Description
UV-C allows hospital staff to easily and confidently disinfect patient rooms, intensive care units, operating rooms, emergency rooms, and long-term care facilities. The UVC disinfection robot deconstructs the DNA of deadly pathogens and common healthcare-associated infection culprits that may compromise patient outcomes. What is UVC light, and how does it kill germs? WHAT IS UV LIGHT? Ultraviolet (UV) light is a form of light, invisible to the human eye, that exists on the electromagnetic spectrum between X-rays and visible light. We are exposed to low levels of UV light from the sun’s rays every day, although much of the UV energy is absorbed by the ozone layer. WHY USE UVC LIGHT TO DISINFECT? UVC wavelengths are between 200 and 300 nanometers, making them germicidal – meaning they are capable of inactivating microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. This quality makes UVC energy an effective, environmentally-friendly, and chemical-free way to prevent microorganisms from replicating in any environment, but especially in hospitals. HOW DOES UVC DESTROY GERMS? The high energy from short wavelength UVC light is absorbed in the cellular RNA and DNA, damaging nucleic acids and preventing microorganisms from infecting and reproducing. This absorption of UVC energy forms new bonds between nucleotides, creating double bonds or “dimers.” The dimerization of molecules, particularly thymine, is the most common type of damage incurred by UVC light in microorganisms. Formation of thymine dimers in the DNA of bacteria and viruses prevents replication and the ability to infect. WHAT TYPE OF UV LIGHT IS GERMICIDAL? There are three UV light wavelength categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UV-MAX produces UVC, the only wavelength known to be germicidal. UVC utilizes short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (shorter than UVB and UVA, which are NOT germicidal) that is harmful to microorganisms. Broad Spectrum UV disinfection often claims to be more effective than short-wavelength UVC, but ultimately wastes a considerable amount of energy with no documented increase in effectiveness – only short-wavelength UVC produces the amount of energy necessary to kill microorganisms. Q: Is UV-C disinfection strictly line of sight? A: Yes, it needs to shine on the surface to disinfect. It will not go around objects or disinfect shadowed areas. _______ Q: Does UV-C light reflect off surfaces? A: Yes, it reflects off many surfaces, but loses intensity dramatically if the surface is not highly polished like the Stainless-Steel center installed on our unit or an engineered surface for UV-C reflection. Certain paints today are also developed to reflect UV-C up to 60%. _______ Q: Why does the unit turn off when I enter the room? A: Safety features turn off lamps based on detection by the PIR sensor. _______ Q: Does UV-C light go through glass or windows? A: Standard window glass blocks almost 100% of UV-C light according to the IUVA. (Normal glass, as used in a window, is transparent to UV radiation to a wavelength of about 330 nm (UV-A). The transparency is quite high so almost all UV-A light will pass through glass. Below 330 nm (UV-B and UV-C), almost 100% is blocked by normal glass. _______ Q: What is a PIR (Passive Infrared) Sensor? A: Passive InfraRed sensors (PIRs) are electronic devices which are used in some security alarm systems to detect motion of an infrared emitting source, usually a human body. Radiation (energy) is invisible to the human eye but can be detected by electronic devices designed for such a purpose. The term ‘passive’ in this instance means the PIR does not emit any energy of any type but merely sits ‘passive’ accepting infrared energy through the ‘window’ in its housing. An intruder entering the protected area is detected when the infrared energy emitted from the intruder’s body is focused by a Fresnel lens or a mirror segment and overlaps a section on the chip which had previously been looking at some much cooler part of the protected area. That portion of the chip is now much warmer than when the intruder wasn’t there. As the intruder moves, so does the hot spot on the surface of the chip. This moving hot spot causes the electronics connected to the chip to de-energize the relay, operating its contacts, thereby activating the detection input on the alarm control panel. _______ Q: Can I use an ATP Meter with the UV-MAX A: Yes, it can be used to measure how clean a surface is after treatment. _______ Q: Can I use a response card with the UV-MAX? A: Yes, it can be used to indicate the correct dosage (intensity x time x distance) has been applied to a surface
Effective, efficient and safe for use for high-level disinfection.
OTHER COMMONLY ASKED APPLICATION QUESTIONS
