Company launches new UVC 1000 Dosimeter to support UV-C disinfection of respirators
Apr 13, 2020 — STOCKHOLM — In the global fight against COVID-19, health care facilities and providers around the world are faced with critical shortages of disposable filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), often referred to as N95 masks. Fortunately, innovative manufacturers are utilizing their expertise to design systems that can decontaminate N95 masks with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) along with a new, color- changing visual indicator that shows if an optimal dose of UV-C irradiation has been delivered.
To support the critical capacity strategy of using of UVGI for N95 decontamination, Intellego Technologies has launched the UVC Dosimeter 1000, a 1″ square indicator that changes color to visually indicate exposure levels of UV-C irradiation. According to a summary of research compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹, the use of UVGI at an accumulated dose of ≥ 500mJ/cm² can deliver a 3-log (99.9%) reduction of viruses which have similar characteristics to SARS-CoV-2 that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we learned of the capability of UVGI to decontaminate N95 masks, we immediately shifted gears to validate and produce this new dosimeter that provides visible indication of the desired 1,000 mJ/cm² dosage,” said Claes Lindahl, CEO of Intellego Technologies. “Along with our current UVC Dosimeter 100 that are primarily used with UV-C room disinfection systems to visually indicate dosage that correlates to a 3-log reduction of MRSA and C. Diff², we are proud to make available the new UVC Dosimeter 1000 that can help in the effort to mitigate shortages of N95 masks and fight the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
Intellego Technologies’ UVC Dosimeters are uniquely designed to work with UVGI systems that use low-pressure mercury vapor lamps to quickly irradiate objects such as N95 masks that are placed in close proximity to the UV-C light source. Because disinfection of surfaces is an invisible process, having a color-changing indicator that responds to the appropriate dose of UVGI is an important, visible tool to ensure that personal protective equipment like the N95 masks are sufficiently decontaminated for reuse.
UVC Dosimeters 1000 have been independently validated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB. The dosimeters’ patented UV-sensitive material is matched to correlating Pantone colors to visually indicate a range of UV-C dosage levels of 500 and 1,000 mJ/cm2 . With this visual calibration, the UVC Dosimeters 1000 can be used alongside N95 masks being treated with UVGI. UVC 1000 Dosimeters can be used with a Color Reference Chart so technicians can visually identify if the target dose of UV-C irradiation has been reached.
The UVC Dosimeters 1000 are utilized by leading UV manufacturers around the world and are available to health care facilities and researchers who are working to mitigate the critical shortage of disposable FFRs. For more information on the UVC Dosimeters 1000, visit www.uvcdosimeters.com.
Editors note: This post was edited on June 16, 2020 to reflect a change to the product name from the prior UltraV™ to the current UVC Dosimeter 1000. For questions, contact info@intellego-technologies.com.
About Intellego Technologies AB
Intellego Technologies is a research and development company that specializes in colorimetric indicators to indicate the presence of radiation or substances in an environment. Using a patented photochromic technology, Intellego Technologies manufactures innovative products that deliver visible, life-saving results. Learn more at www. Intellego-Technologies.com.
1 Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html
2 Cadnum, Jennifer & Jencson, Annette & Redmond, Sarah & Mana, Thriveen & Donskey, Curtis. (2019). 1215.
Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) Monitoring Made Ridiculously Simple: UV-C Dose Indicators for Convenient Measurement of
UV-C Dosing. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 6. S437-S437. 10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1078.