UV LED technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, helping to reduce bacteria and improve hygiene. As the technology advances, the range of applications for UV LEDs is expanding. For example, since the start of this year, a number of water bottles equipped with UV LEDs for automatic disinfection have appeared on the market. At the same time, applications involving drones fitted with UV LEDs have also emerged.
Recently, UV LED technology has found yet another application: researchers have integrated UV LEDs into public door handles to provide automatic cleaning and disinfection.
According to reports, two postgraduate students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have designed a self-cleaning door handle and have been shortlisted for the top twenty in the 2019 James Dyson Award.
According to reports, the two postgraduate students were inspired by the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), during which the virus was transmitted through contact. They designed this self-cleaning door handle with the aim of preventing the spread of infectious diseases and improving public health.
The research team utilised a thin photocatalytic coating activated by UV LEDs to break down bacteria on the surface of the substrate. As a consistent UV light source was required, they incorporated a power supply to provide a stable current to power the UV LEDs; this process can be activated by opening and closing the door. Light is reflected off the transparent glass door handle to activate the coating on its outer surface, thereby enabling the door handle to disinfect and clean itself.
The two researchers stated that their aim is to commercialise this product, hoping that the door handle will be used in public places with a high risk of infection, such as shopping centres, hotels, nightclubs and public baths.
Fitted with a UV LED, the door handle can self-disinfect
UV LED technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, as it can be used to reduce bacteria and improve health. With technological advancements, the range of applications for UV LEDs is expanding. For example, since the start of this year, several water cups have been fitted with UV LEDs to provide automatic disinfection. At the same time, there are also applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fitted with UV LEDs.
UV LED technology has recently found another application. Some researchers have integrated UV LEDs into public door handles to provide automatic cleaning and disinfection.
Photo source: James Dyson Award
According to reports, two postgraduate students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have designed self-cleaning door handles and have been shortlisted for the top 20 at the 2019 James Dyson Award.
According to the report, the two students were inspired by the SARS outbreak in 2003, when the virus spread through contact. They designed the self-cleaning door handle to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and improve public health.
The team used a thin photocatalytic coating activated by UV LEDs to break down bacteria on the surface of the substrate. As a consistent UV light source was required, they added a generator to provide a stable current to power the UV LED, which is achieved by opening and closing the door. The transparent glass door handle will reflect light to activate the coating on its outer surface, enabling the handle to disinfect and clean itself.
The two researchers said they intended to commercialise the product and hoped that the door handle could be used in shopping centres, hotels, hospitals, public toilets and other public places with a high risk of infection.
