Elevator UV-C Sterilization With Occupancy Sensing and Dose Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sterilizing enclosed environments like elevator cars are ineffective, hazardous, or impractical due to issues with topical antiseptics, gas disinfection, and the lack of safe UV-C technology deployment outside self-contained systems.
Innovation Solution
An automated elevator car sterilizer using UV-C generators with motion/weight/heat sensors to ensure occupancy, UV-C sensors to measure reflected doses, and logic to calculate sterilization time based on darkest areas, ensuring all surfaces receive a bactericidal dose without direct exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas disinfection is used, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but safety hazards and environmental harm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical gas disinfection with a physical UV-C irradiation system. UV-C generators emit ultraviolet light at 253.7 nm wavelength that directly destroys microbial DNA/RNA, achieving sterilization without chemical toxins. This substitution eliminates formaldehyde gas hazards while maintaining sterilization effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls UV-C irradiation parameters including intensity (10-100 μW/cm²), exposure time (1-30 minutes), and wavelength (253.7 nm) to optimize sterilization while ensuring safety. Sensors monitor these parameters in real-time to prevent over-exposure and ensure effective pathogen elimination.
2Productivity
If UV-C generators are used, then sterilization speed is improved, but safety risks from direct exposure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary occupancy detection using motion sensors, weight sensors, and heat sensors before activating UV-C generators. This ensures the space is unoccupied prior to sterilization, preventing direct human exposure to harmful UV-C radiation while enabling rapid sterilization upon activation.
Solution Approach 2:
UV-C sensors continuously monitor the irradiation field intensity and provide feedback to the control system. The system adjusts generator operation based on real-time sensor data, shutting down immediately if occupancy is detected during sterilization, thus preventing harmful exposure while maintaining sterilization effectiveness.
3Area of stationary object
If reflected UV-C dosing is used, then coverage of all surfaces is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses UV-C reflective paint as an intermediary medium applied to elevator surfaces. This paint reflects UV-C light uniformly, ensuring all surfaces receive adequate irradiation dose. Sensors detect the reflected UV-C from the paint to verify dosing completeness, simplifying measurement compared to direct surface monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-C reflective paint changes optical properties under UV-C irradiation, reflecting characteristic wavelengths that sensors can detect. This color/optical change provides a measurable signal for verifying surface coverage and dosing adequacy without complex measurement systems.
4Ease of operation
If topical antiseptics are used, then ease of application is improved, but antibiotic resistance induction and electronic damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical antiseptic application with physical UV-C irradiation. The UV-C system achieves sterilization through light-based microbial destruction without contacting surfaces with liquid disinfectants, thereby preventing antibiotic resistance induction and avoiding damage to electronic components like buttons and control panels.
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 sterilizes elevator surfaces by reducing pathogen counts by 99.9% in one minute and achieving complete sterilization in 10 minutes, while ensuring safety through occupancy detection and reflective paints, without residual toxins or environmental harm.
Implementation Method 1
UV-C generators, such as a bank of mercury bulbs, generate intense levels of UV-C
Implementation Method 2
UV-C light has been long used for disinfection and sterilization... UV-C is a high frequency wavelength of light within the ultraviolet band and has been shown to be the most bactericidal type of ultraviolet light
Implementation Method 3
motion detectors sense movement, or weight sensors sense weight or heat sensors sense heat to assure that occupants have evacuated the space to be sterilized
Implementation Method 4
an array of UV-C sensors scan the elevator car and determine the darkest area, or the area reflecting the lowest level of UV-C back to the sensors
Data Source
AI summary
An ultraviolet anti-pathogen device for an elevator car is disclosed. The device includes occupant sensors, such as motion detectors to sense movement, weight sensors to sense the presence of occupants, or head sensors to sense the presence of occupants to assure that occupants have evacuated the car prior to sterilization or sanitization. Subsequently, UV-C generators, such as a bank of mercury bulbs, generate intense levels of UV-C. An array of multiple UV-C sensors scan the car, and determine the darkest area, or the area reflecting the lowest level of UV-C back to the sensors. A set of controllers contained in the device calculates the time required to obtain a bactericidal dose of UV-C reflected back from darkest area. Once a bactericidal dose has been reflected to all the sensors, the unit shuts down.