Towards A Systematic Literature Review for Evaluating Smart Home Environments using light bulb sensors

As more homes become digitally connected the use of assistive technologies to support the operation in the home environment especially when one thinks of the elderly and the sick, our research shows that there is a gap in the literature with respect to the measure of the effectiveness of the use of these assistive technologies to support the home as a smart home. We conduct quantitative usability experiments supported by a conceptual human interaction framework to assess this effectiveness. We conduct as proof of concept these experiments with the use of a Google mini automated assistant and an internet ready light bulb sensor , to determine the responsiveness to the human voice, at different location proximities around the home, and the correctness to these responses to qualify the effectiveness argument. In this study the authors use their primary residence amidst the COVID19 pandemic to demonstrate the type of concerns. Our explicit contributions in this study are (i) A systematic review of the literature in this area (ii) the design of the smart home network environment with the google mini assistant and light ulb sensor that supports the human voice interactions (iii) Identify a suitable conceptual human interaction framework to support the use of the smart devices connected within the home users environment to support our experiments (iv) Provide critical case evaluation of the measure of effectiveness of the usability experiments supported by this conceptual framework. © 2023 IEEE.

Far UV-C radiation: An emerging tool for pandemic control

Far UV-C, informally defined as electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 200 and 230 nm, has characteristics that are well-suited to control of airborne pathogens. Specifically, Far UV-C has been shown to be highly effective for inactivation of airborne pathogens;yet this same radiation has minimal potential to cause damage to human skin and eye tissues. Critically, unlike UV-B, Far UV-C radiation does not substantially penetrate the dead cell layer of skin (stratum corneum) and does not reach germinative cells in the basal layer. Similarly, Far UV-C radiation does not substantially penetrate through corneal epithelium of the eye, thereby preventing exposure of germinative cells within the eye. The most common source of Far UV-C radiation is the krypton chloride excimer (KrCl*) lamp, which has a primary emission centered at 222 nm. Ozone production from KrCl* lamps is modest, such that control of indoor ozone from these systems can be accomplished easily using conventional ventilation systems. This set of characteristics offers the potential for Far UV-C devices to be used in occupied spaces, thereby allowing for improved effectiveness for inactivation of airborne pathogens, including those that are responsible for COVID-19. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Evaluation of UVC Excimer Lamp (222 nm) Efficacy for Coronavirus Inactivation in an Animal Model.

The current pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has encouraged the evaluation of novel instruments for disinfection and lowering infectious pressure. Ultraviolet subtype C (UVC) excimer lamps with 222 nm wavelength have been tested on airborne pathogens on surfaces and the exposure to this wavelength has been considered safer than conventional UVC. To test the efficacy of UVC excimer lamps on coronaviruses, an animal model mimicking the infection dynamics was implemented. An attenuated vaccine based on infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was nebulized and irradiated by 222 nm UVC rays before the exposure of a group of day-old chicks to evaluate the virus inactivation. A control group of chicks was exposed to the nebulized vaccine produced in the same conditions but not irradiated by the lamps. The animals of both groups were sampled daily and individually by choanal cleft swabs and tested usign a strain specific real time RT-PCR to evaluate the vaccine replication. Only the birds in the control group were positive, showing an active replication of the vaccine, revealing the efficacy of the lamps in inactivating the vaccine below the infectious dose in the other group.

Public perception of the use of far ultraviolet C irradiation for disinfection purposes

Abbie Ross, SP 1 sp Sally Ibbotson SP 1,2 sp and Paul O'Mahoney SP 1,2 sp SP I 1 i sp I University of Dundee and i SP I 2 i sp I Scottish Photobiology Service, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee, UK i Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased effort to find new approaches to prevent airborne transmission of diseases. The survey was developed in-house and was distributed to the general public through the use of social media and the results showed that only 32-4% of respondents had previously heard of far-UVC vs. 64-9% having heard of UVC. Studies so far suggest that human skin can tolerate even extremely high doses of filtered far-UVC without the induction of erythema or significant DNA damage, unlike existing germicidal ultraviolet lamps, which typically emit at 254 nm. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of British Journal of Dermatology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Development of a UVC-based disinfection robot

Purpose>The disinfection robot developed by the authors and team focuses on achieving fast and precise disinfection under a given or specific disinfection zone. This looks to solve problems with traditional robots that pay less attention to the level, efficiency and zones of disinfection. To effectively support and guarantee normal running for the whole system, a digital twin system is applied to the disinfection robot. This study aims to achieve fast, precise and thorough disinfection via the developed mobile robot.Design/methodology/approach>The designed robot is composed primarily of the following three parts: a mobile platform, a six-axis robotic arm and a ultraviolet-C (UVC) LED array. The UVC LED array is installed on the end-effector to achieve large-scale, precise manipulation. The adoption of all types of advanced sensors and the development of an intuitive and user-friendly client interface are helpful in achieving remote control, path planning, data monitoring and custom disinfection functions.Findings>Disinfection of three different locations in the laboratory was performed;the dosage distribution of the surface as radiated by the UVC robot was detected;and feasibility of development was validated.Originality/value>The developed disinfection robot achieved fast, precise and thorough disinfection for a given or specific disinfection zone.

Bright Future of Deep-Ultraviolet Photonics: Emerging UVC Chip Scale Light-Source Technology Platforms, Benchmarking, Challenges, and Outlook for UV Disinfection

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated great interest in ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, particularly for air disinfection. Although UV disinfection was discovered close to 90 years ago, only very recently has it reached the consumer market and achieved much acceptance from the public, starting in the 2000s. The current UV light source of choice has been almost exclusively a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp. Today, however, with emerging deep-UV (DUV) chip-scale technologies, there has been a significant advancement, along with ever-increasing interest, in the development and deployment of disinfection systems that employ compact devices that emit in the deep-UV spectral band (200- 280 nm), including UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and cathodoluminescent (CL) chips. This perspective looks into competing UV technologies (including mercury lamps and excimer lamps as benchmarks) on their optical merits and demerits and discusses the emerging chip-scale technologies of DUV electroluminescent and cathodoluminescent devices, comparing them against the benchmarks and providing an overview of the challenges and prospects. The accelerating progress in chip-scale solutions for deep-UV light sources promises a bright future in UV disinfection.

Mechanic Design and Kinematic Simulation of Tri-Star Wheeled Mobile Robot for COVID-19 Using UV-C Disinfection for Public Transport

Due to the Covid 2020 pandemic, the world has faced several economic and lifestyle changes, which have been reflected in new ways of interacting and acting to avoid the spread of the virus. But these changes have not only brought negative things, due to the nature of social distancing and high contagion, governments and companies have been forced to consider technological and regulatory alternatives that can help reduce or eliminate the risks of contagion, modernizing and improving several technologically deficient sectors to current needs. For this reason, the innovative research was carried out from 2021 under the supervision of the School of Mechatronics Engineering at Ricardo Palma University, it was designed a mobile robot that can disinfect public transport using UV-C rays. This study presents mechatronics conceptual design and kinematic analysis, where SolidWorks 2020 is used to design the 3D structure. In addition, this device can climb small ladders with Tri-star wheels, composed of three 130 mm onmiwheels, as well as mecanum wheels that provide maneuverability to improve its range of displacement. The robot has IR sensors for the detection of obstacles and thermal sensors for the detection of people in the work area. It is programmed on a Raspberry Pi 4. The robot is pretended to be applied on regular public transportation and terminals to automatically disinfect them as long as there are no people around. In conclusion, favorable results were achieved;consequently, the next step of this project is to start developing a prototype applying the SLAM technique to generate 3D maps of the interior of public transport. © 2022 IEEE.

Measurement application for UV-C irradiation intensity evaluation

This paper presents a measurement application designed to evaluate Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation intensity generated by commercially available lamps. Our work was done in the context of proliferation of different devices and technologies deployed with the purpose of virus (especially SARS-CoV-2) and bacteria inactivation. The proposed system is based on the UV-Tiamo-C6 sensor module, a professional device designed for purification lamp control. The intensity characteristics for two types of sources (1x36W and 2x36W) were investigated in relation with the distance from the source. Furthermore, the 2D space distribution of the intensity was analyzed by means of a customized mobile platform built on an iDrive Rock Climber vehicle. Other facilities of the proposed measurement experiment include live video transmission, automated data saving/analysis and remote control. Functionality tests performed in the laboratory confirm that the proposed system was properly designed and implemented. As future development, we will focus on correlating the effectiveness of a disinfection device, based on such UV-C lamps, in relation with exposure time, distance and target colonies type.

Portable Ultraviolet-C Chambers for Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2

The goal of this project was to create and optimize the performance of portable chambers for reliable ultraviolet (UV) disinfection of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enable its safe reuse. During unforeseen times of high demand for PPE, such as during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), single-use PPE supply can be quickly depleted. UV radiation has been shown to disinfect materials with high efficacy. This paper reports the design and construction of two 280 nm ultraviolet-C (UV-C) disinfection chambers in the form of portable chambers with 46 cm x 46 cm x 46 cm interior dimensions, one using light-emitting diodes and the other using mercury vapor lamps. This paper summarizes and presents a review of SARS-CoV-2 UV deactivation research during 2020 to 2021. Additionally, this paper discusses efforts to increase the uniformity and overall intensity of the UV-C radiation within the chambers through the installation of a UV-reflective, porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material. A calculator prototype was additionally designed to calculate the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 as a result of UV-C disinfection, and the prototype code is presented. The paper describes the selection of UV-C radiation sources for the chambers and the chambers' mechanical and electrical design, PTFE installation, testing, and safety considerations.

UV inactivation of Semliki Forest virus and E. coli bacteria by alternative light sources.

The quick spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, initiating the global pandemic with a significant impact on economics and health, highlighted an urgent need for effective and sustainable restriction mechanisms of pathogenic microorganisms. UV-C radiation, causing inactivation of many viruses and bacteria, is one of the tools for disinfection of different surfaces, liquids, and air; however, mainly mercury 254 nm line is commonly used for it. In this paper, we report our results of the experiments with newly elaborated special type polychromatic non-mercury UV light sources, having spectral lines in the spectral region from 190 nm to 280 nm. Inactivation tests were performed with both Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) as a representative of human enveloped RNA viruses. In addition, the effect of prepared lamps on virus samples in liquid and dry form (dried virus-containing solution) was tested. Reduction of 4 log10 of E.coli was obtained after 10 min of irradiation with both thallium-antimony and arsenic high-frequency electrodeless lamps. High reduction results for the arsenic light source demonstrated sensitivity of E. coli to wavelengths below 230 nm, including spectral lines around 200 nm. For the Semliki Forest virus, the thallium-antimony light source showed virus inactivation efficiency with a high virus reduction rate in the range of 3.10 to > 4.99 log10 within 5 min of exposure. Thus, the new thallium-antimony light source showed the most promising disinfection effect in bacteria and viruses, and arsenic light sources for bacteria inactivation, opening doors for many applications in disinfection systems, including for pathogenic human RNA viruses.

Design and Construction of a Multifunctional Disinfection Robot

This paper proposes a robot designed for automated routine or emergency disinfection in closed premises. The robot is related to the combined type robots. The robot consists of two functional parts: a universal mobile platform (lower part) and a disinfector (upper part), which, if necessary, can be freely moved by personnel on 4 wheels. In the initial position, the upper part of the disinfection robot is at the charging station. The mobile robot drives up to the disinfector, «hooks» it (puts it on itself) and moves along the planned route. The upper part of the disinfector will have its own independent intelligent system, separate from the mobile robot, which, when a person is recognized, stops liquid disinfection: in this case, the UV lamps turn through 180°, the cylindrical body closes and ventilation of the disinfected air from the enclosed space is turned on. In addition, liquid disinfection is only enabled when detecting beds, tables and chairs. With the spray nozzles located at a height of 400 mm, the disinfector can carry out a simultaneous combined treatment of rooms with equipment and furniture, including high-quality processing of the lower surfaces of tables, chairs and beds. To improve the functional characteristics of robotic disinfectors and to simplify their design, a multifunctional robotic disinfector has been proposed. It was found that the result is achieved by the fact that in a multifunctional disinfection robot containing a mobile cart with an autonomous positioning and navigation system, a disinfection platform with a disinfection liquid spraying system and UV lamps with reflectors installed on it, the disinfection platform will have its own autonomous control and power systems © 2022, Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies. All rights reserved.

Ultraviolet C lamps for disinfection of surfaces potentially contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 in critical hospital settings: examples of their use and some practical advice.

BACKGROUND: UltraViolet-C (UV-C) lamps may be used to supplement current hospital cleaning and disinfection of surfaces contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. Our aim is to provide some practical indications for the correct use of UV-C lamps. METHODS: We studied three UV-C lamps, measuring their spatial irradiance and emission over time. We quantify the error that is committed by calculating the irradiation time based exclusively on the technical data of the lamps or by making direct irradiance measurements. Finally, we tested specific dosimeters for UV-C. RESULTS: Our results show that the spatial emission of UV-C lamps is strongly dependent on the power of the lamps and on the design of their reflectors. Only by optimizing the positioning and calculating the exposure time correctly, is it possible to dispense the dose necessary to obtain SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. In the absence of suitable equipment for measuring irradiance, the calculated irradiation time can be underestimated. We therefore consider it precautionary to increase the calculated times by at least 20%. CONCLUSION: To use UV-C lamps effectively, it is necessary to follow a few simple precepts when choosing, positioning and verifying the lamps. In the absence of instruments dedicated to direct verification of irradiance, photochromic UV-C dosimeters may represent a useful tool for easily verifying that a proper UV-C dose has been delivered.

Design and Implementation of a Germicidal UVC-LED Lamp.

In the last years, low pressure ozone UVC mercury germicidal lamps have been widely used to decontaminate air, surfaces, and water. This technology is mature, and it has been widely used during the pandemic as a measure against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19; because the exposure of this virus to the wavelength wave of 254 nm has been proven to be an effective way to eliminate it. However, the Minamata Convention in 2013 decided to limit mercury lamps by 2020; therefore, the development of new technology devices based on UVC-LEDs (short-wave ultraviolet, light-emitting diodes) are receiving a lot of attention. Today, this technology is commercially available from 265 to 300 nm peak wavelengths, and recently up to 254 nm. Notwithstanding, due to the characteristics of these LEDs, arrangements with a precisely dosed power supply are regularly required to provide effective decontamination. Thus, this article reports the design and implementation of a power electronic converter for an array of 254 nm UVC-LEDs, which can be used to decontaminate from SARS-CoV-2 in a safe way.