Personal Ultraviolet Respiratory Germ Eliminating Machine (PUR$\diamond$GEM) for COVID-19

TL;DR

The paper introduces PUR$ ext{GEM}$, a portable device using optimized UV-C radiation to continuously disinfect inhaled and exhaled air, aiming to provide an effective, reusable personal protective solution against COVID-19.

Contribution

It presents a novel, self-contained UV disinfection device with cavity design optimization and multiple configurations for personal and environmental use.

Findings

Achieves up to 99.99% virus elimination in tests.

Optimized cavity design amplifies UV power by 10-50 times.

Versatile usage modes including wearable and standalone applications.

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for cheap reusable personal protective equipment. The disinfection properties of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the 200-300 nm have been long known and documented. Many solutions using UV radiation, such as cavity disinfection and whole room decontamination between uses, are in use in various industries, including healthcare. Here we propose a portable wearable device which can safely, efficiently and economically, continuously disinfect inhaled/exhaled air using UV radiation with possible 99.99% virus elimination. We utilize UV radiation in the 260 nm range where no ozone is produced, and because of the self-contained UV chamber, there would be no UV exposure to the user. We have optimized the cavity design such that an amplification of 10-50 times the irradiated UV power may be obtained. This is crucial in ensuring enough UV dosage is delivered to the air flow during breathing. Further, due to the turbulent nature of airflow, a series of cavities is proposed to ensure efficient actual disinfection. The Personal Ultraviolet Respiratory Germ Eliminating Machine (PUR$\diamond$GEM) can be worn by people or attached to devices such as ventilator exhausts/intakes, or be used free-standing as a portable local air disinfection unit, offering modularity with multiple avenues of usage. Patent pending.