Continuing with our recent spotlights on the various applications that Coretec’s Cyclohexasilane (CHS) impacts, especially those that address global challenges, we highlight our provisional patent in the LED market. Notably, this includes vertical agriculture, high-intensity lighting, and microbial decontamination. This third edition of the series delves into an incredibly timely application noted in the patent: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) decontamination.

Ultraviolet (UV) light has long been used as a method of microbial decontamination, most prominently in healthcare settings. UVC LEDs in particular have shown to be most effective at killing microbes, including superbugs like COVID-19, that spread between patients and staff. Medical associations like the FDA have noted that UVC LEDs have potential beyond special applications, for use in buildings and transport hubs as part of preventative cleaning. Even more exciting is the technology’s newfound potential as a viable option for decontamination of tools and surfaces through its ability to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Broader access to UVC LED technology capable of addressing the COVID-19 virus could change our entire approach to microbial/superbug containment and management – but this won’t be possible until we have options that are both effective and affordable. Our provisional patent outlines how CHS Quantum Dots (QDs) create cost-effective, high-intensity UVC LED technologies that could play a role in the fight against COVID-19 as we begin to see restaurants, mass transit, commercial offices, and more brace for yet another wave before the winter season.

CHS creates QDs for UVC LEDs with much lower processing and manufacturing costs. Operational costs are also reduced through the ability to create higher intensity lights at a lower wattage, thereby saving energy. The higher intensity light means faster decontamination. Fast forward to the physical installation of UVC LEDs, notably their ability to drastically cut down the amount of time and manpower it takes to clean surfaces using high-intensity UV LEDs. This can also save significant energy and labor costs for building decontamination.

Furthermore, these QDs can be customized to be thin, optically transparent, and flexible, achieving the desired narrow frequencies for UVC light. There’s a market advantage in being able to deliver specific frequencies of light for specific applications in various physical formats, delivering UVC wavelengths of 200+ nm to kill viruses like COVID-19.

As the LED industry continues to evolve to meet the challenges of today, Coretec’s new technological capabilities are making LEDs as effective as they ever have been. Its multi-purpose, CHS-derived technology is going to be at the forefront of expanding the use of COVID-19 decontamination, which could very well play a massive role in creating safe, healthy spaces for people to interact across the world.