Build-at-home UV-C disinfection system for healthcare settings

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-cost, rapidly deployable UV-C disinfection system built from accessible components, validated against Bacillus cereus, to address increased demand in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribution

The authors designed and validated a modular, build-at-home UV-C disinfection system with a novel optical cavity to enhance performance and flexibility in component selection.

Findings

Effective disinfection of Bacillus cereus demonstrated

System is low-cost and easy to assemble

Optical cavity improves UV-C dose delivery

Abstract

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.