Ultraviolet Light Irradiation Sheet for Complex Shapes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultraviolet light sterilization systems are limited by the shape of the object to be sterilized, requiring it to be confined in an enclosed space or have a flat shape to ensure effective irradiation, which restricts the types of objects that can be sterilized.
Innovation Solution
An ultraviolet light irradiation sheet incorporating optical fibers that emit light from its surface, allowing it to conform to complex shapes and prevent light from being directed elsewhere, thus enabling sterilization without the need for a closed space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultraviolet light is used to sterilize the surface of an object, then sterilization effect is improved, but objects with complex shapes cannot be fully sterilized due to shading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible sheet incorporating optical fibers that can conform to complex object surfaces. The sheet is deformable and can wrap around irregular shapes, ensuring ultraviolet light reaches all surfaces including shaded areas, thus resolving the limitation of rigid flat irradiation sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the ultraviolet light source into multiple optical fibers distributed throughout the sheet. This segmentation allows light to be emitted from multiple points across the sheet surface, ensuring comprehensive coverage of complex object geometries and eliminating shading effects.
2Reliability
If airflow is applied to move bacteria and viruses for sterilization, then decontamination is improved, but bacteria and viruses may spread to other areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for airflow entirely by using direct ultraviolet light irradiation from the flexible sheet. Optical fibers emit ultraviolet light that directly inactivates pathogens on contact, eliminating the harmful side effect of pathogen spread that occurs with airflow-based methods.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an enclosed space is formed for sterilization, then pathogen spread is prevented, but the object must be smaller than the irradiation unit or have a flat shape
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible deformable sheet can conform to objects of any size or shape without requiring an enclosed space. The sheet wraps around the object, bringing ultraviolet light sources into close proximity with all surfaces, thereby containing the treatment zone to only the object being sterilized regardless of its dimensions or geometry.
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 sheet can effectively sterilize objects of any shape by radiating ultraviolet light from its surface, preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses through airflow and ensuring thorough disinfection without the constraints of shape or space.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fiber which emits a supplied ultraviolet light
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet light irradiation sheet that can be decontaminated regardless of a shape of an object to be decontaminated. An ultraviolet light irradiation sheet (50) includes an optical fiber (20) which emits a part of propagating light from a side surface or an end surface; and a deformable sheet (10) which incorporates the optical fiber (20). The ultraviolet light irradiation sheet uniformly or partially irradiates ultraviolet light from a sheet surface. Therefore, by covering the object to be sterilized with the ultraviolet light irradiation sheet, a material having a complicated shape or an amorphous shape can be irradiated with the ultraviolet light without making a shade. Since the ultraviolet light irradiation sheet does not diffuse bacteria and viruses by wind, the sterilization of the object to be sterilized can be performed without forming a closed space.