Lighting device that deactivates dangerous pathogens while providing visually appealing light

Abstract

A lighting device configured to deactivate pathogens in an environment. The lighting device includes a housing, means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment, one or more first light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths, and one or more second light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths. The disinfecting light produced by the first light-emitting elements and the disinfecting light produced by the second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light being visible light other than white light.

1 . A lighting device configured to deactivate pathogens in an environment, the lighting device comprising:
 one or more light-emitting elements configured to each produce light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths; and   one or more light converting elements,   wherein at least a first component of the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements travels through the one or more light converting elements without alteration, and at least a second component of light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements is converted by the one or more light converting elements into converted light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths;   wherein either the first component of the light or the converted light produced by the lighting device is a disinfecting light having a minimum integrated irradiance of 0.01 mW/cm 2  measured from any unshielded point in the environment that is 1.5 m from any point on any external-most luminous surface of the lighting device, and wherein the first component of the light and the converted light mix to form a combined visible light.   
     
     
         2 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the combined visible light includes white light having u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that lie within an area that is bounded (i) vertically between 0.035 Duv below and 0.035 Duv above a planckian locus defined by the ANSI C78.377-2015 color standard, and (ii) horizontally between a correlated color temperature (CCT) isoline of between approximately 1500K and 7000K. 
     
     
         3 . The lighting device of  claim 2 , wherein the area is bounded vertically between 0.007 Duv below and 0.007 Duv above the planckian locus. 
     
     
         4 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the one or more light converting elements comprise one or more light converting phosphor coatings. 
     
     
         5 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the one or more light converting elements comprise one or more light converting phosphor elements arranged remotely from the one or more light-emitting elements. 
     
     
         6 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising a means for creating air convection proximate to the lighting device. 
     
     
         7 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum integrated irradiance is equal to 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 or 0.30 mW/cm 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the combined visible light has a color rendering index of at least 70. 
     
     
         9 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein the one or more light-emitting elements and the one or more light converting elements are contained within the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The lighting device of  claim 9 , further comprising a communication module disposed within the housing and configured to communicatively connect the lighting device to one or more other lighting devices in the environment. 
     
     
         11 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , wherein the disinfecting light includes light having a wavelength of about 405 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for maintaining a junction temperature of the one or more light-emitting elements below a maximum operating temperature of the one or more light-emitting elements, and   means for directing the combined visible light.   
     
     
         13 . The lighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising another one or more light-emitting elements configured to each produce further disinfecting light. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 deactivating pathogens in an environment via a lighting device, the lighting device comprising one or more light-emitting elements configured to each produce light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths, and one or more light converting elements, wherein at least a first component of the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements travels through the one or more light converting elements without alteration, and at least a second component of light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements is converted by the one or more light converting elements into converted light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths, wherein either the first component of the light or the converted light produced by the lighting device is a disinfecting light having a minimum integrated irradiance of 0.01 mW/cm 2  measured from any unshielded point in the environment that is 1.5 m from any point on any external-most luminous surface of the lighting device, and wherein the first component of the light and the converted light mix to form a combined visible light.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the combined visible light includes white light having u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that lie within an area that is bounded (i) vertically between 0.035 Duv below and 0.035 Duv above a planckian locus defined by the ANSI C78.377-2015 color standard, and (ii) horizontally between a correlated color temperature (CCT) isoline of between approximately 1500K and 7000K. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the area is bounded vertically between 0.007 Duv below and 0.007 Duv above the planckian locus. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein one or more of the one or more light converting elements comprise one or more light converting phosphor coatings. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein one or more of the one or more light converting elements comprise one or more light converting phosphor elements arranged remotely from the one or more light-emitting elements. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lighting device further comprises:
 a housing, wherein the one or more light-emitting elements and the one or more light converting elements are contained within the housing; and   a communication module disposed within the housing and configured to communicatively connect the lighting device to one or more other lighting devices in the environment.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lighting device further comprises means for creating air convection proximate to the lighting device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the disinfecting light includes light having a wavelength of about 405 nm. 
     
     
         22 . A lighting system configured to deactivate pathogens in an environment, the lighting system comprising:
 an HVAC unit configured to provide air to the environment; and   a lighting device configured to deactivate pathogens in the environment, the lighting device comprising:
 a housing; 
 means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment; 
 one or more light-emitting elements contained within the housing, the one or more light-emitting elements configured to each produce light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths; and 
 one or more light converting elements contained within the housing, 
 wherein at least a first component of the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements travels through the one or more light converting elements without alteration, and at least a second component of light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements is converted by the one or more light converting elements into converted light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths; 
 wherein either the first component of the light or the converted light produced by the lighting device is a disinfecting light having a minimum integrated irradiance of 0.01 mW/cm 2  measured from any unshielded point in the environment that is 1.5 m from any point on any external-most luminous surface of the lighting device, and wherein the first component of the light and the converted light mix to form a combined visible light. 
   
     
     
         23 . The lighting system of  claim 22 , wherein the combined visible light includes white light having u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that lie within an area that is bounded (i) vertically between 0.035 Duv below and 0.035 Duv above a planckian locus defined by the ANSI C78.377-2015 color standard, and (ii) horizontally between a correlated color temperature (CCT) isoline of between approximately 1500K and 7000K. 
     
     
         24 . The lighting system of  claim 22 , further comprising means for heating air proximate to the lighting device to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the air provided by the HVAC unit, to thereby create an air convection current proximate to the lighting device.