LRC Evaluates Hybrid UV/Blue Light Lighting System to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is investigating light-based disinfection using short-wavelength light, ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to blue light (200 nm to 410 nm). Short wavelengths can kill pathogens through a variety of pathways, depending upon the wavelength, the duration, and the amount. The expectation is that decontamination of room surfaces will improve over manual cleaning methods.

LRC researchers tested a new hybrid lighting system, developed by GE Current, a Daintree company, which was designed to provide both visible white light and disinfecting UV-A. The system was retrofitted into a modern hospital newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at the Memorial Beacon Children’s Hospital in South Bend, IN. The UV-A dosing was set to levels calculated to be safe for human occupation.

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