Anti-Pathogen Upper Room IoT Ventilation Device

Using LED UV-C SMD plus 3 other methods to stop aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, its variants, and other organic pathogens

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Aerosol transmission has been widely accepted as the primary method organic pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spread, as has the requirement to deploy effective upper room antipathogen ventilation at local points of contamination (LPOC) ⎯ the “Breathing Air Zone” where people live and congregate.

While vaccines have proven to be highly effective against preventing severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization they do not prevent its transmission nor do behavioral and medical control measures.

Here we report on the effectiveness of a practical environmental IoT (Internet of Things) Upper Room Air Sterilization Ventilation device that uses current IT technologies and 4 Anti-Pathogen methods to prevent transmission of organic airborne pathogens.

· 24V DC Power over Ethernet (PoE) Tech.

· Advanced LED UV-C SMD Tech.

· Venturi Airflow Turbulence

· Dynamic Pressure Changes

· Engineered Pathogen Airflow

· Photo Catalysis

Figure 1. PH Labs Patented Standard Room Air Sterilizer Ventilator

The inability to control the ongoing spread of SARS-CoV-2 and variants

has focused greater attention on pathogen agnostic non-medical intervention methods that use ultraviolet (UV) light to decrease airborne pathogen concentrations in enclosed spaces. Ultraviolet light, in particular, UV-C wavelengths between 200 nm and 280 nm have germicidal properties that can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces. It has also been determined that concentrations of organic pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 can be equally reduced if not more by exposing pathogens to high G force impacts (turbulence) and pressure using Venturi-Bernoulli principles, and photocatalysis.

After testing the efficacy and longevity of UV-C light using LED SMD technology Powered over Ethernet (PoE) by native 24V DC from PoE Switches, we developed the underlying design concept for an upper room IoT antipathogen ventilation device (see Figure 1). The concept of using a small 9”x24” ceiling device that could be mounted in Acoustical T-Grid (2x2 or 2x4) ceiling systems, or directly to ceiling surfaces and pendants and that siphoned contaminated room air upward into a chamber irradiated by (24) UV-C LEDs which then exhausted (2) purified air streams back into the room along ceilings and down adjacent side walls proved to be practical and reasonably effective at decreasing airborne pathogen concentrations.

Following further research and efficacy testing, we reengineered our initial UV-C LED chamber design to include more efficacy by adding venturi airflow turbulence, pressure changes, directional airflow and anti- microbial coated surfaces which resulted in the process patented UV C Air Sterilization Engine (UVCASE™) technology in Figure2 and 3.

Figure 2. Ultra Violet C Air Sterilization Engine (UVCASE) Module

Figure 3. Cross Section of (1) UVCASE Module

The UVCASE™ technology embodied in Figure 1 Room Air Sterilizer Ventilator Device illustrates the use of two (2) flanking UVCASE™ modules with each using (4) methods to reduce infectious airborne organic pathogen concentrations. Our Room Air Sterilizer Ventilator embodiment was engineered to prevent harmful UV-C light leakage while deploying maximum amounts of UV-C irradiation from (24) UV-C LEDs strategically placed on four (4) custom LED UV-C SMD boards that line the opposing sidewalls of both UVCASE™ modules.

The addition of twenty (20) strategically positioned cylindrical rods of varying size and material provides sixteen (16) venturi airspeed booster points that can destroy organic pathogens completely via high-speed impacts or at a minimum will substantially weaken outer membrane walls allowing for easier and faster deactivation (sterilization) of underlying DNA and RNA cell structures as pathogens are directed toward maximum LED UV-C irradiance zones along chamber sidewalls.

UVCASE™ chamber materials and components were selected based on UV-C radiation reflectivity and ability to endure continuous exposure to maximum UV-C intensity. To take advantage of known antimicrobial photocatalytic effects, all internal UVCASE™ materials and components were coated with Titanium Dioxide (Ti2O) to prevent biofilm buildup via free radical generation which dissolves organic materials.

Siemens Solid Edge engineering software suite was used throughout product design and development to simulate airflow and efficacy performance. It was discovered early on that, rapid changes in air pressure and airspeed could generate high impacts with G-Forces between 5 and 20+ (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Simulated UVCASE Airflow Velocity

It was also determined that dramatic air turbulence could be created by properly orienting the (16) chamber rods. Certain placement of rods put organic pathogens under tremendous physical stresses that could destroy pathogens completely or at a minimum, weaken their outer membrane cell walls which increased exposure and susceptibility to intense UV-C radiation.

As illustrated in Figure 6, UVCASE™ technology can be scaled up to achieve antipathogen efficacy requirements for larger volume rooms with high-bay ceilings. Similarly, our UVCASE™ technology can be scaled up or down to accommodate 3rd party devices with varying size air purification requirements (vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, etc.) and other industry applications (autos, buses, trains, planes, etc.) which all have existing forced airflow generating apparatus.

Figure 6. Standard 2-UVCASE™ Room Air Sterilizer Ventilator for(Rooms with <= 16’ Ceiling Heights

Figure 6. Scaled Up 8-UVCASE™ Room Air Sterilizer Ventilator for Rooms >16’ Ceilings Heights

The use of PoE 24V DC to power UVCASE™ Room Air Sterilizer Ventilators has major advantages over today’s legacy air purifiers that are powered by high voltage 120/277V AC which cause UV-C lamps to degrade quickly below efficacy specifications and fail due to voltage fluctuations.

Primary advantages include:

1. Low Voltage DC Power: low voltage Direct Current (DC) is used to power all IT equipment and devices because its ability to provide clean constant power at a perfect power factor of 1.0.

2. UV-C Irradiance: extreme amounts of UV-C irradiance (dosage) can be utilized by increasing LED UV-C chip density on SMD boards in the same small footprint without heat buildup.

3. TCP/IP and SNMP Compliant: our IT network device was further validated in December 2019 when the IEEE 802.3 workgroup approved an International standard that made its worldwide acceptance practical, effective, and efficacious for indoor applications.

4. Data Collection & Compliance Reporting: facility and IT managers can manage 100s of our devices in real-time via its browser-based user interface, commonly known as a building management system (BMS). Our device’s solid-state power control board (PCB) can be controlled by any 3rd party BMS, such as Honeywell, Johnson Controls, etc.

5. Mission Critical Operating Environment: 100s of our IT devices can operate 24x7 with 99.9999% uptime alongside other critical rack mounted PoE switches and communication equipment located in IT closets that are equipped with uninterruptable power supplies (UPS).

6. Low Cost / Easy Installation: our IT devices can use existing CAT5/6 cable abandoned in most buildings due to wireless connectivity or cable upgrades to CAT7/8 which can also be used.

RESULTS

We compared the LED UV-C aspects of our UVCASE™ design to the recent January 10, 2022 study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory (NIH RML) in Hamilton Montana (see Figure 7). Their test treated .6CFM with UV-C dosed at 21.4mJ/CM2 over a length of 1250mm (or 4ft) using UV-C efficacy information provided by other studies. Also, their test does not include the (3) other antipathogen methods used in our design which are equally if not more beneficial than UV-C.

The PH Labs design currently treats between 20 and 67CFM of air over a short distance of 75mm (2.9 inches)

For SARS-COV-2 a 90% reduction can be achieved with an exposure dosage of .016mJ/cm2 in as little as .01s (#). Our device provides 1.18mJ/cm2 in the same amount of time, or more depending on the configuration of the LED boards, the average length of time for UVC treatment per Cubic Inch is .03s without including the effects of turbulence or physical stressors.

The reference design embodiments utilizing multiple UVCASE™ modules in Figures 5 and 6 use 2 and 8 UVCASE™ modules, respectively. If the same fan impeller were used for each embodiment, then dosage would increase in the 8 UVCASE™ embodiment. Instead of 20-67CFM per chamber the output would be 5- 17CFM per chamber. Increasing dosage time from .03s-.017s to .12s-.068s and dosage values from 2.02 mJ/cm^2 – 3.57 mJ/cm^2 to 8.09mJ/cm^2 – 17.28 mJ/cm^2. Doubling the UV-C LED chips per board in the 2 UVCASE module unit provides 3.88mJ/cm^2 - 7.14mJ/cm^2.

Our efficacy performance figures above represent a 24V DC PoE powered electrical environment but efficacy performance can be easily increased by supplying more DC power beyond current PoE standards and limitations which stand at 90W per PoE Switch port.

COMPANY - PH LABS

PH Labs is an applied science company specializing in the design of low voltage DC power systems, Surface Mount LED (SMD) lighting arrays, and “Smart” Anti-Pathogen Ventilation products and LED Lighting systems for horticultural, healthcare, and commercial applications.

The company also engineers and provides DC power servers and power deliver solutions for “Smart” enterprise wide Anti-Pathogen Ventilation and LED Lighting using Power over Ethernet (PoE) for 24V on CAT wire and 48V and higher voltages on thicker AWG wire. These “Smart” building systems can be managed from anywhere using the browser based building management system (BMS) user interface.

In horticultural, the company works with greenhouse owners to promote plant growth, increase yields, and stop plant borne pathogens. In healthcare, the company provides Anti-Pathogen Ventilation products for commercial buildings and smaller humancentric battery powered LED light therapy products for various skin and eye disorders.

The company has a core group of experienced LED and DC power electronic engineers who work with specialty consulting engineers to develop products and solutions for the applications above.

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