Ultraviolet (UV) light has been used for decades to disinfect and purify air in hospitals, where people are most vulnerable to diseases. UV-C rays are an effective germicidal agent and can be used as a complement to manual terminal cleaning protocols. This type of light is particularly useful in places of high traffic and contact, and on surfaces where the biological load is high. In addition to its effectiveness, it also requires less time and labor. However, more studies need to be done to establish a safe exposure dose standard, especially for 222 nm germicidal lamps.
Direct tests are urgently needed for the implementation of UV-C against COVID-19. In general, the use of UV-C rays as a disinfectant tool can overcome safety problems if doses are standardized and 222 nm UV-C irradiation can be used. UV light systems are increasingly being used in health centers to disinfect patients and operating rooms. UV LEDs, PowerStar UV and Intelligent LED SolutionUV LEDs are a good solution for resin curing in dental applications. The lifespan of bulbs used in traditional curing technologies, such as tungsten halogen, is considerably shorter than the one with LED bulbs. Resins now cure in a matter of seconds, a process that would have taken a long time before the development of LED systems.
In addition, they reduce the amount of energy used. A new study shows that ultraviolet disinfection technology eliminates up to 97.7 percent of pathogens in the operating room. Using this wavelength of light could help defeat superbugs. Studies have analyzed ultraviolet light in relation to the reduction of airborne pathogens, and work is continuing to see if this type of technology can be useful in the future, including the current study, which analyzes ultraviolet light technology and its use in the operating room. Other concerns include, to a large extent, the lack of standardization in the irradiation dose (irradiance and exposure time) and the distance between surfaces for different UV-C light devices, such as automatic UVGI light devices and portable UV-C light devices. UV disinfection lighting improves both the patient experience and staff's ability to work efficiently and with special care.
