Handheld UV Sanitizer with Segmented Light Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable UV light sanitizers are not designed to safely sanitize a user's own hands and do not effectively sanitize non-skin surfaces, often leading to excessive radiation exposure and inadequate pathogen elimination, especially during pandemics when liquid hand sanitizers are scarce.
Innovation Solution
A portable, handheld UV light sanitizer with an elongate tubular housing that allows for uniform UV radiation of the user's hand and includes safety features such as sensors and switches to prevent excessive radiation, along with a separate UV light source for sanitizing non-skin surfaces, ensuring safe and effective disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If portable UV light sanitizers are designed to radiate surfaces spaced from the user, then surface sanitization capability is improved, but hand sanitization safety deteriorates due to excessive radiation exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into two distinct UV light sources: one for hand sanitization and one for surface sanitization. Each UV source is independently controlled and positioned to serve its specific function, allowing the device to safely perform both hand and surface sanitization without excessive radiation exposure to the user's skin.
2Reliability
If portable UV hand sanitizers are designed to sanitize user's hand, then hand sanitization is improved, but surface sanitization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device achieves multi-functionality by incorporating two UV light sources that can independently sanitize both the user's hand and external surfaces. The first UV source sanitizes the hand when the device is held, while the second UV source sanitizes surfaces spaced from the user, making the device universally applicable for both purposes.
3Reliability
If UV light sources are positioned to sanitize hand, then hand sanitization is improved, but uniform radiation distribution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with a curved outer surface that conforms to the shape of the user's hand. This curvature ensures that the first UV light source, positioned within the housing, radiates UV light uniformly across the entire surface of the user's hand, eliminating shadowed areas and ensuring consistent sanitization effectiveness.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If safety features are added to prevent excessive radiation, then user safety is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A control system acts as an intermediary between the two UV light sources and the user's input. The control system receives input from the user and selectively activates only the appropriate UV source based on the intended function (hand or surface sanitization), preventing excessive radiation exposure while maintaining simple operation for the user.
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
The device provides safe and effective sanitization of both user's hands and non-skin surfaces, reducing the risk of infection by preventing excessive radiation exposure and ensuring uniform disinfection, addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a UV light source within the housing and positioned to uniformly radiate UV light outwardly from the housing and through the light transmittable wall
Data Source
AI summary
A personal, portable, handheld UV light sanitizer (20) having a tubular housing (22) with a UV light source (32) for uniformly radiating a user's hand through a light transmittable outer wall (24) of the housing having a girth and length that enables substantially the entire the exterior surface of the outer wall to be covered by a user's hand when fully grasping the outer wall. A rearward annular wall (41) reduces any rearward light leakage and provides a bearing surface against which the edge of the user's hand may rest to prevent slippage. An annular forward wall (40) reduce forward light leakage and mounts actuation switches (36, 56), remote sensors (58, 60), a status indicator light (61) and an alarm speaker (59). When the skin surface sanitization mode switch (36) is actuated, skin sanitizing UV light radiation (42) radiates the inside of the user's hand for a preselected time period, unless there have previously been an excessive number of past hand sanitization cycles or too little time has passed since the last hand sanitization cycle (FIG. 9). Once energization, it is automatically deenergized after a preselected maximum time period (FIG. 9). Mounted to the front of the forward annular wall is another UV light source (51) that radiates UV light to suspect target surfaces spaced from the user's hand. A range finder (58) helps the user to hold the surface UV light source at the right distance from the target surface for effective sanitization, and energization is immediately terminated in response to an infrared sensor detecting that the surface UV light source is directed at a person's skin.