COVID: Meeting the Challenge of Mask Decontamination
Hospitals and other health care providers can benefit greatly from the ability to decontaminate masks and other equipment, thus allowing reuse. Exposure to UV-C radiation has proven an effective means for this. But, many of the UV light sources marketed for this purpose don’t actually work.
One of the key problems is that unscrupulous companies are selling sterilization light sources that don’t emit the right wavelength, or sufficient power (or both). So, measuring both of these parameters is critical to ensuring success.
However, accurately measuring UV-C light intensity has been difficult in the past, particularly for instruments based on photodiodes. Now, Coherent offers a new measurement technology that provides a solution.
Read how Power and Controls Technology Inc., together with the University of West Florida’s Laser Lab, have employed the Coherent PowerMax power sensor to measure UV-C source output power. This enabled them to determine necessary exposure times for complete mask decontamination.