The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., is investigating alternative methods to combat the poor effectiveness of manual cleaning in healthcare facilities, according to an article on the EC & M website.
LRC researchers tested a hybrid lighting system 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 Memorial Beacon Children’s Hospital in South Bend, Ind.
The UV-A dosing was set to levels calculated safe for human occupation.
Eight-hour exposures on counter surfaces were effective for suppressing pathogens identified as highly problematic for healthcare facilities.
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