Occupancy-Based UV Disinfection Control for Patient Rooms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual operation of UV lights for disinfection in healthcare settings is cumbersome and inefficient, posing safety risks due to inadvertent exposure, and existing systems fail to effectively address healthcare-associated infections by not optimizing UV light operation based on real-time occupant density.
Innovation Solution
A building automation system incorporating occupancy sensors, a disinfection environment tracking engine, and a UV light control engine that generates real-time occupancy data to determine occupant density and automatically control UV light operation in susceptible environments, such as patient rooms, to optimize disinfection efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation of UV lights is used for disinfection, then disinfection can be performed, but operation becomes cumbersome and safety risks arise due to inadvertent exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables UV lights to operate autonomously by integrating occupancy sensors, control engines, and scheduling systems that automatically activate or deactivate UV lights based on detected occupancy status, eliminating manual operation and associated safety risks
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors occupancy status through sensors and provides real-time feedback to the control engine, which adjusts UV light operation accordingly - activating when areas are unoccupied and deactivating when occupancy is detected, thereby preventing inadvertent exposure
2Reliability
If UV lights are operated continuously for disinfection, then disinfection effectiveness increases, but energy consumption increases and safety risks arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts UV light operation based on real-time occupancy conditions, scheduling activation during unoccupied periods and deactivation during occupied periods, optimizing the balance between disinfection effectiveness and energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic disinfection cycles aligned with occupancy patterns, activating UV lights during scheduled unoccupied time windows to achieve adequate disinfection while minimizing energy consumption and eliminating continuous operation
3Productivity
If UV lights are activated without occupancy detection, then disinfection efficiency improves, but safety hazards occur due to inadvertent exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary occupancy detection through sensors before activating UV lights, ensuring areas are confirmed unoccupied prior to disinfection activation, thereby maximizing disinfection efficiency while preventing safety hazards
Solution Approach 2:
The control engine acts as an intermediary between occupancy sensors and UV lights, processing occupancy data and making intelligent decisions about UV activation timing to achieve both high disinfection efficiency and safety
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 system reduces healthcare-associated infections by optimizing UV light exposure based on real-time occupant density, enhancing disinfection efficiency, and ensuring safety by automatically deactivating UV lights when areas are occupied, thereby reducing manual operation inefficiencies and safety risks.
Implementation Method 1
ultraviolet (UV) lights to disinfect the area
Data Source
AI summary
A building automation system may control ultraviolet lights to intelligently disinfect susceptible environments based on occupant density. The system comprises multiple occupancy sensors, a disinfection environment tracking engine, and an ultraviolet light control engine. The multiple occupancy sensors generate real time occupancy data associated with multiple objects detected within an area. The disinfection environment tracking engine determines real time occupant density of the multiple objects detected within the area based on the real time occupancy data generated by the multiple occupancy sensors. The ultraviolet light control engine controls operation of one or more ultraviolet lights to disinfect the area based on the real time occupant density determined by the disinfection environment tracking engine.