Ultraviolet Disinfection Device and Method

Abstract

A far-ultraviolet (far-UVC) disinfection device including a light source positioned within a housing and configured to emit a far-UVC light having an output wavelength of between about 206 nanometers to about 230 nanometers. There are one or more subject detection sensors positioned configured to detect the presence of one or more subjects and a controller in communication with the light source and the one or more subject detection sensors. The controller is configured to receive detection data from the one or more subject detection sensors and determine whether one or more subjects are within a range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source. The controller is further configured to cause the light source to emit or cease emitting far-UVC light based on the amount of time one or more subjects are within the range of the emitted. far-UVC light.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A far-ultraviolet (far-UVC) disinfection device comprising:
 a housing;   a light source positioned within the housing and configured to emit a far-UVC light having an output wavelength of between about 206 nanometers to about 230 nanometers;   one or more subject detection sensors positioned within the housing and configured to detect the presence of one or more subjects, the one or more subjects consisting of one or more of human beings, one or more domesticated animals, and one or more farm animals or a combination thereof; and   a controller positioned within the housing and in communication with the light source and the one or more subject detection sensors, the controller configured to:
 receive detection data from the one or more subject detection sensors; 
 determine, based on the received detection data, whether one or more subjects are within a range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source; 
 in response to determining that a subject of the one or more subjects are within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source for a predetermined amount of exposure time, cause the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light; and 
 in response to determining that no subject of the one or more subjects is within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source for the predetermined amount of exposure time, cause the light source to emit the far-UVC light. 
   
     
     
         2 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more subject detection sensors includes at least one of an infrared sensor, a motion sensor, and a proximity sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of exposure time is less than or equal to an exposure limit for the subject being exposed to the far-UVC light emitted by the light source. 
     
     
         4 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting the presence of a subject within the range of the emitted far-UVC light for between about one minute to about ten minutes. 
     
     
         5 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting the presence of a subject within the range of the emitted light for about six minutes. 
     
     
         6 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an effective disinfection rate based on an amount of time that the light source has been emitting the far-UVC light. 
     
     
         7 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit the determined effective disinfection rate to a client device external to the far-UVC disinfection device. 
     
     
         8 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more subject detection sensors includes two infrared sensors and four motion sensors. 
     
     
         9 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the one or more subject detection sensors to activate at a predetermined detection interval, and
 wherein, when activated, the one or more subject detection sensors are configured to generate the detection data and transmit the detection data to the processor.   
     
     
         10 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined detection interval is less than or equal to one second. 
     
     
         11 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to delay causing the light source to emit the far-UVC light in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting no subject within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source by a predetermined amount of delay time. 
     
     
         12 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined amount of delay time is between about one second to six minutes. 
     
     
         13 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to the light source emitting the far-UVC light continuously for a predetermined maximum emission amount of time, causing the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light.   
     
     
         14 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined maximum emission amount of time is about sixty minutes. 
     
     
         15 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to emit a far-UVC light having an output wavelength of about 222 nanometers. 
     
     
         16 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting the presence of a subject within the range of the emitted far-UVC light for a threshold limit value (TLV) amount of time, wherein the TLV is based on the output wavelength of the emitted far-UVC light. 
     
     
         17 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting the presence of a subject within a predetermined distance of the light source  104 . 
     
     
         18 . The far-UVC disinfection device of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined distance is about three feet. 
     
     
         19 . A method of automatically disinfecting the air and surfaces within the range of a far-ultraviolet (far-UVC) disinfection device, the method comprising:
 causing a far-UVC disinfection device to emit a far-UVC light having an output wavelength of about 222 nanometers, the far-UVC disinfection device including:
 a far-UVC light source configured to emit the far-UVC light; 
 one or more subject detection sensors configured to detect the one or more subjects, the one or more subjects consisting of one or more of human beings, one or more domesticated animals, and one or more farm animals or a combination thereof; and 
 a controller in communication with the far-UVC light source and the one or more subject detection sensors and configured to selectively activate and deactivate each of the far-UVC light source and the one or more subject detection sensors; 
   in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting that a subject of the one or more subjects are within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the far-UVC light source for a predetermined amount of exposure time, transmitting a deactivation signal from the controller to the far-UVC light source to cause the far-UVC light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light; and   in response to the one or more subject detection sensors detecting no subject of the one or more subjects within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the far-UVC light source, transmitting an activation signal from the controller to the far-UVC light source to cause the far-UVC light source to begin emitting the far-UVC light.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 receiving from a client device, external to the far-UVC disinfection device, at the controller, an indication of a desired continuous activation period for the far-UVC light source, the desired continuous activation period defined by a start time and a stop time; 
 at the start time, transmitting from the controller to the far-UVC light source the activation signal causing the far-UVC light source to emit far-UVC light; 
 at a first time following the start time and prior to the stop time, determining via the one or more subject detection sensors that a subject is within range of the far-UVC light emitted by the light source, and transmitting the deactivation signal from the controller to the far-UVC light source to cause the far-UVC light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light; 
 at a second time following the first time and prior to the stop time, determining that no subject is within the range of the far-UVC light emitted by the far-UVC light source, and transmitting the activation signal from the controller to the far-UVC light source to cause the far-UVC light source to begin emitting the far-UVC light; and 
 at the end time, transmitting from the controller to the far-UVC light source the deactivation signal causing the far-UVC light source to cease emitting the far-UVC light.