Lighting device that deactivates dangerous pathogens while providing visually appealing light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for deactivating pathogens in environments, such as healthcare settings and food processing facilities, are either labor-intensive, temporarily effective, or involve toxic substances like UV-light and ozone, which pose risks to humans and limit usage.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device equipped with LEDs emitting disinfecting light across specific wavelength ranges (380-420 nm, 460-480 nm, 530-580 nm, and 600-650 nm) that combines to form visible light, ensuring effective pathogen deactivation while maintaining a safe and aesthetically pleasing illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV-light and ozone are used for pathogen control, then pathogen deactivation is effective, but the method becomes toxic to humans and requires sealing off environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameters of light emission to include visible spectrum ranges (460-480nm blue, 530-580nm green, 600-650nm red) combined with UV-C (380-420nm), transforming the harmful UV-only approach into a multi-wavelength solution that maintains pathogen deactivation while adding visually appealing visible light that is safe for human exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite light emission by combining multiple LED types emitting at different wavelengths (UV-C, blue, green, red) into a single integrated lighting device, creating a composite light output that simultaneously achieves disinfection and aesthetic illumination without toxic side effects
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hygiene methods are used for pathogen control, then the method is safe for humans, but it becomes labor-intensive and only temporarily effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual hygiene practices (mechanical cleaning actions) with an automated optical system using multi-wavelength LEDs that continuously deactivate pathogens without human intervention, providing both safety and sustained effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device provides self-sustaining pathogen deactivation by emitting multiple wavelengths simultaneously, creating a continuous protective effect that maintains environmental safety without requiring external human action or intervention
3Reliability
If UV-light is used for pathogen control, then pathogen deactivation is effective, but the environment must be sealed off and cannot be used during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the light emission parameters to include visible spectrum wavelengths alongside UV-C, creating a safe illumination environment that allows continuous operation without requiring environmental sealing or shutdown, thus maintaining both effectiveness and operational availability
4Reliability
If multiple wavelength ranges are combined in LEDs, then pathogen deactivation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple LED components emitting at different wavelengths (UV-C, blue, green, red) into a single integrated lighting device with unified housing and mounting structure, achieving enhanced pathogen deactivation while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through consolidation
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 a continuous and effective means to deactivate pathogens without disrupting normal operations, ensuring a safe and non-toxic environment by delivering sufficient disinfecting doses while maintaining visually appealing light.
Implementation Method 1
one or more first light-emitting elements including one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths
Implementation Method 2
The disinfecting light produced by the LEDs and the disinfecting light produced by the second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light being visible light other than white light
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting system configured to provide light and disinfect air in an environment. The lighting system includes an HVAC unit configured to provide air to the environment, and a lighting device configured to deactivate microorganisms in the air. The lighting device includes a housing, means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment, one or more first light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths, and one or more second light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths. The disinfecting light produced by the first light-emitting elements and the disinfecting light produced by the second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light being visible light other than white light.