Effectively minimising the risk of infection from communicable disease has become essential for organisations in a post-COVID world. This is a practical challenge for industrial businesses experiencing an accelerating adoption of wearable devices. UV Cleantech has released a new product enabling UVC disinfection at remote work sites, ideal for assisted reality headsets like the RealWear Navigator 520.
AR/VR users turn to a hospital solution used for decades
In the post-pandemic world, industrial organisations using wearable devices, such as assisted reality headsets, have become increasingly concerned about the safety of shared devices.
The risk of infection spreading from the surfaces of electronic devices is not a new concern. Aside from cleaning wipes, disinfectant sprays, and disposable barriers, the use of ultraviolet radiation is the gold standard for guaranteed sterilisation.
This method has been used for decades in hospitals and the food industry, and involves placing electronic devices inside large cabinets, where they are exposed to UVC light artificially generated by lamps.
However, field technicians using assisted reality headsets in places like Western Australia often work in remote locations, where access to facilities with large UV radiation cabinets may be limited.
An Australian company UV Cleantech came up with a solution for this problem by developing a small, lightweight unit, easily carried by one person, called the UviPortable.
A premium quality product engineered for ease of use
In addition to creating a high quality, portable product, UV Cleantech also wanted to make a UV cabinet that would function in a single pass cycle. Typically, UV cabinet lamps only radiate from one side, requiring users to rotate devices a number of times to complete disinfection. This is both laborious, and leaves the risk of an incomplete clean.
To achieve a 360-degree cleaning solution, UV Cleantech specially developed a quartz base plate that allows UVC light from an additional lamp to pass through from the underside of an object. This feature is supported by reflective aluminium surfaces on the inside of the cabinet, to deliver a single pass clean achieved in a 90 second cycle. A nice simple workflow.
The construction build of the unit is very robust. The empty cabinet weighs eight kilos, and can load objects up to three kilos. The bulbs are rated for 9,000 hours. So with a disinfectant cycle lasting a mere 90 seconds, you will have 360,000 cycles up your sleeve before needing to worry about bulb replacement.
When powered on, the activation button illuminates green, indicating the unit is ready to use. After placing a device into the cabinet and closing the perspex door, pressing the activation button will start the cycle. For safety, opening the door or pressing the activation button again will kill the cycle, otherwise the cycle will end automatically after 90 seconds and the lamps will turn off.
The unit runs on 240V AC mains power. Although most industrial sites provide access to mains power, UV Cleantech went the extra mile and built an accompanying portable power supply. Once fully charged, the unit will power 75 cleaning cycles. Probably more than enough for a day's work.
Note that there's also a USB charging port accessible from inside the cabinet, so users can disinfect, charge and store devices all at the same time.
The UviPortable is certified, designed, and manufactured in Australia.
UviPortable product specification summary
UV Cleantech UviPortable specifications:
- External dimensions: 46cm x 27cm x 42cm
- Unit weight: 8 kg with top handle for easy carry
- Load capacity: Safety holds up to 3 kg
- Base plate: Solid 4mm quartz allowing UVC penetration
- Door: Clear perspex with magnetic latch that folds completely back
- Bulbs: Two top bulbs and one bottom bulb, all rated for 9,000 hours
- Charge port: Internal USB-B fast charging port
- Power source: Requires 230-240V AC mains power
- Cycle time: 90 seconds, factory adjustable
UviPortable Power Supply:
- Capacity: 75 disinfectant cycles per charge
How does UVC radiation disinfect electronic devices?
UVC radiation has been used for decades as a very effective decontamination agent to sterilise industry equipment.
Ultraviolet light is emitted by the sun and is invisible to the human eye. UV radiation is classified by three wavelength bands: UVA, UVB and UVC. The atmosphere absorbs radiation in the UVC band before it reaches earth’s surface.
Interestingly, because UVC isn’t present on the earth's surface, many common pathogens such as influenza and COVID-19, haven't developed a natural defence against it. Therefore, exposure to artificially generated UVC disrupts the DNA of these organisms and their cells are no longer able to replicate, and so they die.
The UV Cleantech manuals contain a lot of extra information on the science behind cabinet functions, and provide a detailed breakdown of which bacteria, viruses and spores are killed. The long list also includes hepatitis, E coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, legionella and a number of other organisms not welcome in the human body.
UVC radiation only impacts the surface of an exposed device. It will kill pathogens, but it doesn't noticeably degrade the surfaces of electronics, plastics, lenses, and other materials used in AR/VR headsets and computers. For reassurance of their customers, RealWear commissioned a study simulating four years of daily UVC sanitising (3 cycles per day), and found no resulting cosmetic degradation and no structural faults after the exposure.
So in summary, UVC radiation kills the bugs and doesn't damage the surface of electronic devices.
Integrating UV radiation cleaning into enterprise workflows
So the UviPortable can be used to generate a 90 second UVC cleaning cycle that will completely disinfect a wearable device in a single pass. How is that useful?
This will certainly be of value on remote work sites, where RealWear devices are being passed from one field technician to another. It's a very simple process to provide peace of mind.
In other examples, VR training facilitators can easily take along the portable unit when delivering onsite sessions to multiple participants. Workshop staff can quickly and easily cycle a clean of handheld PDAs or tablets at the end of a shift. There would be numerous potential use-cases in an industrial enterprise.
It's up to each organisation to develop a risk mitigation strategy, and integrate UVC disinfection into their workflows using a comfortable and appropriate process.
Other options for permanent facilities
UV Cleantech is also an established distributor of Uvisan products. A range of market-leading, larger UVC cabinets, in which you can stack and charge more devices, as well as securely lock them away. Such products might be a more appropriate solution for some organisations.
