UV Irradiation System Optical Switch Time-Division Multiplexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultraviolet light irradiation systems face challenges with economic efficiency, versatility, and operability, particularly in achieving uniform sterilization across multiple sites with minimal loss of ultraviolet power and ensuring constant sterilization effects.
Innovation Solution
An ultraviolet light irradiation system employing an optical switch to distribute ultraviolet light via optical fibers, with a switching control unit that adjusts the light path based on transmission loss and irradiation area to ensure equal light distribution across multiple sites, and incorporates sensors to avoid obstacles and ensure safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a beam splitter is used in P-MP configuration to distribute ultraviolet light to multiple sites, then the system can sterilize multiple locations simultaneously, but excessive loss accumulates in multistage configurations making it difficult to obtain sufficient ultraviolet power
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the multistage beam splitter configuration into multiple single-stage optical switch configurations. Each optical switch handles one branching point, eliminating the cumulative loss of multiple beam splitter stages while still enabling distribution to multiple sites through sequential switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical switch performs periodic switching between different output ports, directing ultraviolet light to each site in sequence. This time-division multiplexing approach allows a single light source to serve multiple sites without the energy loss inherent in simultaneous multistage beam splitting.
2Loss of energy
If optical switches are used to solve excessive loss, then ultraviolet power is maintained, but switching control becomes necessary to ensure constant sterilization effects across multiple sites
Solution Approach 1:
The switching control unit monitors sterilization requirements and adjusts the switching timing and duration for each path based on transmission loss characteristics and irradiation area, ensuring that each site receives adequate ultraviolet exposure despite the sequential switching mechanism.
3Reliability
If high-output ultraviolet light sources are used to ensure sufficient sterilization effect, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but the device becomes large-scale and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the sterilization function across multiple optical paths and time slots, allowing a lower-power light source to achieve the same total sterilization effect by distributing light to multiple sites sequentially rather than requiring high power at all locations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by using time-division multiplexing instead of spatial simultaneous illumination, allowing a single light source to serve multiple functions at different times, thereby reducing the required power level and device size.
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 addresses issues of economic efficiency, versatility, and operability by maintaining consistent sterilization across multiple sites while minimizing ultraviolet power loss and reducing the risk of infection by ensuring continuous sterilization.
Implementation Method 1
an ultraviolet light irradiation system using an optical fiber transmits an ultraviolet ray from a light source using a thin and easily bendable optical fiber
Implementation Method 2
If the optical switch is configured to communicate with any of the plurality of output ports by switching the path of the ultraviolet rays input from one port by a mechanical mechanism (move optical fiber, mirror, prism, and the like) or a mechanism by MEMS
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet light irradiation system and an ultraviolet light irradiation method having a P-MP configuration capable of obtaining a predetermined effect such as sterilization.An ultraviolet light irradiation system 301 according to the present invention includes an ultraviolet light source unit 11 that generates ultraviolet light, N (N is a natural number) irradiation units 13 that irradiate a desired site (irradiation target region ste) with the ultraviolet light, an optical switch 12 that switches the ultraviolet light to each of paths 14 to the irradiation units 13, and a switching control unit 15 that controls a switching operation of the optical switch 12 so as to give an opportunity to be supplied with an integrated light amount per unit time equal for each of the paths 14 on the basis of a transmission loss of the ultraviolet light for each of the paths 14 and an irradiation area where the irradiation unit 13 irradiates the ultraviolet light.