With the recent outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in the United States, the scramble for a cure and methods to help protect healthy people is on. Correlating my passion post with this current event, I have chosen to write about the emerging technology of Ultraviolet-C Cleaning Machines, or UVC’s. Utilizing a specific range of shorter ultraviolet wavelengths, these machines initiate a process called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. During this process, the energy contained in these wavelengths is strongly absorbed by nucleic acids in DNA. The nucleic acids’ processes are disrupted and results in the death of the molecule/organism. 

Recently, this technology has been implemented in hospital environments to completely disinfect areas without a human actually contacting those surfaces. For instance, hospitals at Duke and UNC have been utilizing the Tru-D SmartUVC device to take further precautions against contamination. Alice Brewer, director of clinical affairs for Tru-D SmartUVC says “Having technology like this as a part of the cleaning process eliminates those missed areas.” “It does that by disrupting the DNA structure of the bacteria or virus and prevents it from being able to replicate or grow any further.” These devices cost a hefty $90,000 but are already in place at 250 hospitals around the country. In addition, no humans can be present in the room when the device is in operation because it could potentially alter and harm their DNA. But the companies that manufacture these devices boast 99.9% effectiveness in inactivating pathogens that healthcare associated infections. These infections affect millions of people and add billions of dollars to healthcare costs in the US annually.  

Personally, what I found most interesting about this technology is how it was founded. I guess it just goes to show the ingenuity of engineers in creating solutions – when most people think about cleaning or sanitizing areas, the instinctual thought is to apply some sort of cleaning solution and rub. But someone instead brainstormed this idea to clean surfaces without ever coming into contact with them. One potential danger I found however was the possibility of accidental human contact. One site hypothesized that if human skin came into contact with these UVC rays, burns or even skin cancer could occur, therefore if this technology were to be expanded or popularized, this danger would definitely need to be accounted for. Another one of my reservations regarding this device is the cost-benefit analysis. Of course the site advocates for how “it would save billions of dollars” but I think more research is needed into how much more effective and efficient this device is than traditional sanitation techniques. In addition, I am sure the device incurs further expenses to operate as well so more information is definitely needed.    

Finally, I would just like to offer some of my lasting thoughts about the future of this technology. I think there is definitely potential for the use of the device in hospital settings but one of the articles I read also mentioned how these devices could potentially replace janitors in schools or offices. This concept however I think is a bit of a stretch, I don’t think lower level institutions besides hospitals could be able to afford it or see the use. In addition, I think these devices could definitely benefit from some sort of human recognition feature in which it automatically shuts off if a human is close by and in the “danger zone”. Overall though, I think this could drastically make hospitals safer and prevent infections and am still intrigued by the technology behind it.  I hope the implementation right now helps block the spread of infectious diseases like the coronavirus, at least long enough to develop a cure.