How do you clean the UV BARx1?

The UV BARx1 should be cleaned with a dry cotton or paper cloth. Wear rubber gloves and clean with a paper towel or clean cotton cloth, using only a small amount of isopropyl alcohol. Clean the UV BARx1 as you would any other equipment, using a cloth and soap.

How much does UV BARx1 weigh?

1 kg for the portable device, excluding its power cord.

How often should the UV bulb be changed?

The UV bulb has a life of 8,000 hours. This means that if you use it 4 hours a day, 200 days a year, it will last about 10 years. If activated 24/7, the lamp will last just under a year.

Can I change the lamp myself?

Yes, it’s simple, just like changing a light bulb.

How do I dispose of a replaced lamp?

The lamp contains mercury and must be disposed of in accordance with local regulations on mercury waste. They must therefore be disposed of in accordance with local legislation, for example at the local recycling station. The lamp must be handled with care, as a broken lamp can release toxic mercury.

What type of UV light comes out of the UV BARx1?

This is short-wave UV-C light, with its peak at 253.7 nm.

How big is UV BARx1?

45cm long, 12cm wide and 13.5cm high.

How long is the lamp cord?

Length approx. 3 m.

What is the output power of the UV BARx1?

The UV BARx1 has a powerful 60W lamp inside.

Will UV BARx1 become hot?

Like any bulb, the UV BARx1 lamp will be hot during use and needs to be cooled down after use. The outer casing is not hot to hold.

DECONTAMINATION EFFECT

What will it decontaminate?

UV BARx1 can be used to clean a surface of any microorganism (virus, bacteria, protozoa, etc.). For more resistant microbes, a longer exposure time may be required for successful decontamination. Some examples are shown in the table – click here. For a more complete list and sources, please consult the article we have compiled.

How often should I decontaminate with UV BARx1?

UV BARx1 reduces bioloading, so in areas that are used by many people all the time, we recommend a more frequent interval – this could be in the morning before everyone starts, during the lunch break and again in the evening. On a keyboard used by just one person, this can be done once or twice a week by the cleaning staff at night. The coffee machine and printer in an office environment are often used by many people, so it would make sense to expose them on a daily basis.

Can I use a PC keyboard or telephone immediately after decontamination, or do I have to wait?

Yes, you can use all the keyboards and phones right afterwards.

Will my phone be damaged by this?

For a daily exposure of 30 to 60 seconds, this will not be the case. Very long exposures can degrade materials. Click here to see the table.

If a longer exposure time than specified is used, will this damage my target?

There’s no need to overexpose a surface, as excessively long exposure times can accelerate the aging and degradation of certain materials. The effects of UV-C light on different materials are similar to those you’ve seen sunlight have on materials: colors can fade, and materials become less resistant as they age faster. Sun exposure is not as intense as UV-C light, but sun exposure is generally several hours a day, whereas UV-C light is generally a few seconds for each cleaning cycle. Because of the short exposure and the short duration of total daily exposure, we anticipate that it will take hundreds of exposures before we see any adverse effects on materials.

How does UV BARx1 decontaminate?

The energy of UV-C light interacts with DNA and RNA, modifying its structure so that it no longer functions. This effectively neutralizes the micro-organism, so that it can no longer function or replicate.

Can I measure the effect of decontamination?

The decontamination rate can be measured in a laboratory capable of measuring the microbial load on a surface. UV yield can be measured, and correlated with existing studies, to give a good indication of the level of surface decontamination.

To what extent does UV BARx1 reduce viruses, bacteria and protozoa?

The amount of reduction depends on the micro-organism, the exposure time and the proximity of the lamp to the surface. Most viruses and bacteria will be decontaminated (to 99.9%) with 22.5 mJ/cm2, which corresponds to about 5 seconds’ exposure at a distance of 5 cm. For a higher degree of decontamination, or for stubborn pathogens, prolonged exposure can be used. Increasing the exposure time from 5 to 10 seconds will increase the dose to 45 mJ/cm2, which for the case mentioned above improves the degree of decontamination from 99.9% to 99.9999%.

How often should I decontaminate with UV BARx1?

How often you need to use the UV BARx1 depends on the environment (how constant the level of cleanliness needs to be) and the number of people passing by or interacting with the objects or surfaces. In a hospital setting, this could be several times a day, between each patient, or whenever you’ve finished working with a piece of equipment or a surface, to ensure a consistently clean surface. A surface that is touched daily by many people in a workplace needs to be decontaminated daily. For personal items, such as a computer, telephone or desk, weekly cleaning will suffice. This information is intended as a guide only: in times of pandemic, you would use it more regularly than in a normal situation.

DECONTAMINATION PROCESS

How far away from the product do I need to be to decontaminate properly?

We recommend a distance of 20 cm or less to obtain the required dose in a few seconds. See the chart – click here.

How fast can I pass over the target?

At a distance of 10 cm, 1.1 seconds is the estimated time for 99.9% decontamination of SARS CoV-2 (the Covid-19 virus) and most other bacteria and viruses. In recent research, this dose was sufficient to neutralize saliva (from an infected person’s cough) so that it could not infect others.

It doesn’t light up when I press the button?

Normally, it takes 2-3 seconds for the lamp to light up. Do not look at the lamp without protection!

How long does UV BARx1 have to warm up before it’s ready?

Instant start-up time. No need to preheat.

Can I use the UV BARx1 with people and animals in the room?

No one – neither humans nor animals – should be in the same room when the lamp is on, unless they are also wearing protective equipment. Aquariums can remain in the room, as the fish are protected by the glass and also by the water. BUT, the light source must never be directed at the aquarium, and must never be used to decontaminate the aquarium with fish inside.

How close can I get to UV BARx1 without it being dangerous?

It’s important that people without protective equipment stay out of line of sight, or behind a physical barrier such as a glass window or door.

Is there anything I can’t decontaminate with UV BARx1?

UV BARx1 is designed for micro-organisms, some of which are more difficult to decontaminate. Fungi and algae, as well as adenoviruses and resistant bacteria (Deinococcus Radiodurans and perhaps Clostridium difficile are a few examples) may require a high dose, and will therefore require a longer exposure time. UV-resistant Deinococcus Radiodurans and resistant adenoviruses will require 1 minute of constant exposure for successful decontamination.

How can I be sure that the UV BARx1 is working as it should?

We measured the dose from the UV BARx1 when used at a distance of 50 mm with a 7 s exposure: around 30 mJ/cm2. This corresponds to the required UV-C dose as established in the reference literature for the decontamination of viruses and bacteria. You can find out more about this in the bibliographical references we have compiled in this article.

Do I also need to use a cloth when cleaning the UV BARx1?

UV BARx1 doesn’t remove dirt and dust – it inactivates bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Normal cleaning is therefore still necessary, but it has been shown that the level of bacteria, viruses and protozoa is reduced when UV BARx1 is used on dirty surfaces too.