AquiSense Technologies LLC of Erlanger, KY, USA (which designs and manufactures water, air and surface disinfection systems based on UV-C LEDs) has entered into a collaboration agreement for the sensors of International Light Technologies Inc (ILT) of Peabody, MA, USA to be offered in combination with its PearlBeam, a bench-scale UV device for research applications.
AquiSense says that advances in UV-C LEDs have led the way to the creation of collimated beam devices whereby researchers can now select multiple discrete UV-C wavelengths, allowing them greater precision in their research to better understand how micro-organisms respond to UV light applications. In unison, as the precision of the wavelength emission increases, more advanced sensors are required to track emission data. ILT provides the needed sensor technology with a handheld light meter.
"AquiSense recognized that an entirely new tool was required to advance UV science to take advantage of the many benefits of UV-C LEDs," says the firm's director of business development Jim Cosman. "The PearlBeam was the first step in this process, and now the incorporation of International Light Technologies' advanced sensors is the next step in our quest to rapidly convert many disinfection applications from mercury-containing UV lamps to more environmentally sound UV-C LEDs."
Collimated beam devices are increasingly critical tools in providing a standardized unit of measurement for UV exposure. Historically these devices, which use mercury lamps, have been expensive, cumbersome and difficult to operate, says AquiSense. The PearlBeam is claimed to be the first UV-C LED collimating beam device, taking advantage of solid-state technology. It is small in size, light-weight and does not contain fragile glass, providing a research tool for the lab but one that is also field-ready. The use of UV-C LEDs offers instant on/off with immediate intensity, allowing for exact exposure times. LEDs also provide variable UV-C wavelengths. The PearlBeam has up to three wavelength options, with an activation switch for each wavelength.
International Light Technologies has been solving the inherent difficulties in light measurement through the design and manufacture of a wide range of light measuring instruments. The sensor used with the PearlBeam will allow testing in the 255-300nm range, which prevents the need for several sensors to test a variety of wavelengths. The hand-held unit from ILT provides data, trends and averages in a portable setting, making the combination of the PearlBeam and ILT products truly field-ready, says AquiSense.
