Aiming to reduce the likelihood of people’s exposure to environmental hazards or to limit unsafe and unhealthy behavior, the practice of health protection is essentially established. According to statistics, UV sterilization eliminates up to 97.7% of the risks of hospital-acquired infections by optimizing environmental cleanliness.
This amazing technology proves to be of great use in the operating rooms, patient rooms, and other healthcare settings. Read ahead to find out what a UV sterilizer is and how it works.
What is a UV Sterilizer?
It is widely known that sunlight is a natural disinfectant owing to its light rays, which comprises ultraviolet rays. The UV rays alter the genetic material (DNA) inside bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, making them unable to replicate, and hence effectively killing them.
One of the most frequently asked questions is how does UV sterilization work. This system is duplicated in a UV sterilizer which is a controlled system formed by running water through a tube with a specially designed UV light in it. This UV light disinfects the equipment or the surrounding that it is placed in.
How Does UV Sterilization Work?
- The components of UV sterilization
As daunting as this model sounds, the components of UV sterilization are generally very basic. It consists of a reactor chamber made of stainless steel, an ultraviolet lamp to provide UVC radiations, a quartz sleeve that offers protection to the UV lamp, and the controller unit or ballast that maintains the electrical output to the UV lamp.
- The working principle of UV sterilization
UV sterilization uses UV radiation of a wavelength that generally lies in the range of 200 nm to 300 nm and consists of germicidal abilities. The reactor chamber acts as a UV water purifier, which uses the UV-C range to break molecular bonds in the DNA of pathogens, rendering them useless and ineffective.
- The technology embedded in UV sterilization
The components used in the UV sterilization system provide long-lasting and high-performance results. The use of optimal wavelength enables germicidal effectiveness of the instrument and makes it best at what it does.
Applications of UV Sterilization
- Air Treatment
This sterilization application uses UVC energy waves to inactivate harmful pathogens, bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, and fragments in the air and on surfaces. Hence, this prevents the spread of airborne diseases that are generally infectious.
It is widely accepted that UV air treatment holds many benefits and advantages over traditional sterilization methods. The cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly nature of UV air treatment makes it a go-to sterilization method for every healthcare facility.
- Surface Treatment
Surface disinfection includes packaging materials and foodstuff surfaces that have minimum resistance to contamination by microbes. The module for surface treatment via UV radiation consists of an internal UV cassette and power supply unit alongside reflectors to ensure uniform radiation over the surface that needs to be sterilized.
How to Choose the Best UV Sterilization?
- Consider the virus removal rate
In order to achieve the optimal virus removal rate, UV radiation needs to reach the surface with sufficient strength. It is important to expose every surface of an object to UV sterilization equipment to obtain the best results.
- Keep in Mind the Sterilization Rate
The sterilization rate depends on the wavelength used. The wavelength of 265 nm is the most ideal for altering the nucleic acids in DNA and RNA.
- Make Sure the Sterilization Method is Eco-Friendly
UVC is an unnatural type of radiation, making it more powerful and dangerous than other sunlight forms. It is important never to expose humans or animals to this radiation. Furthermore, proper methods should be adopted to ensure only the object surface or the air surrounding the UV sterilization system is exposed to harmful radiations.
Conclusion
UV sterilization is our most recommended option, whether you are looking for a bot to sterilize the counters at your healthcare facility or effective cleaning equipment for the sheets on your hospital beds. However, it is important to always keep in mind the manufacturers’ instructions on light-source distance, exposure time, and safety precautions for any UV sterilization device you intend to purchase.
