Sterile Sweep UVC

There is no question that 254nm UVC is a powerful germicide. Given a sufficient dosage, UVC will inactivate all pathogens. However, there is a wide range in the required dose: from ~4,000 microWatt-seconds/cm2 for coronavirus to over 200,000 for anthrax. And since dosage depends on lamp intensity, contact time and proximity to the light, the question has been how to effectively apply UVC to pathogens moving at 500 to 1000 fpm through the ducts and equipment in an HVAC system. UVC lamps by themselves cannot guarantee sufficient intensity to kill organisms as they move by in the airstream. And while high-efficiency passive filters may capture pathogens, UVC cannot penetrate the dense media, allowing them to remain active.

Dynamic Sterile Sweep or Remote Mount UVC coupled with Dynamic Panel and V-Bank Air Cleaners provide the answer. For those applications where biological inactivation is important, high-output UVC and a polarized glass media are combined to provide a catch, hold, kill solution. The key for UVC to be effective is contact time and proximity. The Dynamic system captures the biologicals in the airstream on an essentially translucent surface. The Sterile Sweep couples a high output lamp with a scanning parabolic reflector to create a focused sterilizing beam of UVC that sweeps the media again and again, to provide the necessary contact time. A cowling keeps the lamp clean and the UVC contained. This is a far more efficient system with less potential for collateral exposure than one that bathes an entire AHU, coil or duct section with UVC.

The Sterile Sweep Germicidal System is standard on the RS-3 Air Purification System and is available as an optional product accessory for 1” and 2” V-Banks and “Super-V” V-Banks.

Dynamic Sterile Sweep and Remote Mount Germicidal UVC Systems are designed with versatility and flexibility in mind and can be installed quickly in ductwork or air handlers. According to ASHRAE, there is sufficient risk of transmission of airborne pathogens through HVAC systems, that precautions are warranted. ASHRAE suggests several approaches to mitigate risks in existing buildings including installation of UVC germicidal lamps designed to inactivate viruses, upgrading air filtration levels to MERV 13 or higher, and/or maximized ventilation rates. Filtration and UVC are both more effective and cost-effective than ventilation.