Lights On, Germs Gone: Disinfection With the Power of Light

Did you know that ultraviolet light is a chemical-free, efficient sanitizer?​

Advanced UV-C solutions make purification easy and accessible for private, business, and public spaces. Miniaturization enables the integration of the highest-efficiency UV-C LEDs and presence detectors in public and home appliances: embedded in standard light sources to sanitize public spaces, in purification boxes to purify handheld devices, or in taps to purify water. Intelligent air filter systems use ams OSRAMs UV-C LEDs in combination with matching spectral sensors to determine the quality of air with respect to organic pollution. This allows for the realization of innovative extensions to systems, e.g., for air conditioning: The combination of UV-C LEDs and spectral sensors enables advanced predictive maintenance solutions, e.g., filter replacement or detection of critical contamination levels with spores, fungi, or bacteria. ​ 

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What is UV-C radiation?​

The sun emits optical radiation in the form of visible and invisible light. We humans define light as what we can see from the visible spectrum of light, that is, the wavelength between violet (400 nm) and dark red (800 nm). For the use of light against viruses and germs, the focus is on the range below 400 nanometers, the so-called UV radiation. UV light is divided into three ranges: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. The wavelength decreases progressively from 400 to 100 nanometers. Category A ultraviolet sunlight reaches the earth almost unfiltered. UV-A radiation penetrates deep into our skin and causes it to age. UV-B light reaches our upper skin layers and is responsible for sunburn. The short-wave, particularly high-energy UV-C radiation from the sun, on the other hand, is completely absorbed by the ozone layer. There is therefore no natural UV-C radiation on earth. Life on earth has thus developed without being exposed to UV-C radiation. In other words, there was simply no need to develop natural defense mechanisms against UV-C light. This opens special possibilities for science, medicine, and technology. ​

UV-C photons with a wavelength of 200 to 280 nanometers have sufficient energy to alter microbial DNA, meaning the exposure to the electromagnetic radiation modifies the genetic material of microorganisms and disrupts their ability to reproduce. As UV-C radiation attacks the helix structure of DNA and RNA, it is also effective in inactivating multi-resistant pathogens.​