UV-C lighting applications need to be combined with intelligent building automation systems

Igor, winner of the COVID-19 IoT Innovation Award from "IoT World Today", has developed an intelligent building automation platform that uses a multi-pronged strategy to protect building residents.

When business organizations hope to reopen offices, stores, and other buildings in the next phase of COVID-19, interest in disinfection technology surges.

But people are also aware that if technology such as ultraviolet sterilization, also known as ultraviolet-C (UV-C), is misused, it may be unsafe. Short-wave radiation in the UV-C spectrum can penetrate organic molecules, including DNA.

Igor has won the COVID-19 IoT Innovation Award from "IoT World Today". This technology creates a technology that can not only disinfect a single room or an entire office, but also protect the technology in use. The effectiveness of UV-C lighting to kill microorganisms increases with exposure. Dwight Stewart, founder and chief technology officer of Igor, said: "Using the lighting we use, about 90% decontamination every 20 minutes." "After about 80 minutes, you will get a 99.9% decontamination effect. "Organizations using this technology may execute longer cycles late at night and run them regularly throughout the day.

In order to optimize the safety of the noon disinfection phase, the Nexos intelligent disinfection system relies on building automation. The smart lock of a given room can display a warning to the tenant and bar them from entering. If the door manages to open during the half cycle, the triggered door contact sensor may deactivate the system.

Occupancy sensing using people counting or infrared sensors provides another layer of safety protection, so even if people are not in motion, the technology can still sense occupancy. "Think of the study room in the library," Stewart said. "All of us attended late-night study classes, very sleepy and maybe asleep. Therefore, you don't want to rely solely on movement to perceive. "

Open-plan rooms posed challenges because the door could not be simply locked to keep tenants out when circumstances permit. Stewart said: "You just want to make sure that you can sense whoever is approaching." "You may want to place occupancy sensors or other sensors on the periphery of the area to be disinfected so that someone knows who is approaching."

One issue that needs to be considered when using UV-C for disinfection of tissues is shading. The ceiling light cannot reach under the table or bed. Stewart said: "If you want to do it more thoroughly, you can let people wipe the surface."

UV-C lighting should be used in conjunction with other measures, such as allowing residents to wear masks when possible, washing hands frequently, keeping distance from society in public places, and manually disinfecting frequently touched objects.

Igor can integrate other technologies to provide more comprehensive disinfection. Stewart said: "Adding different systems-whether it is a HEPA filter or an airflow technology that minimizes the amount of recirculation but introduces more outside air, over time, we can add many different strategies to the technology and many disinfection methods."