Blog
Last month, the Coretec team announced that we filed a provisional patent on next generation LEDs. Having a provisional patent in-hand is an exciting step for us for two reasons; first, we’re letting the LED industry know that we have a novel approach, using our CHS technology, to help LED manufacturers exceed current cost and performance limitations. Second, this is part of a longer process designed to protect our technology and manufacturing approach in three of the fastest growing areas of LED innovation – high intensity, vertical agriculture, and COVID-19 UV decontamination.
CHS offers unique properties that can change the way we look at LED lighting as we know it by focusing on quantum dot (QD) technology. Below are just a few examples of the LED industries that we’re working with and focusing on through the patent:
High Power Large-Installation Lighting
Ever wonder why we don’t see more LEDs in large installations like sports stadiums, subway stations and city street lights where their use could save thousands of dollars annually in energy costs? This is because current generation LEDs lack the ability to produce high-intensity light without generating an amount of heat that is so excessive, it can cause damage to the LED and force it to stop working entirely. Using CHS QDs within LEDs can create a design that significantly reduces heat while increasing lumens (light output). In doing this, it’s possible to create more efficient LEDs that increase the amount of light without driving up electricity costs, creating a market opportunity to reduce lighting electricity use up to 75%.
Lighting for Vertical Agriculture
As climate change, resources shortages, and food security become a concern for the world’s growing population, we need to develop new approaches to crop cultivation. One leading solution is vertical agriculture. In addition to using 10% of the water traditional farming uses, and no pesticides, studies have shown that crops react positively to specific light frequencies (colors) including red, pink and blue light. Our patent pending design enables LEDs to deliver a narrow frequency of light, capable of producing these select color ranges, each of which is targeted mainly at vertical agriculture. Using these light frequencies and achieving select color ranges, it’s possible to improve desired attributes such as a 200% increase in vitamin C within certain fruits, higher vitamins/minerals in various plants, or a longer shelf life both during the shipping and retail phases. Vertical Ag is estimated to grow 24% annually and reach $13 billion in 2026, offering a tremendous opportunity for growth.
COVID-19 Decontamination with UV lighting
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing large buildings, hospitals, transportation providers and municipalities to rethink how they perform decontamination efforts for infectious diseases and other public health concerns. UV light is highly desirable as a microbial disinfectant due to its high intensity and ability to rapidly kill COVID-19 on various surfaces. Coretec’s provisional patent enables cost efficient, high intensity, UV LEDs that could eliminate COVID-19 and other viruses from physical surfaces, drastically cutting costs and time needed for sanitation efforts. The UV disinfection equipment market is estimated to grow 12.3% annually and grow to $5.3 billion in 2025, particularly in the wake of the current crisis.
Over the next 12 months, we plan to refine and expand our patent claims for these specific applications to ensure our patent covers as wide an application space as possible. By 2021 we plan to file a full patent with the U.S. patent office to continue to protect our process and technology.