Multispectral UV Disinfection Lighting with Pulsed UV-C Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disinfection systems struggle to effectively inactivate pathogens, particularly viruses, in occupied spaces while ensuring safety for human occupants by maintaining UV-C exposure below regulatory limits.
Innovation Solution
A multispectral light source system that includes UV-C and non-UV-C light sources, controlled by electronics to emit light at specific wavelengths and doses, ensuring at least 90% pathogen inactivation within 8 hours while keeping actinic dose below safety thresholds, and utilizing occupancy sensors to adjust light intensity based on environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If UV-C light is emitted continuously at high intensity to achieve rapid pathogen inactivation, then disinfection efficacy is improved, but human safety is compromised due to excessive actinic dose exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic pulsing of UV-C light sources, where the light is emitted in intermittent pulses rather than continuously. This allows the system to deliver high peak intensities for pathogen inactivation while maintaining the average actinic dose below safety thresholds for human occupancy. The pulse duration and frequency are controlled to achieve both disinfection efficacy and safety compliance.
2Productivity
If UV-C light is emitted at high intensity to achieve 90% pathogen inactivation within 8 hours, then disinfection speed is improved, but surface discoloration increases
Solution Approach 1:
By using periodic pulsing instead of continuous emission, the patent reduces the cumulative exposure time of surfaces to UV-C radiation. The intermittent nature of the pulses allows surfaces to partially recover between exposures, minimizing photo-degradation and discoloration while still achieving the required 90% pathogen inactivation within the 8-hour window.
3Reliability
If UV-C light sources operate continuously to maintain disinfection efficacy, then pathogen inactivation is ensured, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic pulsing operation allows UV-C light sources to be turned off during intervals between pulses, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation. The system maintains disinfection effectiveness by delivering high-intensity pulses at strategically timed intervals that are sufficient to inactivate pathogens while minimizing total energy usage.
4Productivity
If multiple light sources with different wavelengths are used to achieve multispectral disinfection, then pathogen inactivation efficacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple light sources with different emission wavelengths (including UV-C, UV-A, and visible wavelengths) into a single integrated luminaire or fixture assembly. This merging approach achieves multispectral disinfection benefits while consolidating control electronics and simplifying installation and maintenance, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the multiple wavelength components.
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
Achieves rapid and effective pathogen inactivation in occupied environments by pulsing UV-C light to maintain safety standards, reducing surface discoloration and energy consumption, and optimizing disinfection efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of light sources (e.g., outputting in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared range, or more generally outputting non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation) with different disinfection peak wavelengths where each disinfection peak wavelength is effective for disinfection
Implementation Method 2
the irradiation of the light emitted into the environment for human occupancy by the multispectral light source is effective to achieve at least 90% inactivation of the one or more pathogens in the environment within 8 hours or less
Data Source
AI summary
A multispectral light source for disinfection is disclosed, including a plurality of light sources with different disinfection peak wavelengths and electronics. Each disinfection peak wavelength is effective for disinfection, and the electronics are configured to drive the plurality of light sources to emit light at the different disinfection peak wavelengths. In a specific embodiment, multispectral light source includes one or more UV-C light sources emitting ultraviolet light in a UV-C range, and one or more UV-A light sources emitting ultraviolet light in a UV-A range. The multispectral light source optionally may further include one or more white light sources emitting white light providing illumination. In a disinfection method, light in the UV-C range is emitted into an occupied space, and light outside of the UV-C range that is effective for inactivating at least one target pathogen is also emitted, optionally simultaneously, into the occupied space.