LED-based light-emitting unit

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method, system and a lighting unit based on light emitting diodes for reducing microbial pressure and optionally providing task light in buildings such as animal farm production facilities, hospitals, offices, grounds, storage facilities, manufacturing facilities, grocery stores, schools / classrooms, etc., in particular for promoting the production of Vitamin D. The lighting unit is provided for reducing microbial pressure in the building, preferably in combination with a sensor, in particular from zoonotic diseases, aerosols, bacteria and viruses on animal and / or human surfaces and on surfaces inside the building, while the lighting unit is configured to promote the formation of natural Vitamin D3 in animals and / or humans, preferably also providing visible task light. One embodiment relates to a light-emitting unit for 1) reducing microbial pressure and 2) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, characterized in that the light-emitting unit comprises at least a first UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a maximum intensity between 292 and 302 nm, preferably between 295 and 299 nm, more preferably between 296 and 298 nm, most preferably at 297 nm, and at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a maximum intensity between 278 and 288 nm, preferably between 281 and 285 nm, more preferably between 282 and 284 nm, most preferably at 283 nm, and / or at least a first UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light with a maximum intensity between 228 and 238 nm, preferably between 231 and 235 nm, more preferably between 232 and 234 nm, most preferably at 233 nm.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method, system and lighting unit based on light emitting diodes for reducing microbial pressure and optionally providing task light in buildings such as animal farm production facilities, hospitals, offices, grounds, storage facilities, manufacturing facilities, grocery stores, schools / classrooms, etc., in particular to increase and / or promote the production of Vitamin D. The lighting unit is provided for reducing microbial pressure in the building, in particular from zoonotic diseases, aerosols, bacteria and viruses on animal and / or human surfaces and on surfaces inside the building, while the lighting unit is configured to promote the formation of natural Vitamin D3 in animals and / or humans, preferably also providing visible task light. [Background technology]

[0002] In animal husbandry, animals such as pigs, piglets, cattle, and other livestock are raised in animal housing facilities. Conditions in animal housing facilities can promote the growth of a wide variety of microorganisms, including bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and viruses such as porcine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV). The presence of airborne microorganisms in animal housing facilities can affect the air quality within the facility, exposing animals, facility employees, and people in nearby communities to pathogens. Intensive rearing can lead to inadequate levels of zoonotic and aerosol-mediated microbial pressure within animal farm production facilities, potentially leading to significant health risks.

[0003] Typically, various measures are taken to control the microbial pressure in animal housing facilities to ensure good air quality, the health of the animals kept there, and the health of employees / workers. For example, on farms, the entry of animals is controlled and restricted, thus reducing the risk of contamination. However, the spread of infectious diseases between animals and between animals and humans (e.g. zoonotic diseases) remains a significant problem in animal housing environments.

[0004] During the corona pandemic, microbial pressure inside any kind of building such as hospitals, offices, institutions, manufacturing facilities, grocery stores, schools / classrooms, etc., has also become a topic of interest, especially to protect humans who spend many hours inside the buildings from infectious diseases such as SARS-COVID-19.

[0005] This is further accentuated by the fact that humans and livestock often cannot naturally produce sufficient levels of vitamin D3. Natural light (sunlight) enhances the natural production of vitamin D3 in the skin of humans and animals. Vitamin D3 is produced in the skin from 7-dehydrocholesterol by ultraviolet (UV) radiation of type B (UV-B). Because UV-B is present in the spectrum of natural light, exposure of the skin to natural light promotes the formation of natural vitamin D3 (ND3) in the skin. ND3 has important functions in the immune system and in the development and maintenance of the skeleton and bones.

[0006] Humans and livestock spend most of the day indoors, and therefore often receive insufficient UV-B radiation to form sufficient levels of ND3. As a result, vitamin D3 deficiency is not uncommon in livestock habitats and in humans living in the Northern Hemisphere, with associated serious health consequences. One typical health consequence of low ND3 levels is a weakened immune system, which, combined with poor air quality, increases susceptibility to infectious diseases.

[0007] Various approaches have been used to ensure that humans and animals receive sufficient amounts of ND3. One approach for animals is to feed them synthetic vitamin D3 (SD3) in the form of a dietary supplement added to the animal's feed. Examples include the addition of SD3 to animal foods or the addition of SD3 tablets or powders. Dietary vitamin SD3 supplements for humans are also used worldwide.

[0008] SD3 and ND3 are chemically identical but function differently in animals and humans. SD3, unlike ND3, does not bind to the appropriate transport proteins but remains in residual fat in the blood after absorption from the intestinal tract. This is thought to be important for the biological effects of the vitamin and explains why large doses of SD3 are toxic, whereas ND3 cannot be overdosed on.

[0009] Animals and humans infected with bacterial diseases can be treated with antibiotics. In most cases, this cures the animal or human, but it is still unsatisfactory, not only from a health point of view, but also because such antibiotic treatments are expensive and cause economic losses to farmers. Furthermore, the constant rise in antibiotic-resistant species, including the aforementioned MRSA, has emerged as a major concern for the well-being of a wide range of livestock species, resulting in severe economic impacts on farmers.

[0010] Therefore, the lighting conditions in buildings may have a significant impact on the well-being and health of humans and animals who spend hours inside the building. Furthermore, the visible lighting conditions in buildings are important for the visual recognition of objects as perceived by the cones and rods of the human eye and are shaped by the illumination levels, spatial distribution, color rendition, etc. Poor lighting conditions, such as in school or work environments, can cause eye strain, fatigue, headaches and stress. This increases the risk of accidents, reduces productivity and generally reduces the quality of life. Summary of the Invention

[0011] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide lighting units, systems and methods for reducing microbial pressure and promoting the formation of ND3 in buildings, particularly in specific rooms in buildings, to optimize lighting conditions in buildings, and preferably provide ideal working light conditions. The lighting units, devices, systems and methods disclosed herein may benefit in certain embodiments from the disclosures of PCT / EP2020 / 067069 by the same inventors, and are therefore incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0012] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a light emitting unit configured to emit light in multiple wavelength ranges, such as two, three or more important wavelength ranges, in particular in the UV-B range, possibly in the UV-C range, possibly in the visible light range. The light emitting unit of the present invention is intended to replace prior art lamps that provide visible task light, for example in buildings for humans or in farm production facilities. In the case of light emitting units for agricultural production facilities, the light emitting units have the additional functions of 1) providing visible light in a wavelength range and / or color temperature that does not disturb animals, and 2) providing light in one or more predefined wavelength ranges that help to reduce microbial pressure in the farm production facilities. In this respect, it is advantageous if the light emitting unit of the present invention is provided as a single lamp, for example only on a single (printed) circuit board. Thus, the present disclosure relates to a light emitting unit having a single lamp configured to emit light with unusually high energy in two, three or more important wavelength ranges, including the UV-B range and optionally the UV-C range and the visible light range. A single lamp equipped with an LED chip allows for significant cost savings in both installation and running costs.

[0013] Accordingly, one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a light-emitting unit for 1) reducing microbial pressure and 2) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, the light-emitting unit comprising at least one UV-B light-emitting diode (LED) configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light and / or at least one UV-C light-emitting diode (LED) configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light.

[0014] A preferred embodiment relates to a light-emitting unit for 1) reducing microbial pressure and 2) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, characterized in that it comprises at least a first UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a maximum intensity between 292 and 302 nm, preferably between 295 and 299 nm, more preferably between 296 and 298 nm, most preferably at 297 nm, and at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a maximum intensity between -278 and 288 nm, preferably between 281 and 285 nm, more preferably between 282 and 284 nm, most preferably at 283 nm, and / or at least a first UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light with a maximum intensity between -228 and 238 nm, preferably between 231 and 235 nm, more preferably between 232 and 234 nm, most preferably at 233 nm.

[0015] This embodiment is preferred because 297 nm light stimulates the production of natural Vitamin D3 in both humans and animals, 283 nm light reduces microbial pressure in livestock production facilities, and 233 nm light reduces microbial pressure in buildings occupied by humans, e.g. hospitals, schools, etc. However, all these wavelengths can be provided in a single lamp, and possibly a single circuit board, and control of the individual LED chips is provided by software, allowing the appropriate wavelengths to be selected depending on the purpose and / or location of the lamp.

[0016] In particular, it has been found to be advantageous to combine two UV-B wavelengths selected from each part of the UV-B spectrum 10-20 nm apart, i.e., a low wavelength UV-B LED closer to the UV-C spectral range, such as, for example, a combination of 275-285 or 278-288 nm and 292-302 nm provided by various LEDs, with a high wavelength UV-B LED closer to the UV-A spectral range, since the combination of two such UV-B LEDs can reduce the microbial pressure and stimulate ND3 production. The microbial pressure can be further reduced by adding at least one UV-C LED configured to emit, for example, monochromatic UV-C light with one or more UV-C wavelengths, preferably with wavelengths in the range of 215-240 nm, for example 222 nm, 230 nm, 233 nm and / or 260 nm.

[0017] Another particularly advantageous embodiment is to combine a UV-B wavelength from the upper end of the UV-B spectrum, for example 297±5 nm, with a UV-C wavelength of about 230±10 nm or 230±5 nm or 233±5 nm (such as 233 nm), as such a wavelength combination can provide both a reduction in microbial pressure with the harmless 233 nm UV-C light, and a stimulation of ND3 production with UV-B light.

[0018] The light-emitting unit may be configured in particular to reduce the microbial pressure in the production facilities of animal farms. The light-emitting unit may comprise a plurality of LED light sources. The light-emitting unit is advantageously configured to emit polychromatic / broadband visible light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 750 nm and 2) not emit (broadband) light below 285 nm, preferably below 270 nm, except for the emission of monochromatic light at one or more predetermined wavelengths such as 222 nm, 230 nm, 233 nm and / or 260 nm. The light-emitting unit may further advantageously be configured to emit monochromatic light at one or more additional predetermined wavelengths, for example 295 nm or 297 nm. In particular, it is important that the selected wavelengths are not harmful to humans or animals, 230±10 nm and 295±10 / 297±5 nm being examples of such harmless wavelength ranges.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-emitting unit is configured to emit polychromatic visible light and monochromatic light of selected wavelength ranges and energies for inactivating microorganisms, generating ND3, and providing visible working light. At the same time, the light-emitting unit may be configured to emit low amounts of energy or even zero energy with wavelengths below the UV-B range, although in some cases, the monochromatic light of a preselected wavelength is excluded. It is further preferred that the light-emitting unit is configured to be accepted into a single standard lamp socket.

[0020] Good task lighting conditions are critical for the health, safety, and efficiency of humans who spend many hours a day indoors, such as school children, patients and medical personnel in hospitals, and workers in storage, manufacturing, office, and livestock facilities. Lighting conditions are important for the visual recognition of objects, due to the illumination level, spatial distribution, color rendering, and the like. The contrast of an object as perceived by humans is a function of, for example, the absorption characteristics of the object, the intensity and spectral content of the illumination, and the sensitivity of the photoreceptor cells of the retina (i.e., cones, rods, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells). Thus, the presently disclosed light emitting units can be configured to provide visible light of a selected color temperature, e.g., 2700K is suitable for hospitals and 4500K is suitable for farm production facilities. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1A] 1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 1B] 1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 1C] 1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 1D]1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 2A] 1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 2B] 1-2 show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a circular housing and suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 3A] 3A-C show one embodiment of a lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a rectangular housing suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 3B] 3A-C show one embodiment of a lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a rectangular housing suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 3C] 3A-C show one embodiment of a lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology with a rectangular housing suitable for ceiling mounting. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a test setup for irradiating Staphylococcus aureus on glass beads with UV radiation using one embodiment of the light-emitting unit of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C] 5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 5D] 5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 5E]5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 5F] 5A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 6B] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 6C] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 6D] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 6E] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 6F] 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc. [Figure 7A]7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. [Figure 7B] 7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. [Figure 7C] 7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. [Figure 7D] 7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. [Figure 7E] 7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a dual in-line package LED chip. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows an example of the spectral distribution from a UV-B LED that provides UVB light from approximately 275 to 315 nm with a peak wavelength of 295 nm and a FWHM (full width half max) of 14 nm. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A shows an example of a spectral distribution from a UV-B LED that provides UVB light from approximately 260 to 300 nm with a peak wavelength of 275 nm and a FWHM of 15 nm. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B shows an example of a spectral distribution from a UV-B LED that provides UVB light from approximately 265 to 315 nm with a peak wavelength of 285 nm and a FWHM of 25 nm. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C shows examples of spectral distributions from UV-B LEDs providing UVB light with peak wavelengths of 280-295 nm (both with a FWHM of 15 nm), approximately 260-320 nm, respectively, and combined spectral distributions. [Figure 11A] 11A-B show one embodiment of the system of the present disclosure comprising multiple lighting units with light sensors mounted on the walls to provide task lighting for the ward and UV light to the patients, the lighting units being installed near the ceiling of a ward. [Figure 11B] 11A-B show one embodiment of the system of the present disclosure comprising multiple lighting units with light sensors mounted on the walls to provide task lighting for the ward and UV light to the patients, the lighting units being installed near the ceiling of a ward. [Figure 12A] 12A-B show one embodiment of the system of the present disclosure comprising multiple lighting units installed near the ceiling of a pig pen to provide task lighting within the premises and illuminate the pigs with UV light. [Figure 12B] 12A-B show one embodiment of the system of the present disclosure comprising multiple lighting units installed near the ceiling of a pig pen to provide task lighting within the premises and illuminate the pigs with UV light. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of glass beads in a petri dish used for measuring the amount of sterilized bacteria in Example 1. [Figure 14] 1 is a graph showing bacteria removal efficiency versus wavelength of illumination light. [Figure 15A] 15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. [Figure 15B] 15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. [Figure 16A] 15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. [Figure 16B]15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. [Figure 17A] 15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. [Figure 17B] 15-17 show the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads at different doses of UV irradiation with different UV-B wavelength settings, Figs. 15A-B with 285+295 nm LEDs, Figs. 16A-B with 280+297 nm LEDs, and Figs. 17A-B with 285 nm broadband spectrum LEDs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] As discussed above, the present disclosure relates to a light-emitting unit that 1) reduces microbial pressure and 2) stimulates the production of natural vitamin D3, the light-emitting unit comprising at least one UV-B light-emitting diode (LED) configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light.

[0023] In one embodiment, the light emitting unit comprises at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a maximum intensity between 280-290 nm, more preferably between 283-287 nm, most preferably at 283 nm or 285 nm. Preferably, this monochromatic UV-B LED light has a spectral bandwidth of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 50 nm or less, more preferably 40 nm or less, even more preferably 30 nm or less, most preferably 20 nm or less. Such an embodiment with a broad spectrum single UV-B LED is preferred for use in animal farm production facilities, since a large part of the UV-B spectrum is used in a cost-effective solution without the need to adjust the power ratio between different wavelengths of the UV-B spectrum.

[0024] In one embodiment, the light emitting unit comprises at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 275 nm and 290 nm, more preferably between 278 nm and 288 nm, and most preferably at 283 nm. Additionally or alternatively, at least a first UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 290 nm and 305 nm, more preferably between 292 nm and 302 nm, and most preferably at 297 nm. In one embodiment, the monochromatic UV-B LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 25 nm or less, more preferably 20 nm or less, even more preferably 15 nm or less, and most preferably 10 nm or less. In particular, for short UV-B wavelength LEDs of about 283 nm, it is preferable to have a narrow spectral bandwidth of 15 nm or less to reduce the amount of UV-C light, while higher wavelength UV-B LEDs can advantageously have a larger spectral bandwidth of about 15 to 20 nm. For human-related solutions, a combination solution of two different UV-B wavelengths, 283±5nm and 297±5nm, is recommended, because in such a combination solution, the spectrum in the UV-B range can be adjusted by adjusting the power of the LED chips with different wavelengths. Also, different spectra may be preferred for different applications, such as health and sterilization.

[0025] In a further preferred embodiment, the light emitting unit comprises at least one UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light, preferably configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a wavelength in the range of 215-240 nm. For example, at least a first UV-C LED is configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity of 228-238 nm, preferably 231-235 nm, most preferably 233 nm. Additionally or alternatively, at least a second UV-C LED is configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity of 217-227 nm, preferably 220-224 nm, most preferably 222 nm.

[0026] Additionally or alternatively, at least a third UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 255-265 nm, preferably between 258-262 nm, more preferably between 259-261 nm, and most preferably at 260 nm. These three central wavelengths, used individually or in combinations of two or three, have been shown to be highly effective in reducing microbial pressure.

[0027] As mentioned above, harmless UV-C light around 230 nm is very effective in terms of disinfection, while UV-B light around 300 nm has a disinfecting effect but also stimulates ND3 production, so the combination of 233±5 nm UV-C LED light and 297±5 nm UV-B light proved to be particularly advantageous.

[0028] In one embodiment, the monochromatic UV-C LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 25 nm or less, more preferably 20 nm or less, even more preferably 15 nm or less, and most preferably 10 nm or less. In particular, for short wavelength UV-C LEDs, i.e., 222 nm, it is preferable to have a narrow spectral bandwidth of 5 nm or less to reduce the amount of short wavelength UV-C light, while higher wavelength UV-C LEDs have the advantage that they can have a larger spectral bandwidth of about 10-15 nm.

[0029] With LED technology, multiple LED chips can be added to a common circuit board, i.e., in particular, one or more visible light LED chips can be added, such that the light-emitting unit of the present disclosure can be used to provide task lighting for people in a building. That is, in a further embodiment, the light-emitting unit of the present disclosure comprises at least one visible light LED configured to emit polychromatic visible light, preferably having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 750 nm. The color temperature of the visible light varies depending on the application, i.e., for hospitals, the color temperature should be blue-shifted, preferably about 2700 K, while for livestock facilities, it has been found that red-shifted visible light, preferably about 4500 K, is advantageous. Thus, the light-emitting unit disclosed herein can be configured such that the color temperature of the visible polychromatic light is between 2500 K and 5000 K, e.g., about 4500 K, preferably about 2700 K.

[0030] The light emitting units disclosed herein may be configured to emit no light below 275 nm, or even below 265 nm, except for emission of monochromatic UV-C light at one or more selected wavelengths, e.g., 222 nm, 233 nm, and / or 260 nm.

[0031] The light emitting units disclosed herein are configured to emit polychromatic visible light over a first predetermined period of less than 16 hours per day, and may be configured to emit monochromatic non-visible UV-B light and / or UV-C light.

[0032] The inventors have recognized that, for example, when a building room and equipment is illuminated with 233 nm, 283 nm, and / or 297 nm, and optionally 222 nm and / or 260 nm wavelengths, the infection pressure within the room is significantly reduced. The combination of these wavelengths can eliminate far more viruses and bacteria than, for example, UV-C light alone. All bacteria and viruses associated with aerosol-based illnesses are completely reduced overnight in the illuminated room, and all illuminated surfaces become sterile.

[0033] Recently, it has been shown that UV-C light around 230 nm, such as 230±10 nm, more preferably 230±5 nm, e.g. 233 nm, has a very high bactericidal effect and skin resistance. Tests were performed with a UV-C LED light source with a central wavelength of 233 nm and a FWHM of about 12 nm. The bactericidal effect was qualitatively analyzed using a blood agar test and a bacterial carrier test with various MRSA strains and Staphylococcus epidermidis with various soil loads. The suitability of the bactericidal radiation dose for excised human skin and reconstructed human epidermis was also analyzed. Cell viability, DNA damage and radical production were evaluated in comparison with typical UV-C radiation from a HED discharge lamp (222 nm, 254 nm) and UV-B radiation for clinical evaluation. In the absence of soil load, at a dose of 40 mJ / cm2, the 233 nm UV-C light source reduced viable microorganisms by a log10 reduction (LR) of 5 log10 levels. Soil loads containing mucins and proteins reduced the impact to LR1.5-3.3. Salt water, representing artificial sweat, had only a small effect on the reduction. The viability of the skin model was not reduced and DNA damage was far below that induced by the 0.1 UVB minimum erythema dose, which is considered safe. Furthermore, the induced damage disappeared after 24 hours. Four consecutive days of irradiation did not induce DNA damage. The radical formation was much lower than that of 20 minutes of outdoor irradiation with visible light, which is classified as a low radical load and can be compensated for by the antioxidant defense system. From these tests, it can be concluded that UV-C LEDs around 230 nm, such as 233 nm, have a very low risk of causing harm and can be used in combination with humans and animals, i.e. such UV-C LEDs can be used in light-emitting units to reduce microbial pressure on the premises, even when humans and animals are present on the premises, i.e. such UV-C LEDs can be turned on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

[0034] When a room, such as a school classroom or an office, is occupied, switching on the light-emitting unit of the present invention will significantly reduce the microbial pressure and greatly minimize person-to-person infection transmission, making it nearly impossible for infection to spread from person to person via aerosols or illuminated areas.

[0035] During the day, the currently disclosed light-emitting unit should only be used to illuminate with wavelengths of 233 nm, 283 nm, and / or 297 nm (or 285 nm), while additional UV-C light (e.g., 222 nm and / or 260 nm) can be added at night. It is not necessary to irradiate with UV-C, since a combination of 283 nm and 297 nm is usually sufficient. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the removal efficiency of Salmonella and E. coli versus the removal efficiency of bacteria versus the wavelength of the irradiated light. As can be seen from the graph in FIG. 14, wavelengths below 285 nm are very efficient, while wavelengths above 290 nm are less efficient. However, wavelengths below about 275 nm are harmful to the human body, with the exception of a wavelength of about 233 nm. The surprising advantage of the currently disclosed combination of harmless invisible UV-B wavelengths is that it can be used at 28 The 3 nm light breaks down proteins, which are the protective surface of viruses, while the 297 nm light penetrates thin organic surfaces, whereas, for example, the 222 nm light does not. Bacteria and proteins overlap to form a weak and thin organic surface. This combination of 283 nm and 297 nm inactivates bacteria and viruses without harming the human body while increasing vitamin ND3 in the plasma of the irradiated person. By increasing ND3 in the plasma, the human immune system is greatly improved, minimizing infection by disease-causing viruses and bacteria, and greatly reducing the chances of infection and becoming sick. Thus, in Figure 14, light above 290 nm, for example 297 ± 5 nm, is shown to be less efficient at removing bacteria, but is surprisingly effective when combined with lower wavelength UV-B light.

[0036] In the practical combination of UV-B wavelengths 283 nm and 297 nm, the absolute energy / intensity and the relative energy / intensity of the wavelengths are also important, and can be modified in the preferred embodiment of the light-emitting unit disclosed herein. For example, when illuminating a livestock facility with piglets, combine the energy in a ratio of 4 times 283 nm and 8 times 297 nm. For hospital beds, for example on the strong corona section, the relative amount of low wavelength light should be increased to 10 times the energy of 283 nm compared to 2 times the 297 nm light.

[0037] The light-emitting unit disclosed herein may include one or more UV-C LEDs. When cleaning, if the pressure of microorganisms in the room needs to be reduced very strongly, UV-C light, such as 222nm and / or 260nm light, especially 260m, which is harmful to the human body, can be turned on, and is also very effective in reducing the pressure of microorganisms. The UV-C light can be used alone or in combination with UV-B light.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the lighting unit disclosed herein, all LEDs are mounted on a common circuit board, preferably a replaceable circuit board, so that in the event of maintenance or failure, only the circuit board needs to be replaced.

[0039] The lighting units disclosed herein may include a housing, preferably made of metal and preferably having cooling fins, which houses all of the LEDs of the lighting unit.

[0040] UV In this disclosure, the term UV-A refers to the range of 315-400 nm, UV-B refers to the range of 280-315 nm, and UV-C refers to the range of 100-280 nm. The term far ultraviolet (FUV) refers to the wavelength range of 122-200 nm.

[0041] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, short wavelength, UV-B LEDs are used, such as 283 nm, e.g., 278-288 nm, or 285 nm, e.g., 283-290 nm. This type is referred to herein as a UV-B light source, even though it is very close to the lower end of the UV-B spectrum and the upper end of the UV-C spectrum, because the inventors have realized that such types of light sources can be used in conjunction with humans and animals without harm, especially when used in conjunction with one or more sensors for monitoring the light intensity and / or dose from the corresponding light emitting units.

[0042] UV light can carry out many reactions, one such reaction is with genetic material via the interaction between photons and nucleic acids in a reaction that polymerizes nucleic acids, often forming pyrimidine dimers such as thymidine dimers. Polymerized bases are harmful to cells because they cannot replicate or transcribe. UV light also reacts with proteins by cross-linking amino acids, potentially disabling their function.

[0043] DNA damage is repaired by several mechanisms in living organisms. One of the mechanisms is the photoreactivation reaction, in which the enzyme responsible for the reaction breaks the damaged DNA upon reaction with light in the range of 350-500 nm. In this way, visible light can repair damaged bacteria. Photoreactivation of bacteria depends on the light and the exposure time.

[0044] UV damage alone can sometimes lead to the development of sterile bacteria. For a bacterium to be pathogenic, it must be able to replicate on its own.

[0045] Another repair mechanism is the dark repair mechanism. In the dark repair mechanism, enzymes can repair damaged DNA without the use of light energy. Such enzymes are, for example, N-glycosylase enzymes that can cleave N-glycosidic bonds so that deaminated cytosines can be replaced. Since organisms can repair DNA damage in multiple ways, it is the objective of this disclosure to damage the organism in such a way that the bacteria will not reactivate when reacting with light. This could be, for example, by a combination of DNA damage and oxidation reactions.

[0046] It will be appreciated that by reducing the microbial pressure in the animal house, a significant reduction in the amount of antibiotics and other drugs is achieved, thereby improving the health of the animals and reducing costs for the farmer. A further advantage realized by the present disclosure, particularly in relation to farms raising pigs and piglets, is the absence of bacteria and viruses (e.g., MRSA and SADS-CoV can be largely eliminated, improving the health and welfare of both the animals and the farm workers). The reduction in microbial pressure can be achieved by luminescence and / or liquid disinfection using the methods of the present disclosure. Such luminescence and / or disinfection can be carried out within the production facilities of the animal farm.

[0047] In addition to ensuring the health of animals by promoting the formation of ND3 and thereby strengthening the immune system of animals, the light-emitting unit disclosed herein is preferably further configured to promote the health of animals by reducing microbial pressure within the production facilities of animal farms. Thus, the light-emitting unit is preferably configured to emit light in a wavelength range that inactivates microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

[0048] This allows for a significant reduction in the amount of antibiotics and other medicines, which may improve animal health and achieve cost savings for the farmer. A further advantage realized by the present disclosure, particularly in relation to farms raising pigs and piglets, is the significant elimination of not only MRSA bacteria but also other aerosol infections, such as viral infections, e.g. SADS-CoV, thereby improving the health and welfare of both animals and farm workers. A reduction in microbial pressure can be achieved by disinfection using the methods of the present disclosure.

[0049] Inactivation of microorganisms is usually carried out using light in the UV-C wavelength range (253.7 nm). However, in contrast to this, the light-emitting unit disclosed herein is in one embodiment configured such that no light having a wavelength below 280 nm or below 270 nm is emitted, thereby ensuring that humans and animals are not exposed to harmful UV-C rays. The light-emitting unit may, for example, be provided with a sharp-edge filter glass, whereby wavelengths below 280 nm or below 270 nm are filtered from the light emitted by the lamp. This prevents UV-C wavelengths from passing through the sharp-edge filter glass. In order to activate wavelengths of at least 280 nm, the emitted light has a significantly higher energy in the UV-B region compared to standard UV HID lamps. However, in a further embodiment, the light-emitting unit may be configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light, preferably provided by LED light, centered at 215-245 nm, more preferably 218-230 nm, most preferably 217-227 nm, for example 222 nm.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the lighting unit is adapted to be housed on a single standard lamp socket or a single printed circuit, and therefore may preferably be configured to have only a single connector that is received in said socket.

[0051] Thus, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the light emitting unit is configured to promote the formation of ND3 on the skin of living animals, reduce microbial pressure in the animal house, and provide optimized working light conditions, while being adapted to be received in a single standard lamp socket, thereby reducing overall costs and space requirements.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the lighting unit is adapted to be housed in a single standard lamp socket, and therefore may preferably be configured to have only a single connector that is received in said socket.

[0053] Thus, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the lighting unit is configured to promote ND3 formation on the skin of live animals, reduce bacterial pressure in the animal house, and provide optimized working light conditions, yet can be accommodated in a single standard lamp socket, thereby reducing overall costs and space requirements.

[0054] LED - Light Emitting Diode The light sources used in this disclosure are light emitting diodes (LEDs), and thus preferred embodiments of the light emitting units of this disclosure are based on LED technology. LEDs and / or LED chips, such as surface mounted diodes and chip-on-board, are semiconductor light sources that emit light when current passes through the semiconductor. Preferably, monochromatic LEDs can be constructed such that by selecting different semiconductor materials, the monochromatic LEDs can emit light in a narrow band of wavelengths, from the near infrared to the visible spectrum to the ultraviolet range. Due to the large band gap of these semiconductors, the operating voltage of the LED increases with decreasing wavelength. In general, LEDs can refer to light emitting diodes, and LED chips can refer to chips that contain LEDs. However, these two terms are used interchangeably herein.

[0055] Although light from an LED is not coherent and monochromatic like light from a laser, in the context of this application, individual light emitting diodes are considered monochromatic light sources since the emitted wavelength range is indeed monochromatic compared to broad spectrum polychromatic light sources. Thus, the light emitting unit may be configured such that the monochromatic LED light spectrum emitted from the LED has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of less than 30 nm, preferably less than 20 nm, more preferably less than 15 nm, even more preferably less than 10 nm, and most preferably about 10 nm, or even about 9, 8, 7, 6, or 5 nm, or less.

[0056] A UV-B LED centered at 283 nm with a FWHM of 16 nm provides about 50% of the intensity around 275 nm, but only a small percentage of the emission below 268 nm.The main advantage of LEDs is therefore that they target very specific and narrow wavelength ranges, yet have a specific spectral bandwidth, allowing the LED to emit several wavelengths with specific functional properties.

[0057] One advantage of using LED chips is that they are much more efficient at converting electrical power into lighting power, especially in the UV range. A UV-B LED chip rated at 10.5 watts (i.e. power consumption) at 283±5nm can provide over 3 watts of UV-B light, meaning the energy conversion from electricity to light is much more efficient than, for example, traditional high-intensity (HID) UV lamps.

[0058] However, currently, the cost of LED UV light sources is higher than high-pressure UV lamps, but the running costs of high-pressure lamps are expected to increase much faster than LED technology due to their higher power consumption. And in general, LED technology is much more environmentally friendly than UV HID technology. In particular, LED chips based on MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) discharge at relatively high wattages and in the desired wavelength range of 200nm to 750nm. Test results show that one of the currently disclosed light-emitting units, which provides 16 hours of visible working light at 4500K per day for a piggery with one sow and 10 to 15 piglets, and UVB and UVC LEDs emit at 297nm, 283nm, and 230nm for 24 hours, respectively, can operate with a power consumption of only about 0.3kWh per day, making it very power-efficient.

[0059] In one embodiment, the light-emitting unit of the present disclosure is configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light with a wavelength in the range of 275-305 nm, preferably with a maximum intensity of 297±5 nm. The advantage obtained by such UV-B light is that the inactivation of bacteria and viruses is achieved. In particular, in the case of LED light with a peak wavelength around 297 nm, the light is provided with a well-defined wavelength spectrum around 297 nm, providing stimulation of the natural production of ND3, especially when the light includes light with one or more wavelengths around 297 nm, 302, and 303 nm. At the same time, light of about 295-296 nm can inactivate microorganisms, and it is particularly advantageous that such light can penetrate small layers of organic materials, making the inactivation of microorganisms very efficient. With a peak wavelength of 297±5 nm and a wavelength spectrum FWHM of about 15 nm, light below 280 nm is substantially avoided. Figure 9 shows an example of a wavelength spectrum of an LED with a peak wavelength of 295 nm and a FWHM of about 13-14 nm. It can be seen from Figure 9 that with a reduced FWHM of about 10 nm, there is little remaining light below 280 nm, thereby avoiding "sunburn" of animals and humans in the farm production facility, while there is still some light around 290 and 300 nm. A further advantage of UVB LED sources is that no visible light is emitted, which allows such sources to operate 24 hours a day without disturbing the sleep of animals, but at the same time maintaining the advantages in terms of ND3 stimulation and microbial inactivation.

[0060] The light emitting unit disclosed herein can also be configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light with a wavelength in the range of 217-227 nm, preferably with a maximum intensity of 222±5 nm. The advantage provided by such UV-C light is that the inactivation of bacteria and viruses is achieved very efficiently, since proteins such as virus surfaces strongly absorb light below 240 nm. The optimal interval for protein degradation is 220-240 nm. The advantage of 220-240 nm is that such UVC light does not degrade the cornea or skin of animals or humans in the animal farm production facility. It is very surprising that UV-C light can be used in this way, since the approach known so far was to reduce or eliminate UV-C light in the animal farm production facility. However, using LED technology, suitable wavelengths with a narrow range of light emissivity have been identified that can efficiently reduce the microbial pressure in the animal farm production facility without harming animals or humans. In particular, it has been shown to be advantageous to include UVC light at 222 nm and / or 233 nm. 222 / 233 nm light has been shown to be highly effective in degrading bacteria, as DNA can be severely damaged at 222 / 233 nm. A further advantage of UVC (220-240 nm) LED sources is that, since no visible light is emitted, such sources can be active 24 hours a day without disturbing the animals' sleep.

[0061] With LED technology, the color temperature and intensity of visible light can be precisely customized to improve the working lighting conditions for humans and minimize the impact on animals. In this regard, red-shifting the light has been found to be advantageous in animal farm production facilities. That is, the light-emitting unit of the present disclosure can be configured as follows, and the color temperature of the visible light is in the range of 4500-6500K, or in the range of 4000-6000K, most preferably 4500K, corresponding to a wavelength spectrum mainly centered at 644nm. Such visible light LEDs can be provided in wattages from about 1W to 1000W or more. Therefore, the visible light emissivity can be easily selected according to the application and situation, in particular the size of the animal farm production facility and the location of the light-emitting unit.

[0062] Visible light may be provided by a single diode, although more diodes can be provided if desired. Monochromatic UV-B light may be provided by at least one, two, three, or four LEDs. Similarly, monochromatic UV-C light may be provided by at least one, two, three, or four LEDs.

[0063] All LEDs can be selected and combined in different wattages depending on the light intensity required. LEDs are available from about 1 watt to about 50 watts, e.g., 1W, 3W, 12W, 48W LEDs. As mentioned above, LEDs providing white / visible light can also be used at higher power settings. Depending on the application and environmental conditions within the farm production facility, the lighting units disclosed herein may be provided with passive and / or active cooling. For example, active cooling in the form of a Peltier element mounted adjacent to the LED circuit board, passive cooling in the form of cooling fins on the housing, as illustrated in Figures 1-3.

[0064] All LEDs can be mounted on a common circuit board in a DIL (dual in-line) setup, for example with DIL fittings according to CIE 62471. The light emitting unit is preferably constructed in such a way that the common circuit board with the LEDs is replaceable. Thus, if a light source needs to be replaced, the user or a service technician only needs to replace the circuit board.

[0065] The light emitting unit may include a reflector for spreading the light emitted by the LEDs, which may be mounted, for example, on a common circuit board. The light emitting unit may further include a housing, preferably made of metal, with cooling fins so that the light source is efficiently cooled during operation.

[0066] One group of animals that are very sensitive to vitamin ND3 deficiency are newborn piglets, who are born without measurable levels of ND3 in their blood and therefore have a weakened immune system. Newborn piglets depend on receiving ND3 through breast milk from their mother. However, the content of ND3 in breast milk is very low. In nature, this is not a problem for wild pigs, who give birth to piglets in the summer and whose need for ND3 is completely covered by UV-B radiation from the sun. The lack of ND3 plays a key role in the ability of domesticated piglets to fight infections and thus piglet mortality in conventional production. The use of UV light to promote the formation of ND3 is described in EP 2 558 984 A1.

[0067] ND3 formation in animals The immune system is the body's defense against foreign organisms, mainly bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. The body's immune system is made up of millions of different white blood cells, each of which can recognize a specific form of foreign cell. When foreign cells, such as viruses, enter the body, the white blood cells attack and try to kill the foreign cells. Therefore, in transplants, it is important that the tissue being inserted resembles the patient's own cells as much as possible. The immune system has a memory, so the next time you are exposed to the same type of bacteria or virus, it will build up antibodies against that particular bacteria or virus and be able to eradicate it immediately. The immune system is divided into the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

[0068] The adaptive immune response is long-lasting and antigen-dependent, and the UV LED light combinations disclosed herein significantly enhance the adaptive immune response.

[0069] In general, humans have too low levels of vitamin ND3, which leads to high mortality rates. Therefore, UV lighting, which increases ND3 in plasma, and a high content of natural vitamin ND3 in foods, especially dairy products, are important. Vitamin ND3, for example, is a very important factor for the development of newborns, as well as children and adolescents. Vitamin ND3 deficiency can lead to respiratory infections, asthma, osteoporosis, and other secondary diseases. Studies have also shown that more than 30% of type 1 diabetes cases and asthma could be prevented if infants received the recommended dose of vitamin ND3. It has also been suggested that ND3 strengthens the immune system, reducing the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancer, and generally reducing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

[0070] Therefore, a further object of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting unit suitable for promoting ND3 formation in the skin of animals, such as newborn piglets. The light-emitting unit disclosed herein serves as a method for ensuring the formation of vitamin ND3 in the skin of animals.

[0071] The most effective irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol for previtamin D3 production is with 297 nm UV-B light. The most effective wavelength for converting keratinocytes to previtamin D3 is 302 nm UV-B light. Additionally, a secondary maximum is seen below 285 nm in some circumstances.

[0072] Preferably, the light emitting unit is configured to emit light including wavelengths in the range of 280-305 nm, which is part of the UV-B range. This range has been found to be the most efficient for stimulating the natural formation of ND3 in piglets. It is further preferred that the light emitting unit has high intensity for light having a wavelength of 295 nm, more preferably 297 nm. High intensity light with a wavelength of 297 nm has been shown to be particularly suitable for the formation of ND3 in the skin of animals.

[0073] Exposing animals, such as piglets, to light leads to a more effective formation of ND3 in the animal's skin. This leads to healthier animals and reduced mortality within animal populations. Another desirable effect of these health improvements is that breeders can reduce antibiotic use, an important step in avoiding the development of multi-drug resistant bacteria. Another positive effect of enhanced ND3 production is improved absorption of phosphorus and calcium in animal feed, which has a positive environmental effect on feed production. Livestock with higher ND3 content in their bodies produce milk and meat with higher levels of ND3 content, improving vitamin D3 absorption in the human diet.

[0074] Lighting System The present disclosure further relates to a lighting system, e.g., a modular lighting system, for 1) reducing microbial pressure and / or 2) stimulating the production of natural Vitamin D3 and / or 3) providing task light in rooms housing humans or animals, such as classrooms, hospital wards, offices, assembly halls, animal farm production facilities, etc., the system comprising: at least one of the light-emitting units disclosed herein, and a control system adapted to manage and / or control the exposure intensity, such as exposure time and / or total light emissivity, in the selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit, i.e., the selected wavelength range disclosed herein; Equipped with.

[0075] Since the light emitting units disclosed herein are suitable for emitting light in multiple wavelength ranges, e.g. by means of multiple different LEDs, the control system may be adapted to control each LED individually, e.g. in terms of power regulation to adjust the intensity of the emitted light, and in terms of exposure time per minute, hour, day, week, month, year, etc.

[0076] The lighting system may comprise at least one light sensor configured to measure the exposure from the light emitting unit, which may be a sensor capable of measuring both visible light and UV-B and / or UV-C light, or separate sensors for separate wavelength ranges. The sensor may be located near the corresponding light emitting unit, e.g. integrated into its housing. Additionally or alternatively, it may be located in the same room, e.g. configured to be wall mounted, and the light from the light emitting unit may illuminate the sensor. The system may be configured to turn off at least the UV-B LED and / or the UV-C LED if the exposure sensor is covered or if any malfunction occurs.

[0077] LEDs typically degrade over time, with the same power causing the luminous intensity to slowly decrease over time, typically dropping by 30% at 5000 hours or even 10,000 hours. By measuring the light intensity from the light-emitting unit, it can be ensured that it is the luminous intensity that is the control parameter. Thus, the lighting system may be configured to maintain a given emissivity of exposure intensity in a selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit based on a measurement of the exposure from the light-emitting unit. In this regard, the light-emitting unit may be configured such that the LED is adjusted to full power when new, but is slowly increased to correspond to the slow drop in efficiency. This allows the life of the individual LEDs to be significantly extended. The LEDs used may be specified with a standard life of 5000 hours, with a 30% decay in emissivity over its entire life. By increasing the power over a long period of time, this decay can be compensated for, and the life of the LED chips can be extended.

[0078] As also described herein, the control parameter can also be the relative intensities of the various UV-B and / or UV-C LED wavelengths with respect to one another.

[0079] The lighting system may be advantageously configured such that the light emitting units emit UV-C light only when no humans and / or animals are present in the vicinity of the light emitting units, such as in a corresponding room that contains the light emitting system. For example, the light emitting units are configured to emit UV-C light only when no humans are present in the room, as UV-C light can be harmful to humans and animals. This can be provided by various means.

[0080] The lighting system can be configured such that the light emitting units emit UV-C light only during selected periods of the day, e.g. when the rooms are closed, e.g. at night, e.g. from 10pm to 5am. The closing times for a particular room or building can be defined by the user / administrator so that the control system can control the light emitting units accordingly.

[0081] The lighting system may also be equipped with and / or in contact with at least one motion sensor to detect activity in a room and / or building, which is another way to ensure that harmful light is not emitted from the lighting units when people are present.

[0082] Sensors that are part of the system or simply in contact with the system can be connected to the system wirelessly or by wires as required.

[0083] In one embodiment, the light emitting unit and / or system of the present disclosure is configured such that visible light is emitted for a limited and predetermined period of time per day, for example, between 8 and 16 hours per day, while non-visible light, particularly UVB and / or UVC, is emitted 24 hours per day, since these non-visible light sources have functional properties of inactivating microorganisms and / or stimulating NDS in animals, thereby maximizing the use of functional light sources, for example, at night, without disturbing the sleep of the animals.

[0084] In one embodiment, the lighting unit and / or system of the present disclosure is configured to increase the light intensity of one, several, or all UV LEDs. This may be provided in particular to avoid "sunburn" of humans or animals in the corresponding room. The light intensity ramp is typically defined by an initial power setting, a stepwise increase, a duration at each power setting, and a maximum power setting. Typically, the lamp is defined over a period of several hours, and sometimes over a full day or days.

[0085] The lighting units and / or systems disclosed herein may further be configured to allow remote control of which light sources / wavelength spectrums are active and possibly also the corresponding intensity / power, for example from a smart phone or other display device. In some cases, the timing of the various light LEDs may be remotely controlled. Individual control of light sources / wavelength spectrums is an option, especially for LEDs. Thus, the lighting units and / or systems disclosed herein may be configured to emit broadband visible light for a first predefined period per day, such as less than 20, 18, 16, 12, or 8 hours per day, and to emit monochromatic non-visible LED light for a second predefined period per day, such as at least 20 hours, or 22 hours, or even 24 hours. Thus, preferably, the second predefined period is longer than the first predefined period.

[0086] The lighting units and / or systems disclosed herein may be further configured to control the ratio of light emission rates between the at least second UV-B LED and the at least first UV-B LED, such as based on input from a sensor, thereby allowing the ratio of total light emissivity of 283±5 nm light to total light emissivity of 297±5 nm light to be selected.

[0087] example The present disclosure will now be described with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0088] Example 1 - Disinfection efficiency of UV LED irradiation against Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on glass beads The purpose of this experiment was to test the disinfection efficiency of UV LED irradiation against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) at various contact times. In a sterile Petri plate, S. aureus was inoculated onto sterile glass beads and exposed to UV irradiation for different contact times. Figure 13 is a diagram of the glass beads in the Petri dish used in this example, the glass beads are approximately 6-8 mm in diameter.

[0089] Different embodiments of the UV LED light-emitting unit of the present disclosure were used in different experiments. In each experiment, one UV LED light-emitting unit was mounted horizontally 76 cm above a Petri plate containing glass beads inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus. At different contact times of UV irradiation, the Petri plate inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus was removed and placed in the dark. Similarly, two Petri plates containing glass beads inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus were kept in the dark (away from UV irradiation) and later used to count bacteria at time zero.

[0090] After the end of UV irradiation (24 h), S. aureus from each Petri plate was enumerated using the plate count method in mannitol salt agar (MSA). After 24 h of incubation at 37°C, the number of colonies observed on the MSA plates was used to calculate the elimination of S. aureus by various times of UV irradiation.

[0091] Tables 1-3 below show the removal rate of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on glass beads at various times during UV LED irradiation, which is also shown in Figures 15-17.

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] [Table 2]

[0094] [Table 3]

[0095] "285+295nm" both have a FWHM of about 15nm and a weighted dose of 32.5J / m per 8 hours. 2 The data are based on two different UV-B LEDs, 285 nm (2.5 mW) and 295 nm (4 mW), and are plotted on a logarithmic scale vs. dose (J / m2) in the same way as in Table 1, where 5.7 corresponds to 1 hour, 11.3 corresponds to 2 hours, and so on.2 See also Figure 15A, which shows the amount of bacteria in bars of 0.01 mg / mL. The percentage of bacteria removal is shown as a number above the bar. Figure 15B corresponds to Figure 15A, but shows log removal.

[0096] "280+297nm" both have a FWHM of about 15nm and a weighted dose of 32.1J / m per 8 hours. 2 See also Figure 16A, which shows the amount of bacteria in a bar on a logarithmic scale versus time, similar to the times in Table 2, using different UV-B LEDs at 280 nm (2.5 mW) and 297 nm (4 mW). The percentage of bacteria removed is indicated by the numbers above the bar. Figure 16B corresponds to Figure 16A, but shows log removal.

[0097] "285nm" has a FHWM of about 40nm and a weighted dose of 31.9J / m per 8 hours. 2 Using one 285 nm (2.5 mW) UV-B LED, 13.2 corresponds to 2 hours, 39.7 corresponds to 2 hours, and 158.7 corresponds to 24 hours, with a logarithmic scale vs. dose (J / m 2 See Figure 17A, which shows the amount of bacteria in bars (log 100). The percentage of bacteria removal is shown as a number above the bar. Figure 17B corresponds to Figure 17A, but shows the log removal.

[0098] In these experiments, weights according to the IEC and SED standards were also calculated and are shown in Table 4 below.

[0099] [Table 4]

[0100] As can be seen from Tables 1-4 and Figures 15-17, the combined solution of two UV-B LEDs is highly efficient in killing bacteria. The single wavelength, broader spectrum 285nm UV-B LED is a more cost-effective solution and is also suitable for disinfection, but is less efficient compared to the combined solution.

[0101] Example 2 3A-C show one embodiment of the lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology. The lighting unit 10 comprises a rectangular metallic housing that houses a power source 11 within the top of the housing, a connector 12 that can be connected to a power strip near the ceiling of the farm production facility, a transparent cover 14, and a number of cooling fins 13 that increase the surface area of ​​the housing to allow for better cooling of the LED light sources 16, 17. FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the lighting unit 10. FIG. 3B shows a bottom perspective view of the lighting unit 10 electrically engaged with and suspended from a power strip 20 such that the emissivity of the light decreases towards the animals on the floor of the farm production facility. FIG. 3C shows a bottom view of the lighting unit 10, where the printed circuit board 15 can be seen housing eleven LED chips, with the central LED 15 providing neutral white light and the remaining ten monochromatic LED chips 17 providing various wavelengths. As can be seen in FIG. 3C, the common printed circuit board is directly accessible from the bottom of the lighting unit 10 and can therefore be easily replaced by four screws 18.

[0102] Example 3 1A-D and 2A-B show an embodiment of a lighting unit of the present disclosure based on LED technology, with 1A and 1B showing side views, 1C showing a top view, and 1D showing a top / side perspective view. FIG. 2A shows a bottom perspective view in which at least a part of a common circuit board 15 housing the LED chips is shown. FIG. 2B shows a cutaway perspective view of the lighting unit. The lighting unit of FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a circular housing made of metal that houses a power supply in the upper part of the housing, and a mounting element for mounting to a ceiling element. The mounting element is attached to the circular housing in such a way that the lighting unit can be tilted after mounting to the ceiling element. As in FIG. 2, multiple cooling fins are provided to increase the surface area of ​​the housing to allow better cooling of the LED light source. As can be seen in FIG. 3C, the common printed circuit board is directly accessible from the bottom of the lighting unit 10 and can therefore be easily replaced by four screws 18. The circular housing can be advantageous because light from the LED chips is usually emitted with a cone angle of about ±60 degrees.

[0103] Example 4 5A-D show various combinations of UV-B and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in animal farm production facilities such as pig pens.

[0104] Figure 5A shows a single UV-B LED 295 nm chip placed in the center of the circuit board. Figure 5B shows a single UV-B LED 285 nm chip placed in the center on the circuit board. Such a setup targets black light-emitting units mainly for animal nests, for example piglet nests or mink nests, where UV-B light promotes the natural formation of ND3 but does not need to emit visible light. In animal nests, the light-emitting units are usually placed very close to the animals, so a single LED chip may be sufficient.

[0105] Figures 5C and 5B show a combination of a centrally located multi-color white light LED chip with a color of 2700K and four UV-B LED chips providing monochromatic light at 295 nm in Figure 5C and 285 nm in Figure 5D. A single white light LED chip is sufficient to provide human visible task light in a farm production facility, but if the light emitting unit is located near the ceiling in the facility, it is suitable to use four UV-B LED chips to provide sufficient light intensity.

[0106] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the single UV-B wavelength setup shown in FIGS. 5A-D may preferably be provided as a broad spectrum LED chip, i.e., FWHM of about 30 nm, in order to utilise the full UV-B spectrum coverage for illuminating pigs and reducing microbial pressure in the pigpen.

[0107] Example 5 6A-F show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board for use in the light emitting units of the present disclosure, particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, clinics, etc.

[0108] The setup of FIG. 6A provides a single white light LED chip with a color temperature of 2700K, two 283 nm LED chips and two 297 nm LED chips. Such UV-B chips are usually specified as 283±5 nm and 297±5 nm respectively, and some variation in the central wavelength may occur. A typical FWHM is about 10-15 nm. The setup of FIG. 6A is particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, etc., because a large part of the UV-B spectrum is used for e.g. ND3 generation and reducing microbial pressure. The advantage of combining 283 nm and 297 nm is that the ratio of 283 nm and 297 nm light can be adjusted, for example as part of a light emitting unit and / or as part of a lighting system, and installed, for example, on a wall of a hospital ward as illustrated in FIG. 11, by controlling the relative number of the different LED chips used on the board or by controlling the power supplied to the chips, possibly in combination with a light sensor.

[0109] Figure 6D corresponds to the setup of Figure 6A, but without the white light source in Figure 6A, i.e., two 283 nm LED chips and two 297 nm LED chips. The advantages of the setup of Figure 6D are the same as the setup of Figure 6A, but without the possibility of using the setup of Figure 6D to provide work light. The setup of Figure 6D can be used as a constant light-emitting unit in hospitals, schools, animal farm production facilities, etc., to continuously reduce the microbial pressure and stimulate the production of ND3, but is invisible to the human and animal eyes, i.e., at night the animals can sleep undisturbed.

[0110] Figure 6B corresponds to the setup in Figure 6A, but comes with two 260nm UV-C LED chips that can further reduce the microbial pressure. However, the 260nm light from such UV-C LED chips is harmful to humans and animals, so it should only be used when no humans or animals are present.

[0111] Figure 6C corresponds to the setup of Figure 6B, but with the addition of two 222 nm UV-C LED chips that can further reduce the microbial pressure. The 222 nm light from such UV-C LED chips can indeed be used in conjunction with humans, but in some cases it needs to be used in conjunction with one or more sensors that can monitor the dose delivered by such UV-C light.

[0112] In the setup of FIG. 6E, two 233 nm UV-C LED chips and two 297 nm UV-B LED chips are provided. Such LED chips are usually specified as 233±5 nm and 297±5 nm, respectively, meaning that there may be some variation in the central wavelength. The typical FWHM is about 10-15 nm. The setup of FIG. 6E is particularly suitable for use in human facilities such as hospitals, schools, etc., since the 297±5 nm UV-B light is suitable for generating ND3 and in part also for reducing microbial pressure, while the 233±5 nm UV-C is very efficient in reducing microbial pressure without harming humans or animals. The advantage of combining 233 nm and 297 nm is that it can be used as part of a lighting unit and / or as part of a lighting system, and installed, for example, on the wall of a hospital ward as illustrated in FIG. 11, to adjust the ratio of 233 nm and 297 nm light by the relative number of different LED chips used on the board or by controlling the power supplied to the chips, possibly in combination with a light sensor. The setup in Figure 6E could be used as an always-on light-emitting unit in hospitals, schools, etc. to continuously reduce microbial pressure and stimulate ND3 production, but is invisible to the human eye, meaning that at night patients can sleep undisturbed.

[0113] The setup in Figure 6F corresponds to the setup in Figure 6E, with the addition of a white LED with a color temperature of 2700K, which can also be used as a task light.

[0114] If the main objective is to limit zoonotic diseases throughout the farm production facility, such as swine flu that may develop into a pandemic, the light emitting unit is configured with at least one UVB LED chip for 24-hour illumination, at least one UVC LED chip, and at least one visible light LED providing a working light of about 2700 Kelvin for 16-hour illumination, for example. The number of LEDs and their wattage are selected according to the specific conditions of the farm production facility.

[0115] If the location of the light-emitting unit is more local, i.e. in a pigpen, the wavelength and power configuration should be selected according to the size, age and type / breed of the animals, e.g. piglets, weaners, slaughter pigs, etc. In pigpens the hours per day that visible light is needed may be reduced, while UVB and UVC light are still important for 24-hour lighting to maximize the positive effect. However, the number and wattage of LED chips may be reduced, especially when the animals are young and / or the light-emitting unit is placed close to the animals.

[0116] Example 6 7A-E show various combinations of UV-B, UV-C, and white light LED chips on a common printed circuit board. The LED chips can be, for example, 3 watt chips, 80 watt chips, or anything in between.

[0117] In FIG. 7A, the circuit board of FIG. 5C is fitted with six LED chips providing monochromatic light at 405 nm to further reduce microbial pressure within the farm production facility.

[0118] In FIG. 7B, the circuit board of FIG. 5C is equipped with four LED chips that provide monochromatic UV-C light at 230 nm to further reduce microbial pressure within the farm production facility.

[0119] In Figure 7C, the circuit board of Figure 7A is fitted with four LED chips providing monochromatic UV-C light at 230 nm to further reduce microbial pressure within the farm production facility. The setup of Figure 7C can accommodate up to 15 LED chips: one chip for visible task light, four UV-C chips, four UV-B chips, and six LED chips providing 405 nm light equivalent to dark violet.

[0120] Figure 7D provides a single white light LED, a single 295 nm LED chip, and four 405 nm LED chips. In Figure 7E, the 405 nm LED chip is replaced with a 230 nm UV-C LED chip (compared to Figure 7D) to enhance sterilization capability.

[0121] Figure 7, with only one UV-B LED chip in all setups, shows that, for example, if the primary purpose of the UV-B light is to stimulate the animals' natural production of ND3, less UV-B intensity may be needed, whereas high intensity from the UV-C and violet light sources is needed to maximize the reduction of microbial pressure within the farm production facility.

[0122] Example 7 Figure 5E shows a single UV-C LED 233 nm chip placed in the center of a circuit board. Such a setup is primarily targeted for disinfection applications in substantially clean environments, e.g. hospitals, schools, etc. Light around 230 nm poses little risk of harm when used on the human body, i.e. it can reduce microbial pressure 24 / 7 without emitting any visible light. Light around 230 nm can in principle also be used in animal farm production facilities, since the disinfection function is applicable there too and the light does not harm the animals. However, dust and particles present in animal farm production facilities can absorb the 233 nm light, and when present, especially on the skin of the animals, will significantly reduce the disinfection ability of UV-C light.

[0123] Figure 5F shows a combination of a centrally located multi-color white light LED chip with a color of 2700K and four UV-C LED chips providing monochromatic light at 233 nm. One white light LED chip is sufficient to provide visible task light to humans, and if the light-emitting unit is placed near the ceiling of the premises, it is suitable to have four UV-C LED chips to provide sufficient light intensity for disinfection.

[0124] item 1. A light-emitting unit for 1) reducing microbial pressure and 2) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, at least one UV-B light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light; A light emitting unit comprising:

[0125] 2. The light-emitting unit according to item 1, characterized in that it comprises at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 280 and 290 nm, more preferably between 283 and 287 nm, and most preferably at 285 nm.

[0126] 3. The light-emitting unit described in item 2, characterized in that the monochromatic UV-B LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 50 nm or less, more preferably 40 nm or less, even more preferably 30 nm or less, and most preferably 20 nm or less.

[0127] 4. The light-emitting unit according to item 2, wherein the monochromatic UV-B LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of at least 30 nm, more preferably at least 35 nm, and most preferably at least 40 nm.

[0128] 5. The light emitting unit is at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 278 and 288 nm, more preferably between 281 and 285 nm, and most preferably at 283 nm; The light-emitting unit according to item 1, comprising:

[0129] 6. The light emitting unit comprises: at least a first UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 292 and 302 nm, more preferably between 295 and 299 nm, and most preferably at 297 nm; A light-emitting unit according to any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it comprises:

[0130] 7. The light-emitting unit described in any one of items 5 to 6, characterized in that the monochromatic UV-B LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 30 nm or less, more preferably 20 nm or less, even more preferably 15 nm or less, most preferably 10 nm or less, and even more preferably 8 nm or less.

[0131] 8. A light-emitting unit described in any one of items 5 to 7, characterized in that it is configured to control the ratio of light-emitting rates between at least the second UV-B LED and at least the first UV-B LED.

[0132] 9. The light-emitting unit described in any one of items 5 to 8, characterized in that the ratio of the light-emitting rate between at least the second UV-B LED and at least the first UV-B LED is greater than 1, preferably greater than 2, more preferably greater than 2.5, and most preferably greater than about 3 or 3.

[0133] 10. The light-emitting unit described in any one of items 5 to 8, characterized in that the ratio of light-emitting efficiency between at least the second UV-B LED and at least the first UV-B LED is less than 1, preferably less than 0.75, and most preferably less than 0.5.

[0134] 11. The light emitting unit comprises: At least one UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light. A light-emitting unit according to any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it comprises:

[0135] 12. The light-emitting unit according to item 11, characterized in that the at least one UV-C LED is configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a wavelength in the range of 215 to 240 nm.

[0136] 13. The light emitting unit comprises: At least a first UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 228-238 nm, preferably between 231-235 nm, and most preferably at 233 nm. The light-emitting unit according to any one of items 11 to 12, comprising:

[0137] 14. The light emitting unit comprises: At least a second UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 217 and 227 nm, preferably between 220 and 224 nm, and most preferably at 222 nm. The light-emitting unit according to any one of items 11 to 13, comprising:

[0138] 15. The light emitting unit comprises: At least a third UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 255 and 265 nm, preferably between 258 and 262 nm, and most preferably at 260 nm. The light-emitting unit according to any one of items 11 to 14, comprising:

[0139] 16. A light-emitting unit described in any one of items 11 to 15, characterized in that the monochromatic UV-C LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 20 nm or less, more preferably 15 nm or less, even more preferably 10 nm or less, most preferably 8 nm or less, and even more preferably 5 nm or less.

[0140] 17. A light-emitting unit described in any one of items 11 to 16, characterized in that the light-emitting unit includes at least one UV-B LED and at least one UV-C LED and is configured to control the ratio of light emissivity between the at least one UV-B LED and the at least one UV-C LED.

[0141] 18. A light-emitting unit according to any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it comprises at least one visible light LED configured to emit polychromatic visible light, preferably having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 750 nm.

[0142] 19. A light-emitting unit described in any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it is configured not to emit light below 270 nm, except for emitting monochromatic UV-C light in the range of 215 to 240 nm.

[0143] 20. A light-emitting unit described in any one of items 18 to 19, characterized in that the color temperature of the visible polychromatic light is configured to be between 2500K and 5000K, for example about 4500K, preferably about 2700K.

[0144] 21. A light-emitting unit according to any one of items 18 to 20, characterized in that the emission of the polychromatic visible light is performed for a first predefined period of less than 16 hours per day, and the emission of the monochromatic non-visible UV-B light and UV-C light is performed for a second predefined period of at least 22 hours per day.

[0145] 22. A lighting unit according to any one of the preceding items, characterized in that all LEDs are mounted on a common replaceable circuit board.

[0146] 23. A light-emitting unit according to any one of the preceding items, comprising at least one light sensor for measuring the amount of light exposure from the light-emitting unit.

[0147] 24. A lighting unit described in any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it comprises at least one motion sensor for detecting activity, such as human or animal movement, in the vicinity of the lighting unit.

[0148] 25. A light-emitting unit described in any one of the preceding items, characterized in that it is configured to turn off the UV-B LED and / or the UV-C LED if activity is detected near the light-emitting unit.

[0149] 26. A lighting unit according to any one of the preceding items, comprising a housing, preferably made of metal and preferably having cooling fins, said housing housing all the LEDs of said lighting unit.

[0150] 27. A light emitting unit described in any one of items 18 to 26, characterized in that it comprises a single LED having a wattage of at least 48 W for providing polychromatic visible light, and one or more LEDs having a wattage of 1 W, 3 W, 12 W, 48, or 100 W for providing each of the UV-B light and, optionally, the UV-C light.

[0151] 28. A system for: 1) providing light for working; 2) reducing microbial pressure; and / or 3) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3 in a room occupied by humans, such as a classroom, a hospital ward, an office space, a meeting hall, or in an animal farm production facility, comprising: At least one of the light-emitting units according to any one of items 1 to 3, and In the selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit, Exposure time and / or Exposure Intensity A control system suitable for managing A system comprising:

[0152] 29. The system according to item 28, further comprising at least one light sensor for measuring the amount of exposure from the light emitting unit.

[0153] 30. A system described in any of items 28 to 29, characterized in that it comprises at least one motion sensor for detecting activity within the room.

[0154] 31. A system described in any of items 28 to 30, characterized in that the system maintains a predetermined emissivity of exposure intensity in a selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit based on a measurement of the exposure dose from the light-emitting unit.

[0155] 32. A system described in any of items 28 to 31, characterized in that during closing times of the room, such as at night, for example from 10pm to 5am local time, the light-emitting unit is configured to emit UV-C light only during selected periods of the day.

[0156] 33. A system described in any of items 28 to 32, characterized in that the light-emitting unit is configured to emit UV-C light only when no humans and / or animals are present in the vicinity of the light-emitting unit, such as in a corresponding room containing the light-emitting system.

[0157] 34. A system described in any of items 28 to 33, characterized in that the ratio of light emission rates between at least a first UV-B LED and at least a second UV-B LED is controlled based on input from a sensor, etc., so as to enable selection of the ratio of total light emissivity of 283±5 nm light to the total light emissivity of 297±5 nm light.

[0158] 35. A system described in any of items 28 to 34, characterized in that the ratio of light emission rates between at least the first UV-B LED and at least the first UV-C LED is controlled based on input from a sensor, etc., and the ratio of total light emissivity of light at 297±5 nm to the total light emissivity of light at 233±5 nm can be selected.

Claims

1. A light-emitting unit for reducing the pressure of microorganisms and stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, comprising: at least a first UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 292 and 302 nm, and at least a second UV-B LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-B light having a maximum intensity between 275 and 290 nm, and at least a first UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 228 and 238 nm. The light-emitting unit is characterized by comprising the above.

2. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least the first and second monochromatic UV-B LED lights have a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 20 nm or less.

3. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least the second monochromatic UV-B LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of at least 30 nm.

4. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the luminous intensity between at least the second UV-B LED and at least the first UV-B LED exceeds 2.

5. At least a second UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 217 and 227 nm The light-emitting unit according to claim 1 is characterized by comprising the above.

6. At least a third UV-C LED configured to emit monochromatic UV-C light having a maximum intensity between 255 and 265 nm The light-emitting unit according to claim 1 is characterized by comprising the above.

7. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, wherein the monochromatic UV-C LED light has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral bandwidth of 20 nm or less.

8. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1 is characterized in that it is configured to control the ratio of the light emission rate between at least one of the UV-B LEDs and at least one of the UV-C LEDs.

9. At least one visible light LED configured to emit multicolor visible light The light-emitting unit according to claim 1 is characterized by comprising the above.

10. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, except for emitting monochromatic UV-C light in the range of 215 to 240 nm, it is configured not to emit light with a wavelength of less than 270 nm.

11. It is configured such that the emission of the multi-color visible light is performed for a first predetermined period of less than 16 hours per day. It is configured such that the emission of the monochromatic non-visible UV-B light and UV-C light is performed for a second predefined period of at least 22 hours per day. The light-emitting unit according to claim 9, characterized in that.

12. At least one optical sensor for measuring the exposure amount from the light-emitting unit The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with.

13. When activity is detected near the light-emitting unit, it is configured to turn off the UV-B LED and / or the UV-C LED. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, characterized in that.

14. It includes a housing that houses all the LEDs of the light-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit according to claim 1, characterized in that.

15. In a room where people live, such as a classroom, a hospital ward, an office space, an assembly hall, or in a production facility of an animal farm, a system for any one of a) providing working light, b) reducing the pressure of microorganisms, and c) stimulating the production of natural vitamin D3, At least one of the light-emitting units according to any one of claims 1 to 14, In at least one selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit, Exposure time and / or Exposure intensity such as the total light emission rate And a control system suitable for managing. A system characterized by comprising.

16. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that it includes at least one optical sensor for measuring the exposure amount from at least one of the light-emitting units.

17. The system according to claim 16, characterized in that it is configured to maintain the emission rate of a predetermined exposure intensity in the selected wavelength range of the light-emitting unit based on the measurement of the exposure amount from at least one of the light-emitting units.

18. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that the light-emitting unit is configured to emit UV-C light only when there are no humans and / or animals near the light-emitting unit, such as in the corresponding room including the light-emitting system.

19. Between at least a first UV-B LED and at least a second UV-B LED, based on an input from a sensor or the like, the ratio of the emission rates is controlled, and the ratio of the total luminous emittance of light at 283 ± 5 nm to the total luminous emittance of light at 297 ± 5 nm can be selected. Between at least a first UV-B LED and at least a first UV-C LED, it is configured such that, based on an input from a sensor or the like, the ratio of the emission rates is controlled, and the ratio of the total luminous emittance of light at 297 ± 5 nm to the total luminous emittance of light at 233 ± 5 nm can be selected. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that.

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