In an exclusive zoom call yesterday with Tom Boyle and James Benson of GE Current, a Daintree Company, your humble editor learned of an exciting new product for UVC disinfection. Boyle is the CTO and unveiled that they are developing a 255-nanometer device used for continuous disinfection.
We saw a picture of the 365DisInFx™ LPU and it is about the size and shape of a smoke alarm. It will mount to an 8-12 foot ceiling height on four foot centers. The cool feature that blew me away was that the power is below the IEC 62471 levels and that allows for continuous disinfecting with people present. This is huge, because my concern about UV-C is the misuse and misapplication in the field. Being under the IEC 62471 threshold greatly reduces the chance of injury. Most 254nm devices are used in HVAC units, upper room air devices or unoccupied spaces.
The LPU emits invisible light (even though that is an oxymoron) but there is an LED indicator to show the device is energized. The design is very smart as they are not trying to mix the disinfection wavelength with visible light, so the layout is a breeze. We hear complaints from lighting designers that try to design with a hybrid device having to balance the correct amount of UV (irradiance) with the right level of lumens (footcandles.) The simplicity of the LPU is brilliant.
The testing is ongoing by a third party and it is designed to kill SARS, the virus that causes COVID-19. GE Current is not announcing the exact wattage, but we are told it is a very low number.
Patents have been filed and GE Current plans for a fourth quarter launch. Look for the press release later today.
Developing…