There are a very wide range of UVC disinfection devices available. But their effectiveness can vary massively…
There are a very wide range of UVC disinfection devices available. But their effectiveness can vary massively – and identifying which are the best can be difficult.
Below, five key criteria to consider when comparing UVC disinfection devices, to help ensure the device you select will provide a safe and comprehensive virus and bacteria kill.
1. Power
Power is the single most important factor – underpowered devices can never achieve optimum disinfection capability. The most effective devices will work on the principles of the Inverse Square Law, delivering more UVC power output over a longer distance, to efficiently eradicate more pathogens and viruses in the shortest time possible. (Our own THOR UVC® device is the most powerful UVC system that is currently commercially available)
2. Shadow elimination
Eliminating areas of shadow is vital to ensure efficiency each time a disinfection cycle is carried out. If shadowed areas are not reached by the UV light, they will not be terminally disinfected.
The best devices will be with comprehensive shadow reduction in mind, incorporating a low-slung base to reach floor areas (THOR UVC® stands just 6cm off the ground). Avoid devices which start higher, especially those with bases as much as 60 centimeters or more above floor level.
To reach high areas, a device should be physically tall enough to deliver UVC light into ceiling and upper corner areas which could be in shadow. The height should ideally be over two meters.
THOR UVC® ensures height via a unique telescoping feature that senses the height of the space to be disinfected and extends the unit to an optimum height, from 1.1 meters un-telescoped to 2.25 meters fully extended.
3. Device stability
Device stability is another significant consideration, especially regarding operator safety. A UVC unit must, of course, be physically present in each room that requires disinfection. If mounted with insufficient stability, it could easily topple over when moved from room to room, causing damage to the device or harm to the operator.
Some devices resolve this by being designed to be used only within a single room, these tend to be wall or ceiling mounted devices.
The best devices will incorporate wheels and other features to facilitate easy movement of the device, while prioritising device stability for maximum safety. THOR UVC® features six oversized castors and an ergonomic handrail for this purpose.
4. Pre-treatment room scanning
In order for a UVC disinfection device to be effective, it must be usable in the widest possible range of room layouts. The best method of ensuring consistent effectiveness across different room sizes and layouts is to ensure that the device understands the room it is in, and can adjust its disinfection cycle accordingly and automatically.
The best UVC disinfection devices will offer pre-treatment mapping of the space to be disinfected – with scans of the floor, the ceiling and the room’s contents, in order to determine the exact size of the area and to identify potential shadowing.
Each time it is used, THOR UVC® scans the room and, based on this analysis and its software’s understanding of its own UVC output power, it then automatically calculates the specific cycle time required to ensure an optimal disinfection cycle for that space.
5. Clinical evidence
Always ensure a manufacturer can provide clinical evidence for their device’s ability to kill pathogens and how quickly it can do so. These should be from an independent body, not the manufacturer themselves – and the parameters should be clearly explained. They should also cover a number of different pathogens, particularly C-Difficile as this is known to be one of the hardest pathogens to eradicate.
Importantly, you should ensure that the data you are given is device-specific, not simply generic data for the effectiveness of UVC disinfection in a broad sense.
THOR UVC®has had research conducted by Boston University in conjunction with our emitter manufacturer to demonstrate its extremely high effectiveness in killing COVID-19 and an extremely wide range of other viruses and bacteria.
How can I find out more about UVC disinfection and purchasing a system?
Our expert team is on hand to offer advice on the right UVC disinfection solution for your office, hotel, restaurant or commercial premises setting, and how best to deploy it.
To find out more, please contact us, email our international sales team or call us on:
UK: +44 (0) 207 193 5641
USA: +1 844 4 346736
Aus: +61 1300 665 884
