as meaning there is only one of the element.

[0092] It should be understood that where the specification states a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may,” “might,” “could,” or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included.

[0093] Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams, or both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to these diagrams or corresponding descriptions. For example, the flow need not pass through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.

[0094] The method of the present invention can be implemented by executing or completing selected steps or tasks manually, automatically, or a combination thereof.

[0095] The term "method" may refer to ways, means, techniques and procedures for completing a given task, including but not limited to those ways, means, techniques and procedures known to practitioners in the field to which the invention belongs or readily developable from known ways, means, techniques and procedures.

[0096] The term "at least" followed by a number is used herein to indicate the beginning of a range that begins with that number (which may be a range with or without an upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, "at least 1" means 1 or greater than 1. The term "at most" followed by a number is used herein to indicate the end of a range that ends with that number (which may be a range with a lower limit of 1 or 0, or a range with no lower limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, "at most 4" means 4 or less than 4, and "at most 40%" means 40% or less than 40%. Approximate terms (e.g., "approximately," "substantially," "approximately," etc.) should be interpreted according to their ordinary and customary meanings used in the relevant art, unless otherwise stated. If there is no specific qualification and there is no common and customary usage in the relevant art, these terms should be interpreted as ±10% of the base value.

[0097] In this document, when a range is given as "(first number) to (second number)" or "(first number) - (second number)", this means that the lower limit of the range is the first number and the upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 should be interpreted as indicating a range with a lower limit of 25 and an upper limit of 100. In addition, it should be noted that where a range is given, each possible subrange or interval within the range is also specifically intended, unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, if the specification indicates a range of 25-100, the range is also intended to include subranges such as 26-100, 27-100, etc., 25-99, 25-98, etc. And any other possible combination of upper and lower limits within the range, such as 33-47, 60-97, 41-45, 28-96, etc. Please note that the integer range values ​​used in this paragraph are for illustrative purposes only, and decimals and fractional values ​​(such as 46.7-91.3) should also be understood as possible subrange endpoints unless explicitly excluded.

[0098] It should be noted that when this document refers to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps may be performed in any order or simultaneously (unless the context excludes this possibility), and the method may also include one or more other steps performed before any defined step, between two defined steps, or after all defined steps (unless the context excludes this possibility).

[0099] Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the above objects and obtain the objects and advantages mentioned above and inherent therein. Although presently preferred embodiments have been described for the purposes of this disclosure, many changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within the spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An excimer lamp assembly, comprising: Krypton / chlorine excimer bulbs; as well as a high pass filter having a cut-off wavelength of 234 nm and adapted to receive UV-C radiation from the krypton / chlorine bulb at an incident angle of zero degrees, The excimer bulb and the high pass filter form a single unit such that the excimer bulb assembly does not emit a significant amount of UV C radiation having a wavelength greater than 240 nm.

2. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 1 further comprising an integrated capturing reflector.

3. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 2, wherein the integrated capturing reflector is plated on the bulb.

4. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink.

5. The excimer bulb assembly according to claim 1, wherein the excimer bulb comprises a first electrode and a second electrode for applying an electrical signal to excite the excimer bulb, wherein the excimer bulb assembly further comprises an electrical connector electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein the excimer bulb and the electrical connector together form a box.

6. The excimer light bulb assembly of claim 5, wherein the cartridge includes a smart chip.

7. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 5, further comprising a housing supporting the cartridge and the high pass filter.

8. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 7, wherein the cartridge is adapted to rotate within the housing.

9. A replaceable excimer light bulb box, comprising: Krypton / chlorine excimer bulbs; a finned heat sink, the finned heat sink being in thermal communication with the excimer bulb to conduct heat generated by the excimer bulb to an environment; as well as High pass filter; The high pass filter is adapted to block a large amount of UV C radiation having a wavelength in the range of 240 nm to 280 nm; The excimer bulb, the heat sink and the high-pass filter are all integrated into the box.

10. The excimer bulb cartridge of claim 9, further comprising an integrated capturing reflector.

11. The excimer bulb cartridge of claim 10, wherein the integrated capturing reflector is plated on the bulb.

12. The excimer bulb cartridge of claim 9, wherein the excimer bulb comprises a first electrode and a second electrode for applying an electrical signal to excite the excimer bulb, and wherein the cartridge further comprises an electrical connector in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode.

13. The excimer light bulb cartridge of claim 12, further comprising a smart chip adapted to communicate with a power source such that the power source can authenticate the cartridge.

14. The excimer bulb cartridge of claim 12, adapted to be supported in a housing.

15. The excimer bulb cartridge of claim 14, wherein the cartridge is adapted to rotate within the housing.

16. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of high pass filters.

17. The excimer bulb assembly of claim 1, wherein the excimer bulb has a translucent surface.

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