Signify releases research findings on coronavirus inactivation
Philips UV-C lamps sterilize the virus with just a few seconds of exposure
Global lighting company Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) has announced the results of research conducted together with the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at Boston University in the United States, examining the effect of Philips UV-C (ultraviolet) lamps on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The Boston University research team carried out the study with the goal of verifying under what conditions the virus is inactivated when material inoculated with the virus is exposed to different doses of UV-C radiation. As a result, the team confirmed that applying UV-C at a dose of 5 mJ/㎠ using a Philips UV-C lamp could reduce the coronavirus by 99% in 6 seconds, and announced that applying 22 mJ/㎠ could achieve a 99.9999% reduction in 25 seconds.
UV-C, which has the shortest wavelength of all ultraviolet light, has already been known to sterilize viruses, bacteria, mold, and other pathogens, but this study verified that Philips' UV-C technology is also effective against the coronavirus.
Professor Anthony Griffiths, associate professor of microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine who led the study, said, "Our research results confirmed that the virus can be completely inactivated when exposed to UV-C above a certain dose," adding, "We hope our findings will contribute to the development and advancement of products that prevent the spread of infections caused by the novel coronavirus."
Because UV-C is harmful to human skin and eyes, it must not be directly exposed to people. Therefore, in most cases it must be installed and used inside enclosures where exposure does not occur, and when necessary, protective equipment must be provided in special environments. To this end, enclosures must not only be designed and manufactured according to the highest safety standards, but sterilization must also be carried out by installing the equipment in enclosures through collaboration with companies whose technical capabilities have been verified. This study was likewise conducted on coronavirus surviving on surfaces.
Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), a lighting company with a 129-year tradition, has supplied a wide range of products to the market through decades of UV-C technology development and has demonstrated its high level of technical capability and safety in UV-C products. It is currently developing a calculation method to measure how much UV-C radiation dose and time are required when using UV-C lamps against specific pathogens.
Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify, said, "We are very pleased to have obtained results, through our collaboration with Boston University, proving that our UV-C lamps are effective as a coronavirus preventive measure for businesses and institutions." He added, "Because this technology has great potential to support the global fight against the coronavirus, Signify will not keep the technology exclusive but will make it available for use by other lighting companies as well." He further noted, "To respond to the growing need for disinfection, Signify will expand its facilities so that it can produce several times more Philips UV-C lamps within a few months."
Kang Yong-nam, President of Signify's Northeast Asia region, said, "Amid the ongoing crisis caused by the coronavirus, we are very pleased to be able to announce that Philips UV-C lamps can help prevent the coronavirus. Because UV-C lamps can sterilize both surfaces and air, they can lower the possibility of viral infection in a variety of environments," emphasizing that "Signify is a leader in the global lighting industry with the widest range of UV lamp technologies."