Far-UVC LED prevention of coronavirus

Early stage COVID-19 infection is often both asymptomatic and contagious. By reducing the viral load in airways and hands, we will reduce coronavirus transmission, and potentially a milder respiratory illness in the infected person.

Recent studies show that far-UVC of 222nm is highly effective against coronavirus, but unlike traditional frequencies of 254-279nm, does not pose the same cancer risk.

Modern UVC LED manufacture has targeted the optimal sterilizing, but dangerous frequency range of 254-279nm, and therefore cannot be safely used on human tissue.

222nm products already exist. My solution is to research and develop humanly safe 207-222nm LED emitters to sterilize hands and internal respiratory surfaces. 222nm LED will be cheap, fast, portable, water and chemical free method of reducing coronavirus transmission.

Without LED, existing excimer lamps could be combined with bronchoscopes to expose internal airways to sterilising far-UVC to reduce transmission.

I am trying to solve the problem of coronavirus. For everyone - in any country, without the need for drugs, nor a hospital nor access to a doctor.

I am trying to shift the medical mindset that is focusing funds into drug research and open the research and development landscape to include cheap universally available 222nm far-UVC treatment for coronavirus sterilization.

Current virology research is focusing on a drug based cure of coronavirus. Exposing hands and internal respiratory surfaces to far-UVC has been rejected as a possible treatment because it is well known that exposure to UVC causes cancer and cataracts. 

However, this misconception is based on the traditional UVC sterilizing frequency range of 254-279nm.

Research has shown that a higher frequency between 207-222nm has comparable efficacy in sterilizing, yet is significantly safer for human tissue exposure as this frequency does not penetrate as far as traditional UVC frequencies. This study by David Brenner et al demonstrated that 222nm exposure to 40 mJ/cm2 reduced bacterial colonies to 0.0001% - that translates to about 5 seconds exposure close to a 10mW LED light source.

Expose hands, eyes and internal respiratory surfaces such as the mouth, throat, nose and bronchi to safe 207-222nm far-UVC LED light to reduce the remaining viral and bacterial colonies to less than 0.0001%.

This will dramatically reduce the airborne and surface transmission on coronavirus, as well as reducing the viral load in the patient - potentially yielding a milder infection reaction.

Current UVC LED technology delivers the necessary light intensity, but at the wrong frequency - effective against viruses, but also cancer causing. 222nm LEDs are possible, and a 222nm 10mW LED with a 60° half strength would deliver 40 mJ/cm2 to exposed hand, mouth, throat and bronchi surfaces in under 10 seconds and reduce viral colonies to 0.0001%.

My solution is to shift the UVC LED manufacture from most effective UVC frequencies (254-279nm) to most humanly safe and effective UVC frequencies (207-222nm).

Once developed, these far-UVC emitters could safely sterilize hands, airways and other transmission surfaces.

Individual treatment would be cheap and not depend on access to new drugs, medical professionals or hospitals. Sterilizing your hands or airways would not require water for washing - a simple AAA battery produces enough power for the far-UVC LEDs.

Safe far-UVC sterilization of coronavirus on internal airways and hands will benefit everyone - regardless of age, wealth or access to medical professionals and hospitals. 

This solution will bring calm back to the volatile economy, and open businesses forced to shut down in our current efforts to reduce the transmission of coronavirus.

Extending this to non-biological applications such as self-sanitizing handles, light switches, fridges and transport would also be possible once cheap safe far-UVC LED technology is developed.

Reducing the spread of airborne and surface transmitted virus and bacterial infections will deliver better health security.

Doing so in a way that is accessible to all people, without the need for drugs nor access to medical centers and expertise makes the solution transformative for everyone.

Despite being possible, 222nm LED emitters do not yet exist.

UVC has traditionally been used to sterilize water, air and surfaces, but not human tissue due to the damage UVC causes to skin and eyes. This has limited the use of UVC as a personal hand or airways sanitizer.

The new application of traditional UVC sterilizing technology is created by combining recent developments in cheap UVC LED manufacture and shifting the focus from optimal sterilization frequencies between 254-279nm to optimal safety and sterilization frequencies between 207-222nm so that these lights can be exposed to human skin - both externally on hands and eyes, but also internal airways including the mouth, nose, throat and bronchi.

Without 222nm LED, existing 222nm excimer lamps could be used with bronchoscopes to expose 222nm far-UVC to internal airways and hands.

The effective sterilization of coronavirus from these biological surfaces causing the greatest transmission of the virus will dramatically reduce it's spread.

UVC light: far-UVC light of a frequency between 207-222nm. This both sterilizes bacteria and virus, but is also safe to expose to human skin and eyes.

LED far-UVC emitters: Whilst we have existing excimer lamps that can produce this high frequency UVC, we now need to extend current UVC generating LEDs to emit a safer spectrum of light. Up until now, UVC LED manufacture has focused on delivering the most effective sterilization, with no regard to human exposure safety as the market has been focused on sterilizing surfaces and liquid.

Broncoscope: Even without LEDs, we could use existing 222nm excimer lamps with fibre optics to expose to internal airways, hands and other surfaces

New LED: By developing LEDs that emit an effective but safe frequency range of 207-222nm, industry can make the personal use of safe far-UVC sterilizing units cheap, portable, low power and able to be used without requiring medical supervision.

Is 207-222nm UVC Safe and Germicidal?

• Research: Chronic exposure to 222nm safe on skin

• Research: 1.7mJ/cm2  222nm inactivates coronavirus
  

• Research: far-UVC - Effective Germicide, safe on mammalian skin

• Research: UV wavelength-dependent DNA damage

• Research:far-UVC no sign of DNA damage or epidermal lesions

• Research: 222nm Safe on eyes compared to 254nm

• Reseach: 222nm is Germicidal

What far-UVC light sources are possible?

• Research: Efficient 219nm semiconductor produced

• Research: Early efforts to produce far-UVC semiconductors

• Product Research: new 222nm excimer from Sterilray

• Product: Care222 by Ushio

• Paper: UVC LED Market information

Could var-UVC sterilisation help with Coronavirus?

• Paper: Whilst on airways and hands, no symptoms

• Paper: Transmission from airways

• Paper: COVID-19 and viral load

• Article: reduced viral load could improve coronavirus prognosis

Article: Low-dose-rate excimer lamps in hospitals, schools, and airports could safely curtail spread of flu

People will be safer...

People will feel safer...

Closed businesses will be able to reopen...

Economies will improve...

222nm LED far-UVC light therapy administered to hands and internal airways would lower the risk of the virus augmenting into the body's epithelial cells and impacting the person's health. This treatment could be a regular hand and mouth sterilization or applied after suspected contact with a contagious person or environment.

Other devices to safely sterilize common public surfaces such as door handles and light switches could also be deployed. 222nm LED lights could be built into fridges as an additional preventative measure. 

The economy of the world would stabilize on the back of a new cheap preventative measure being available.

Currently this is at concept stage only, and therefore serves no one.

Ideally, within 5 years, the entire world is being served by new applications of safe 222nm far-UVC LEDs - from self-sanitizing fridges to non-chemical deodorants, hand and internal airway sanitizers.

My goal is to shift the focus of research towards the application of safe far-UVC light in addition to the current focus on drug therapies.

My goal is to shift the manufacturing industry to being to research and develop cheap 207-222nm LEDs to assist in safe sterilization of hands and internal airways

My goal is to spark industry to develop additional uses of far-UVC technology such as self-sterilizing fridges, public transport, restaurants, kitchens, door handles, taps, switches.

• There is currently not enough funding given to the development of safe 207-222nm far-UVC LED emitters. 
• The technology to develop efficient LED between 207-222nm is challenging. Carrier injection, light extraction efficiency and growth process to deposit GaN/AlN of sufficient quality to produce semiconductors with appropriate properties is difficult.
• Existing 207-222nm emitters are too expensive and bulky for wide spread personal use or to incorporate into other devices.
• There is currently a misconception that all UVC is unsafe to expose to human skin and therefore researchers are not studying it as a potential solution to stop the transmission of coronavirus and other bacterial/ viral infections.
• Some companies would be resistant and have a financial interest in this technology failing.

Funding: By applying for this grant, I hope to raise awareness of the potential solution and have industry commit funds to appropriate R&D.

Technology: Use the funding to engage researchers to improve on the work out of Cornell and Notre Dame university to improve EQE of resulting semiconductors

Expensive: By focusing on a new spectrum of LED UVC emitters, we will address the current size and cost constraints.

Misconception: Media is slowly catching onto the research that demonstrates 207-222nm UVC is safe to expose to human tissue.

Market resistance: Results - both in terms of safety and efficacy will silence the nay-sayers. This implies that more research needs to be done to demonstrate both these things.

This is currently just my personal concept - so - no staff.

I don't want to be the company that delivers the solution - I want to be the spark that births a revolution - where industry and science pursue the implementation of safe far-UVC to the world as a tool to reduce viral and bacterial infection.

I'm happy for the funds to go to research and development companies able to prove the safety on human tissue and research and develop LEDs that emit in the 200-222nm range.

No current partnerships.

Currently I am an individual, not a business. I am not seeking to make money from this, but rather help my global neighbour. 

Not relevant in this submission.

I want the world to be safe from viral and bacterial spread diseases and infections such as COVID-19.

I want equal access for all people, not just the wealthy or those fortunate enough to have access to medical treatment

I want more people to be aware of the potential of 200-222nm far-UVC as both safe and effective in sterilizing virus and bacteria. 

I would love to see new tech come on the market that has new LED built in to ensure a sterile environment to deliver better health to all - from hand and airway sanitizers to fridges, cars and light switches.

Now is not the time to make money, now is the time to act, research, save lives, restore global calm and focus on solving big issues like our climate crisis.

Have the scientific and business community of the world research and develop 200-222nm LED emitters to prevent transmission of coronavirus in a cheap way that can be universally accessed, and be incorporated into future technology.