UV-C LED Power Control Using mmWave Distance Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UV-C disinfection systems risk exposing unintended living organisms to harmful irradiance levels while maintaining effective disinfection of intended organisms, as they lack real-time adjustment mechanisms to ensure safe UV-C exposure limits.
Innovation Solution
A system using mmWave sensors to measure distance and adjust UV-C LED power levels dynamically based on proximity, incorporating a controller and fail-safe mechanisms to maintain safe UV-C irradiance levels, ensuring compliance with actinic dosage limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If UV-C LED operates at high power level for effective disinfection, then disinfection effectiveness is improved, but risk of harmful exposure to living organisms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UV-C LED power level is dynamically adjusted based on real-time distance measurements from living organisms. The controller continuously monitors distance and modifies power output accordingly, transitioning from static high-power operation to dynamic adaptive power control, resolving the contradiction between maintaining disinfection effectiveness and preventing harmful exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the sensor detects living organisms and their distance, the controller processes this information, and the UV-C LED power is adjusted in response. This closed-loop control ensures disinfection effectiveness is maintained while automatically reducing exposure risk when organisms are detected within safe distances
Solution Approach 3:
The system changes the power level parameter of the UV-C LED based on measured distance. By dynamically modifying this critical parameter in response to environmental conditions, the system maintains optimal disinfection performance while preventing harmful exposure to living organisms
2Reliability
If real-time distance measurement and power adjustment system is implemented, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A controller acts as an intermediary between the sensor and UV-C LED, managing the complexity of real-time distance measurement and power adjustment. This intermediary component coordinates the sensor inputs and LED outputs, improving safety while containing system complexity within a dedicated control unit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual monitoring and adjustment mechanisms with automated sensor-based detection and electronic power control. This substitution of mechanical/manual systems with automated electronic systems improves safety through continuous monitoring while managing complexity through integration
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
Ensures safe UV-C exposure by continuously adjusting power levels to maintain actinic dosage limits, preventing overexposure and ensuring effective disinfection without harm to living organisms.
Implementation Method 1
a mmWave sensor configured to measure the distance between the sensor and a living organism
Implementation Method 2
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is electromagnetic irradiance with a wavelength falling between 100 nm and 400 nm. It is split into four spectral areas. One of those spectral areas, UV-C, rests between 200 to 280 nm. This range is lethal for microorganisms, as it is strongly absorbed by the nucleic acids of a microorganism.
Implementation Method 3
the controller uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques to adjust the power supplied to the UV-C LED
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling a UV-C LED comprising a biological characteristic and/or recognition presence sensor, configured to measure the distance between the sensor and a living organism, and a controller programmed to receive the measured distance and calculate an adjusted power level for the UV-C LED based on the measured distance to maintain a predetermined safe UV-C irradiance level. The controller employs a dynamic adjustment algorithm to determine the adjusted power level of the UV-C LED to ensure that the UV-C irradiance remains below a maximum allowable exposure level as the living organism's distance changes. The dynamic adjustment algorithm comprises a representing a safety distance within which the UV-C LED should be deactivated to ensure safety. The controller may utilize the micro-Doppler effect to allow for a precise and reliable means for detecting and analyzing micro-scale movements that may be associated with breathing and heartbeat.