Mobile UV-C Light Device for Pathogen Elimination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling cryptogamic diseases in plants, such as fungal infections, often require lengthy exposure to UV-C light, which can be harmful and hinder crop development, and there is a need for environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternatives to phytopharmaceutical products.
Innovation Solution
A mobile light exposure device that delivers UV-C light pulses of specific wavelengths (200-750 nm) for short durations (four seconds or less) to plant material, allowing for targeted disinfection without adverse effects on growth or the environment, using a module for emitting light pulses and adjusting optical power density, and a means of locomotion for easy application in various settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV-C light exposure is used to eliminate pathogens on plant surfaces, then pathogen elimination effectiveness is improved, but exposure time must be extended which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using pulsed UV-C light exposure instead of continuous exposure. The device delivers high-intensity UV-C pulses at specific intervals, concentrating the pathogen-killing effect into brief moments while allowing longer intervals for plant recovery and maintaining higher overall processing speed. This pulsed approach maintains pathogen elimination effectiveness while reducing total exposure time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of light delivery from continuous low-intensity exposure to pulsed high-intensity exposure. By altering the temporal distribution of UV-C energy (delivering it in concentrated pulses rather than continuously), the system achieves the same or better pathogen elimination in shorter total time, thereby resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and productivity.
2Reliability
If high doses of UV-C radiation are applied to ensure effective disinfection, then pathogen elimination is improved, but harmful effects on plant development increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsed delivery of UV-C radiation allows high doses to be administered in brief intervals followed by recovery periods. This periodic action enables the plant to withstand higher total doses without continuous stress, achieving effective disinfection while allowing plant tissues to recover between pulses, thereby reducing cumulative harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent rushes through the pathogen elimination process by delivering high-intensity UV-C pulses that quickly inactivate pathogens before they can cause damage. This rapid action skips over the prolonged exposure period that would otherwise cause gradual plant damage, achieving disinfection effectiveness while minimizing the window of harmful exposure.
3Reliability
If conventional UV-C treatment methods are used, then pathogen control is achieved, but the treatment time of several minutes per application reduces ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsed UV-C treatment method reduces each application to brief intervals, making it much easier to operate in the field. The short pulse duration means applications can be completed quickly and moved between crops or areas, increasing the frequency and flexibility of application without compromising disease control effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent rushes through the treatment application process by delivering the full therapeutic dose in rapid pulses rather than prolonged exposure. This allows operators to complete treatments quickly and move to the next area, significantly improving ease of operation and enabling more frequent applications across larger areas.
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 effectively reduces and eradicates pathogens on plant surfaces, limiting disease development while being safe for plant growth, with reduced UV-C application time and increased curative effects compared to conventional treatments, without causing physiological damage.
Implementation Method 1
UV-C radiation has been known for many years to have inhibiting and damaging effects on organisms. In plants, the lethal effect of UV-C doses on pathogens present on the surface of fresh fruit and vegetables has been successfully used to control post-harvest diseases
Data Source
AI summary
A movable device for exposing to light with a view to eliminating pathogens has a first module for emitting light pulses that includes a panel for treating with light and has a second module for adjusting the optical power density of the treating panel and a means of locomotion allowing the device to be moved. The optical power density of the light panel allows a radiation dose between 250 J/m2 and 2000 J/m2 to be applied to the surface of plant matter. The light pulses delivered to the plant matter have identical or different wavelengths between 200 nm and 750 nm (UV-C, UV-B, UV-A, visible light) and the exposure times are shorter than or equal to four seconds.