2020/03/29 by Rosemary C. She, She, Rosemary C., Dongyu Chen +8
Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Infection Control and Ventilation #Infection Control in Healthcare #Medical Device Sterilization and Disinfection #Medical Physics (physics.med-ph) #Other Quantitative Biology (q-bio.OT) #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2003.12916
openalex publication_date 2020/03/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Significant research has shown that UV-C exposure is an effective disinfectant for a range of bacteria and viruses, including coronaviruses. As such, a UV-C treatment in combination with a chemical wipe, such as EPA hydrogen peroxide, is a common cleaning protocol in a medical setting, and such disinfection protocols have gained in importance during the current COVID-19 pandemic due to the need to reuse PPE. However, given the substantial increase in patient volume, the quantity of materials requiring disinfection exceeds the UV-C equipment throughput capabilities at many medical facilities. Therefore, there is a need for a UV-C disinfection system that can be rapidly deployed. In response to this demand, we designed, constructed, and validated a UV-C disinfection system from readily accessible components; specifically, a plastic bin, UV-C light bulb and conventional light housing. To further improve the performance, the interior of the tub was spray-painted with chrome paint, forming a low quality-factor (Q) Fabry-Perot optical cavity. As part of this work, a set of modular design criteria which allows for flexibility in component selection without degradation of UV-C dose performance is established. This flexibility is critical given the current fluctuating availability of source materials. The disinfection capabilities of the system are validated using Bacillus cereus, a gram-positive endospore-forming bacteria.