UV Light Source with Movable Mirror for Wide-Area Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultraviolet light-based systems for inactivating bacteria and viruses in living and working spaces have limitations, including partial irradiation coverage and safety risks due to the need for manual adjustment of light direction and potential human exposure to UV light, especially when using wavelengths like 254 nm.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus using a light source emitting ultraviolet light with a peak wavelength between 190 nm and 240 nm, combined with an irradiation direction changing mechanism and a driving unit, allowing for wide-area irradiation while minimizing human exposure by using safer UV wavelengths and reducing intensity in harmful ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultraviolet light with wavelength around 254 nm is used for inactivation treatment, then inactivation effectiveness is improved, but safety risk to human body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of ultraviolet light from the conventional 254 nm to a shorter wavelength range of 190-240 nm. This parameter change maintains the inactivation effectiveness while reducing the safety risk to human body, as shorter wavelength UV light is less harmful to human tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful ultraviolet light into a beneficial tool by carefully selecting the wavelength range. By using UV light at 190-240 nm instead of 254 nm, the harmful effects on human body are reduced while the inactivation capability is preserved, thus converting a harmful factor into a beneficial one.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fixed direction irradiation is used to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but irradiation coverage area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable mirror that can dynamically change the irradiation direction of ultraviolet light. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to cover a wider area by directing light to different regions while maintaining safety through controlled movement and timing, rather than being fixed in one direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of time and spatial flexibility by using a movable mirror to change irradiation directions. Instead of a single fixed direction, the system can irradiate multiple directions sequentially, effectively expanding the coverage area without compromising safety through uncontrolled exposure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment of irradiation direction is required, then adaptability is improved, but operation complexity and safety risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic control of the movable mirror through a control unit that autonomously adjusts the irradiation direction. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual adjustment, reducing operation complexity while maintaining adaptability. The system automatically navigates the mirror to appropriate positions for effective inactivation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment with an automated control system. The movable mirror is controlled by a drive unit that responds to control signals, substituting human operation with an automated electromechanical system. This reduces operation complexity and eliminates safety risks associated with manual adjustment near UV light sources.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If partial region irradiation is used to minimize human exposure, then safety is improved, but inactivation completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action by sequentially irradiating different regions of the space over time. The movable mirror directs UV light to various areas in a systematic sequence, ensuring complete coverage of all surfaces and air spaces. This periodic multi-directional irradiation achieves complete inactivation while minimizing human exposure by controlling the timing and direction of light emission.
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 effectively inactivates bacteria and viruses across a wide area while ensuring safety by using UV wavelengths that are safer for humans, reducing photoreactivation, and maintaining effectiveness even with intermittent irradiation.
Implementation Method 1
a light source unit that emits ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength within a wavelength range of 190 nm or more and less than 240 nm
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for inactivating bacteria or viruses in a space, the apparatus includes a light source unit that emits ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength within a wavelength range of 190 nm or more and less than 240 nm, an irradiation region changing mechanism that changes an irradiation direction of the ultraviolet light of the light source unit, and a driving unit that drives the irradiation region changing mechanism to change the irradiation direction of the ultraviolet light of the light source unit.