Ceiling-mounted decontamination system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air and surface disinfection methods in healthcare facilities are labor-intensive, leave residues, and are inefficient in decontaminating airborne pathogens, which can resettled on surfaces, posing infection risks.
Innovation Solution
A wall- or surface-mounted luminaire with an internal air decontamination system using Ultraviolet-C germicidal sources that recirculates room air through a decontamination chamber, destroying pathogens while providing visible lighting and allowing for safe and easy maintenance without the need to disengage from the mounting surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If labor-intensive washing or wiping surfaces with caustic germicidal substances is used, then surface disinfection is achieved, but residues and smells are left on surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning methods (washing/wiping with chemicals) with a UV-C irradiation system that destroys pathogens through photonic energy without leaving chemical residues. The luminaire uses ultraviolet germicidal sources to inactivate microorganisms on surfaces and in air, eliminating the need for caustic substances and their associated residue problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs UV-C radiation as a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation that accelerates the destruction of microbial cell structures through photo-oxidation processes. This breaks down organic matter in pathogens without requiring chemical oxidants, thereby avoiding residue formation while achieving effective disinfection.
2Reliability
If traditional air disinfection methods are used, then airborne pathogens are targeted, but the methods are inefficient and allow resettlement on surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire integrates multiple functions into a single device: it provides visible lighting for the room while simultaneously performing air disinfection through UV-C irradiation. The system circulates air through a decontamination chamber where UV-C destroys airborne pathogens, and the cleaned air is returned to the room, creating a dual-purpose solution that improves both lighting and air quality efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system operates continuously to circulate and decontaminate air, maintaining constant UV-C exposure of airborne pathogens. The air circulation mechanism ensures continuous flow through the decontamination chamber, preventing pathogen resettlement by constantly refreshing the air and maintaining effective disinfection pressure over time.
3Reliability
If recessed troffer-type light fixtures are used for UV disinfection, then ceiling-mounted air decontamination is achieved, but installation and maintenance are dangerous and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire is designed as a self-contained modular unit with all UV-C components, air circulation systems, and controls integrated into a single replaceable module. This segmentation allows the entire decontamination system to be installed as one unit and maintained by simply replacing the module, eliminating the need for technicians to work overhead with heavy fixtures and reducing installation complexity and safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic controls and safety features that reduce the need for manual intervention during operation and maintenance. The modular design allows for easy replacement without requiring disengagement from mounting surfaces, and the system can be serviced by simply swapping units, making maintenance safer and more straightforward for facility personnel.
4Reliability
If heavy recessed light fixtures are used, then ceiling-mounted decontamination is achieved, but additional ceiling support is required
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire is designed as a lighter-weight modular unit that can be easily replaced rather than permanently installed. This approach allows use of lighter materials and construction that would not be suitable for permanent heavy-duty ceiling mounting, reducing the need for additional ceiling support infrastructure while maintaining effective decontamination function through the self-contained modular design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively decontaminates airborne pathogens without leaving residues, enhances safety during maintenance, and provides efficient room lighting and air purification, reducing the risk of infections in healthcare settings.
Implementation Method 1
UV light used to destroy bacteria and other pathogens is typically below 390 nm (although any light below 400 nm is considered UV light). Non-visible, Ultraviolet C or Germicidal light source technology is known to destroy the DNA or ability of bacteria and other pathogens to reproduce.
Implementation Method 2
This self-contained decontamination light fixture is designed to kill airborne pathogens that enter into the light fixture's internal decontamination chamber. The system may be mounted to walls or surfaces, preferably above hospital beds, or in other similar areas and in other facilities, that will allow the system to draw room air from the room, and preferably from directly above bed and the patient, or other areas of concern, and into the unit's decontamination chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling, wall- or surface-mounted light fixture with a housing containing one or more external visible light sources to illuminate the space where the light fixture is mounted, one or more emitters inside or outside the housing to destroy bacteria, viruses, and pathogens in area inside or outside the housing, and one or more fans inside the housing that recirculate the air in a space and subject the air to bacteria, viruses, and pathogen-destroying influence inside the housing, destroying bacteria, viruses, and pathogens in the air passing though the housing.