Ocean Insight and a leading U.S. pediatric hospital have teamed to monitor the output of UV disinfection lamps that extend the life of critical personal protective equipment (PPE).
The Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has placed unprecedented demand on global supplies of PPE. Hospitals have been challenged to address critical shortages by disinfecting and reusing PPE that typically would be worn once and discarded. Most significant are particulate filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFR), which reduce exposure to biological agents such as bacteria and viruses.
Exposing facepiece respirators to the ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) emitted by UV lamps can be an effective method of disinfection. However, UVGI effectiveness is highly dependent on UV light levels and the dose delivered to each respirator. As a result, hospitals are seeking rapid development of reliable solutions to ensure that respirators are exposed to sufficient UV light levels for proper disinfection. The safety of frontline workers depends on it.