UV-C AMPLIFIERS AND CONTROL OF THE SAME

Abstract

A UV-C Amplifier is provided where multiple UV-C LEDs are provided around a work area (e.g., a hollow cylinder) in order to sterilize contaminants in that work area (e.g., virus and/or bacteria) to provide a sterilization device for substances in, or flowing through, the work area. The sterilization device have, for example, mating structures so that the device may be mated with other devices such as, for example, a ventilator or face mask. The sterilization device may be portable and may include one or more rechargeable batteries so that the device can sterilize material flowing into, through, and/or out of one or more devices such as a ventilator or face mask.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63/140,237, titled “LARGE-SCALE UV-C INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SIMULATIONS OF THE SAME,” filed Jan. 21, 2021 (Attorney Docket No. D/188PROV), 63/109,333, titled “INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF UV-C INACTIVATION DEVICES,” filed Nov. 3, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/187PROV), 63/085,140, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/186PROV-2), 63/085,134, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/186PROV-1), 63/056,534, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UV-C INACTIVATED VIRUS VACCINES AND UV-C SANITIZATION,” filed Jul. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/185PROV), 63/042,494, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENT AIR STERILIZATION WITHOUT CIRCULATION UNSANITIZED AIR,” filed Jun. 22, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/184PROV), 63/023,845, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDS-FREE OBJECT STERILIZATION,” filed May 12, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/183PROV), 63/018,699, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UV-C SURFACE STERILIZATION,” filed May 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/182PROV), 63/015,469, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INCREASING WORK AREA AND PERFORMANCE OF UV-C GENERATORS,” filed Apr. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/181PROV), 63/009,301, titled “UV-C AMPLIFIERS AND CONTROL OF THE SAME,” filed Apr. 13, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/180PROV), 63/006,710, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Apr. 7, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-3), 63/003,882, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Apr. 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-2), 63/001,461, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Mar. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-1), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterilization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A UV-C generation device is provided that includes multiple UV-C light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) positioned around a work area. For example, the multiple UV-C LEDs may be positioned around a cylinder. The cylinder may be, for example, comprised of a UV-C transparent material (e.g., a material with UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%) such as, for example, quartz or UV-C transparent polymer. The LEDs may be located on a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board may be fabricated, for example, from a polyimide or FR4 and may be, for example between 2 thousandths of an inch and seven thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between 2 and 4 thousandths of an inch thick such as between 2 and 2.5 thousandths of an inchd thick). A working substance (e.g., a gas, a liquid, an air and liguid) may flow through the cylinder and the UV-C LEDs may interact with the working substance to, for example, sterilize the working substance. The UV-C LEDs may, for example, have a wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 220 and 280 nanometers or between 250 and 265 nanometers or between 255 and 260 nanometers such as 255, 260, or 265 nanometers).

Each UV-C LED may be independently controlled and regulated through control and regulation circuitry on the flexible printed circuit board or another device. Accordingly, the intensity of each UV-C LED as well as the turn-ON time and turn-OF time of each UV-C LED may be independently controlled. A processor may be provided on the flexible circuit board or on another communicatively coupled device to control the operation of the UV-C LEDs.

The flexible printed circuit board may be, for example, wrapped around all of, or a portion of, the cylinder so that the UV-C LEDs may provide UV-C light into the cylinder through the cylinder wall. UV-C LEDs may be arranged in rows and columns. A UV-C flexible circuit when wrapped around a cylinder may, for example, have rows of three (3) UV-C LEDs in multiple columns (e.g., three columns, six columns, nine columns, twelve columns, more than twelve columns, or any number of columns). Accordingly, six columns of three UV-C LEDs would provide eighteen UV-C LEDs. The UV-C LEDs may be aligned in rows or staggered in rows around the cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the workspace may not be provide din a cylinder but in any shape that provides a workspace (e.g., inside a cube, rectangular, triangular, or any other type of housing).

UV-C reflective material may be provided on the flexible printed circuit board around the UVC-LEDs or selectively provided, around the UV-C LEDs placement so as to not generally impede UV-C emanating from the UV-C LEDs, on the interior surface or exterior surface of the cylindrical housing. Such a UV-C reflective material may include, for example, aluminum.

One or more heat sinks may be provided around the UV-C LEDs in order to capture and expel heat from UV-C LEDs away from those UV-C LEDs. A battery and/or wall plug and/or battery and wall-plug may be utilized to charge, for example, one or more rechargeable batteries located inside a housing that includes the working space.

Manual inputs may be operable to receive manual input from outside of a housing that may include the working area (e.g., a UV-C transparent cylinder) or be placed within the proximity of a working area. Temperature, humidity, and flow rate may be added and utilized to, for example, control the intensity of one or more of the UV-C LEDs so that, for example, the intensity may be changed for different temperatures, flows, and/or humidity.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of Ultraviolet LEDs, or other light sources, may be provided on an LED array such as UV-B and UV-A LEDs. Similarly, additional wavelengths of light may be provided in LEDs, or other types of light sources. A spectrometer, or other device, may be included to determine the type of material in the working space and may activate different LEDs or different types of LEDs (e.g., based on the detected material(s)). Similarly, different UV-C LEDs, or non-LED UV-C sources, may provide different wavelengths and different modes may be provided to control the UV-C LEDs so a subset of the UV-C LEDs may provide a particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 255 to 265 nanometers) and other UV-C LEDs may provide another particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 270 to 280 nanometers).

A flexible circuit board does not have to be rolled, for example, for the flexible circuit board to sterilize a working surface. A device may have a generally flat flexible circuit board at a perimeter separated from a surface that has contaminant (e.g., virus and/or bacteria) that requires sterilization). The housing may have a handle (e.g., a removable handle) so that the UV-C sterilization device can be provided as want for moving over, and sterilizing, a surface.

The housing may include multiple mateable ports for handles such that, for example, one handle may be inserted into one mateable port to provide a sanitizing and a larger handle may be inserted into a different mateable port to provide a sanitizing mop/broom. Such a UV-C sanitizing device may be wall mounted such that, for example, someone can place their hands in a working space and have the hands sterilized. The device may operate on two modes—human mode and non-human mode. The device can prompt this to the user for the mode, wait for the user to activate the mode, or autonomously activate the mode.

The flexible circuit board with multiple UV-C LEDs may be articulated via motors and/or other controls so that different areas that, for example, include UV-C LEDs may be moved away from each other or to each other or moved closer to, or further away from, the other LED's.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and advantages of the present invention can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same structural elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of UV-C device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 11 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 12 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 13 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 14 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows device 100 that may include any number of ultraviolet C (UV-C) light sources such as UV-C light emitting diodes 102 and 103. UV-C sources may have a wavelength between approximately 200 nanometers and 280 nanometers. Processor 106 and additional circuitry 107 may be included on circuit board 101 in additional to input/output ports 104 and 105.

Printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, a non-flexible or a flexible printed circuit board. Input/output ports 104 and 105 may be, for example, contacts to couple to another circuit board or an external device. Processor 106 may, for example, control UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 using firmware that is downloaded into processor 106 or provided in a memory of processor 106 before or after placement on circuit board 101. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that printed circuit board 101 may be multiple printed circuit boards that are communicatively coupled together to form a multiple circuit board device. Different circuit boards of a multiple circuit board device may be provided in a single housing or in different housings. A housing may be fabricated in multiple parts and adhered permanently or may be removable. Parts of a housing may be coupled by hinges, screws, glue, molding, ultrasonic bonding and/or any other method. A housing may provide an air tight seal.

Firmware updates may be downloaded through input/output ports 104 and 105. Any number of input/output ports may be provided and different protocols may be utilized for different ports. Additionally, blue-tooth (e.g., BLE), contactless (e.g., RFID), telecommunications (e.g., cellular such as 4G or 5G cellular), infrared, or other wireless communication structures may be provided such as wireless communication chips, circuitry, protocols, and ports may be provided. Wireless power generation may be provided and may be utilized by power circuitry to change a battery coupled to printed circuit board 101 (e.g., through battery contact pads on circuit board 101).

Printed circuit board 101 may be a flexible polyimide or flexible Fr4. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such a flexible printed circuit board may be, for example between two thousandths of an inch and seven (7) thousands of an inch in thickness (e.g., between two thousandths of an inch and three thousands of an inch in thickness). Silicon chips may be ground and polished before placement on printed circuit board 101 to between, for example, five thousandths and ten thousandths of an inch in thickness). Such chips may be mounted on printed circuit board 1010 via a flip-on-flex structure or via a wire-bonded structure. A wire-bonded structure may be for example a low-provide wire-bonded structure with wire-bonds that are placed with less than a five thousandths of an inch profile above the silicon chip and encapsulant that is less than three thousandths of an inch above each wire-bond. The entire thickness from the bottom of flexible circuit board to the top of an encapsulant of a chip may be, for example under fourteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., under twelve thousandths of an inch thick). For example, the thickness from the bottom of circuit board 101 to the top of the encapsulant may be between ten and sixteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between twelve and fourteen thousandths of an inch thick). Wire-bonds may be for example, gold wire-bonds or aluminum wire-bonds. A low-profile encapsulant may be provided that utilizes at least two separate encapsulate provisioning steps in order to provide the low-profile encapsulant.

Processor 106 may be one or more processors and may be provided between, for example, twenty megahertz and five gigahertz. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that faster processors may provide faster control of UV-C LEDs 102 and 103. Faster control of UV-C LEDs may provide shorter ON times which may provide the ability to damage and sterilize certain elements (e.g., virus) without damaging and sterilizing other elements (e.g., living tissue and cells). Processor 106 may, for example, provide ON times for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 less than, for example, 100 nanoseconds, less than 10 nanoseconds, less than 1 nanosecond. For example, Processor 106 may turn ON UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 between approximately 1 and 100 nanoseconds (e.g., between 20 and 60 nanoseconds or between 30 and 50 nanoseconds). High speed control circuitry may also be provided in order to control UV-C LEDS 102 and 103 between 1 and 100 femtosecond (e.g., between 1 and 50 femtoseconds or between 1 and 20 femtoseconds).

Circuitry 107 and 108 may include, for example, regulation and control circuitry for UV-C, or other, sources of light on circuit board 101 as well as sources of light and other circuitry on other boards or external devices. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs on circuit board 101 may be, for example, individually regulated and controlled or controlled as a group or in subsets. For example, circuit board 101 may include over ten (10) or over one hundred (100) UV-C LEDs. UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled in groups of two or more (e.g., three or more). A portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled independently while another portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated as a group or in sub-groups.

UV-C LEDs on printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, UV-C LEDs having the same wavelength of may have different wavelengths and they may be independently controlled at different times using different control profiles that provide different turn ON an turn OFF pulses (e.g., the duration of an OFF state for one or more UV-C LEDs may be the same duration or a different duration such as a longer or shorter duration than the ON duration for the respective one or more UV-C LEDs). The UV-C LEDs may all be between approximately 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., provided at or between 250 and 270 nanometers such as provided at or between 255 and 265 nanometers). Some UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, at or between 250 and 260 nanometers while others are provided, for example, at or between 260 and 270 nanometers. One or more additional light sources may be provided on board 101 such as, for example, UV-B, UV-A, VUV, and visible spectrum light sources.

Visible spectrum light sources may be provided, for example, to provide a visual indicator when board 101 is ON or OFF as well as different operating modes. For example, a visible spectrum LED may be a single-color LED (e.g., white, green, blue, Or red) or a multiple color LED and may provide indication of when a battery (e.g., a rechargeable battery) is low and/or critically low on power. Manual inputs may be included on circuit board 101 to receive, for example, manual input to turn circuit board 101 ON, Off, and/or change between different modes of operation (e.g., different intensities for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103).

Circuit board 101 may be a single layer or multiple layer circuit board. For example, circuit board 101 may have two, three, four, or more layers. Printed circuit board 101 may be flexible. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board may be at least partially or fully wrapped around or contorted around one or more objects (e.g., one or more working spaces for sterilization by the UV-C LEDs of board 101). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that flexible circuit board 101 may utilized for multiple sterilization devices as flexible circuit board 101 may be able to flex around one or more objects (e.g., one or more hollow cylinders in which working material may be sterilized by UV-C LEDs) or may not be flexed and may lie flat next to an object (e.g., a surface of an object desired to be sterilized). Flexible circuit board 101 may be actuated so it can be flexed around different objects or placed next to an object so one device may be used in different configurations to change the location of elements of circuit board 101 to sterilize different objects and/or surfaces.

Circuit board 101 may include multiple rows and columns of UV-C LEDs and each UV-C LED, row of UV-C LEDs, and/or column of UV-C LEDs may be, for example, independently controlled (e.g., by processor 106 via additional circuitry such as additional circuitry 107). Circuit board 101 may include, for example, rows of three (or more) UV-C LEDs and columns of five (or more) UV-C LEDs). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that rows may include the same number of UV-C LEDs or a different number of UV-C LEDs than other rows. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that columns of UV-C LEDs may include the same or different number of UV-C LEDs than other columns. A row of UV-C LEDs may have, for example, six UV-C LEDs so that if circuit board 101 is rolled around a tube in a particular manner that the UV-C LED row provides a hexagonal disc around that tube. Each column may then, for example, provide another hexagonal disc of UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may be folded to provided UV-C LEDs facing in two (or more directions), left unfolded so the UV-C LEDs face in a single direction, wrapped around an object so the UV-C LEDs face into the object, folded inside of an object (e.g., a tube) so the UV-C LEDs face outside of the object, wrapped around an object (e.g., a brontoscopy or proble) with the UV-C LEDs facing away from that object, or in any form to provide UV-C LED light to any object or objects. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may have UV-C LEDs on a single side of board 101 or multiple sides of board 101.

Cross section 110 shows a cross-section of flexible circuit board 113 including UV-C LEDs 114 and 115 inside of a tube having an interior surface 112 and an exterior surface 111. Such a tube may be cylindrical in shape or may have a non-cylindrical shape. Any UV-C material utilized with a sterilization device may be UV-C transparent and may have UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%), greater than seventy percent (e.g., 70%), greater than eighty percent (80%), or greater than ninety percent (e.g., 90%). Such a UV-C transparent material may be, for example, quartz. Cross section 110 may, for example, include a cross section that includes two or more UV-C LEDs such as three or more UV-C LEDS or six or more UV-C LEDs. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that cross-section 110 may be provided such that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs is inserted into a rigid or flexible tube that is UV-C transparent to be placed in a cavity of a living organism (e.g., a nasal, throat, or lung cavity) in order to sterilize material placed about the tube having outer surface 111 and inner surface 112 from contaminants (e.g., viruses). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a thinner thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 of any tube used in connection with a sterilization device may provide more UV-C light to penetrate through inner wall 11 and 112 to interact with a working material. Accordingly, the thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 may be, for example, at or between half a millimeter and four millimeters (e.g., at or between half a millimeter and two and a half millimeters such as at or between a millimeter and two millimeters). For example, the thickness of a UV-C transparent material may be approximately two millimeters in thickness.

Side view 140 shows a side view of a cylinder with a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs wrapped around the cylinder. More particularly, side view 140 includes flexible circuit board 141 wrapped around a cylinder that has multiple UV-C LEDs such as UV-C LEDS 142, 143, 144, and 145. UV-C LEDs and 143 may be part of a UV-C disc that includes three or more UV-C LEDs. For example, the far side (not shown) of side view 140 may include a single UV-C LED aligned with UV-C LED 142 and 143 to provide a three UV-C LED disc around a hallow cylinder when placed around a hollow cylinder. UV-C LEDs may be facing into the hollow cylinder to provide UV-C light into a working area inside of the hollow cylinder in order to interact (e.g., sterilize) material (e.g., virus) in and/or moving through that working area. UV-C LED 142 may be aligned with UV-C LED 144 and UV-C LED 143 (and other UV-C LEDs) may be aligned with 145 (and other UV-C LEDs), respectively, so that the UV-C LEDs of multiple discs and/or rows are aligned with each other when wrapped around an object.

Cross-sectional view 120 shows circuit board 123 that may include one more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 124) located around a UV-C transparent hollow cylinder provided by interior wall 121 and exterior wall 122.\

Cross-sectional view 130 shows circuit board 131 located around a hollow cylinder that included an interior wall 132 and an exterior wall 133. Circuit board 131 may have one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LEDs 134 and 135).

Side view 150 shows flexible circuit board 152 wrapped around a hollow cylinder such that LED discs are formed that are staggered from one another. For example, UV-C LED 153 may be associated with two ore more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder while UV-C LEDs 152 and 154 may be associated with one or more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder. Each UV-C LED disc may have the same (or different) number of UV-C LEDs but, for example, these UV-C LED discs may be staggered such that material flowing through the cylinder at different locations may have staggered UV-C LEDs that may be closer to the material than if the UV-C LEDs were not staggered with respect to one another. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C discus, rows, or columns may be staggered in two or more configurations (e.g., three or more configurations) and multiple groups of UV-C LEDs may be staggered differently than different groups of UV-C LEDS.

Device 160 shows a stepped hollow cylinder 162 that has three circuit boards, each having multiple UV-C LEDs wrapped around different portions of the stepped hollow cylinder. For example, circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be placed (e.g., wrapped around) portions 162, 163, and 164. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be independently controlled via the same of different firmware on each board. Multiple circuit boards may be coupled to a processor and/or circuit board located outside of the boards with UV-C LEDs. A circuit board with UV-C LEDs may act as a master control circuit board to another circuit board with UV-C LEDs that acts as a slave circuit board such that the master control circuit board controls the slave circuit board.

Cross-sectional view 170 includes circuit board 173 around a hollow cylinder including interior wall 171 and exterior wall 172. The cylinder, as in any structure that is provided to include a working space in that structure, may be UV-C transparent. Circuit board 173 may include one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 176) that faces into the walls 171 and 172 such that UV-C light from UV-C LED 176 passes through walls 172 and 172 to impact the working space provided by wall 171. A material, e.g. air, may be flowed through the working space provided by wall 171 so that UV-C LEDs may impact (e.g., sterilize) that material from contaminants (e.g., virus and/or bacteria). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs may be laminated into the hollow cylinder itself (e.g., between walls 171 and 172. Such a configuration may, for example, provide UV-C LEDs closer to the working space. A fan, or other material movement system, may be provided to impact the speed that material is moving through the working space.

Post 175 may be UV-C transparent and may include UV-C LED 174. Configuration 181 may be provided in place of UV-C 174 and may include multiple UV-C LEDs. Any UV-C LED may be tilted at an angle on any axis in order to provide UV-C LED light in any direction. UV-C LEDs 182, 183, 184 may be provided on structure 185 and may be tilted differently on one or more axis from each other).

UV-C LEDs 174 or any UV-C LED located outside of a circuit board (e.g. circuit board 173) may be communicatively coupled (e.g., coupled by a physical conductor) to circuit board 173 so that circuit board 173 may control one or more UV-C LEDs located outside of circuit board 173.

A working space may be any working space in any device such as a ventilator device. In providing UV-C sterilization in a ventilator device any air flowing through that ventilator device (e.g., air entering, flowing through, or exiting) the device may be sterilized.

FIG. 2 shows device 200 that may include housing 213. A hollow cylinder may be fluidically coupled to mateable portion 217 and mateable portion 218 so that a working substance (e.g., air in a ventilator) may pass through mateable portion 217, through the cylinder, and through mateable portion 218. Mateable portion 217 may be a male mateable part that fits into female mateable part (e.g., mateable part 218 may be a female mateable part). In doing so, tubing used in, for example, medical devices such as ventiators may be coupled to mateable portion 217 and 218 such that a working substance flowing through the ventilator is temporarily redirected through device 210. Circuit board 219 may include UV-C LEDs (e.g. UV-C LEDs 220, 221, and 222) around a cylinder that circuit board 2019 is wrapped around). One or more heat sinks (e.g., heat sinks 216 and 223) may be wrapped around a portion or all of circuit board 219 to draw heat generated from circuitry and UV-C LEDs away from the working space (e.g., the space inside of the cylinder). The cylinder may be a UV-C transparent material (e.g., quartz) and may include a thickness between an inner wall and an outer wall between approximately 1.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters (e.g., approximately 2 millimeters). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that heat sink 210 and 223 may be a single heat sink wrapped around circuit board 219 wrapped around a hollow cylinder (or other structure providing a working space). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder or other structure may not be provided and circuit board 219 may define the working space itself. For example, circuit board 2019 may be wrapped into a cylinder and a working material may be followed through that cylinder. A protective layer may be placed (e.g., sprayed or placed) on one or more portions of one or more surfaces of the circuit board to provide protection for the circuit board from any working material.

Device 210 may include one or more batteries 215 and 224. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that batteries 215 and 224 may be separate batteries or a single battery wrapped around housing 213. Batteries may be rechargeable or permanent and removable and replaceable. Charging circuitry may be provided. External power may recharge the power or, for example, may power circuitry of device 210 directly. Switching and regulation circuitry may control, for example, when external power (e.g., wall power) is utilized to charge a rechargeable battery and/or power circuitry of device 210 directly. Manual interfaces 211 may be included such as, for example, to turn device 210 ON/OFF and or change modes or enter other input data into device 210 (e.g., configure device settings and or device modes). Visual indicators 212 may be a bi-stable or non bi-stable display and/or single-color light source(s) and/or multiple color light source(s). A visual indicator may be a two-color display (e.g., black and white or two tone display) or a several color display (e.g., a color display) and may include an interface for the consumer. Visual indicators 212 may include the status of device 210 Status may include, for example, status information such as, for example, whether device 210 is operating properly or incorrectly as well as data associated with the device. For example, device 210 may provide a visual indication of a low battery, broken part (e.g., broken UV-C LED). Audio indicators may also be provided such as speakers. Audio and/or visual information may be provided such as, for example, when a battery is less than a particular amount of charge (e.g., less than twenty percent or less than ten percent of charge) or when a software update is available. External ports 214 may be provided anywhere on housing 213 such as on mateable port 217 and 218 such that external power and/or control and/or data input/output may be provided. By including external ports 214 on mateable portions multiple devices can be physically coupled together and the coupled devices may communicate to each other (e.g., control and power each other). Any number of devices 210 may be coupled to one another to, for example, provide a multiple or several device array or, for example, to increase the sterilization impact on a working substance. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to a ventilator. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to different parts of a ventilator or may be coupled adjacently to a single part of a ventilator.

Devices 230 are provided that include device 232 having mateable portions 231 and 233, device 235 having mateable portions 234 and 236 and device 328 having mateable portions 237 and 239. A working substance can be flowed (e.g., pushed and/or pulled) through an opening in mateable portion 231 and through devices 232, 235, and 238 to be expelled through an opening in mateable portion 239.

Devices 240 may be provided and may include devices 241, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, and 250. Adaptors 242 and 225 may be included to create a joined working space between any number of devices. Adaptor 242 may, for example, fluidically couple device 241 to device 243 and 244. Adaptor 245 may, for example, fluidically coupled devices 243 and 244 to devices 246, 247, 249, and 250.

FIG. 3 shows ventilator 310 that may include housing 311, tubing 312 and device 313 that may include device 313 for providing UV-C light to the working substance provided by tubing 312. Device 313 may be, for example, any UV-C generating device included herein such as, for example, device 100 of FIG. 1.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generating device may have liquid and/or gas flowed through it from any structure. Accordingly, for example, a UV-C sterilization device may be placed about an input and/or output and/or filter port to any device such as a face mask. Accordingly, for example, a face mask wearer (e.g., a military, police, firefighter, caregiver) may enjoy improved protection against contaminants (e.g., bacteria and/or virus). Configuration 320 may be provided that may include UV-C sterilization device 322 fluidically coupled to an air channel of mask 321. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C sterilization devices may be coupled to one or more air channels of mask 321.

Configuration 330 of FIG. 3 shows device 331 coupled to UV-C generating device 332. Device 331 may be, for example, a substance cooler, substance heater, substance fan, and may be fluidically coupled to provide the substance worked on, expelled, or input into device 331 through device 332 to provide, for example, sterilization capability.

Configuration 340 may be provided any may include device 341 fluidically coupled to device 343 through UV-C generation device 342 such that a substance moved between device 341 and 343 may be sterilized by, for example, device 342.

Configuration 350 may include device 353 communicatively coupled to UV-C generating device 351 via physical or wireless communications 353 such that information and controls may be provided between device 353 and device 351.

Configuration 360 may be included that includes device 353 fluidically coupled to device 261 and communicatively coupled to device 264. Device 264 may also be communicatively coupled or fluidically coupled to device 261. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 362 may be communicatively coupled to multiple or several other devices as well as fluidically coupled to multiple or several other devices.

A UV-C generating circuit (e.g., circuit 101) may be elongated and may be placed at the bottom of a wand with the UV-C LEDs facing through a UV-C transparent material so that a surface may be sterilized. Referring to FIG. 4, device 410 may include housing 412, handle 411, and a UV-C generating device 413 where UV-C is generated outside of housing 412 in order to provide sterilization in the proximity of where UV-C light from UV-C generating device 413 leaves housing 412. Person skilled in the art will appreciate that a portion of housing 412 may be UV-C transparent (e.g., quartz or another UV-C transparent material). Handle 411 may have a smaller length than housing 412 or may have a length that is more than half of the length of housing 412.

Device 420 may include handle 421, housing 422, and UV-C generating device 423. Handle 421 may be, for example, twice as long as the longest side of housing 422 such that device 420 may form a UV-C sterilization device that can reach a surface that is further away from a user (e.g., a floor). In doing so, for example, a UV-C broom may be provided. A UV-C wand and/or UV-C broom may have any structures and components of any UV-C generating device herein (e.g., a visual spectrum LED next to a light guide so that light from the LED causes the light guide to illuminate the color of the LED). Such a visible spectrum LED may be placed around the working area of the UV-C so that when the device is ON and emitting UV-C light, the consumer is provided with a visual reference where the UV-C light is emanating and hitting.

Device 430 may be included with housing 435 and UV-C generating structure 436. Device 430 may include wall mounting 432 and 434 such that device 430 may be mounted on a wall. UV-C generating device 436 may have multiple modes. One mode may be, for example, provided UV-C light at one intensity and under one control profile (e.g., one pulsing profile) while another mode may, for example, provide UV-C light at a different intensity under a different profile). A light guide coupled to one or more visible spectrum LEDs may be provided so that the working area impacted by the UV-C light is illuminated by that visible light. The color or control of these visible spectrum LEDs may change based on mode. For example, one mode may provide a visible green light while another mode may provide a visible red light. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that manual controls or automated controls may change modes. For example, one mode may be to permit sterilization of human skin such as human skin on hands while another mode may be to provide sterilization of a non-human surface (e.g., a non-human service). A human sterilization mode may be controlled with UV-C light at a lower intensity and faster ON pulses with, for example, extended OFF pulses compared to a non-human sterilization mode. One or more of the same or different sensors may be provided to assist in determining if human skin is present or if a non-human material is present. For example, if a large continuous metal surface is detected by a metal detector than the device may be provided with a control signal indicative of a non-human service. Device 430 may have manual and/or other controls so that a user can switch between modes of operation. For example, device 430 may have a microphone that can receive spoken commands from a user (e.g., a spoken hand of “sterilize hands”. Device 430 may include mateable portion 431 for mating to a structure or device (e.g., a handle so that device 430 may be used as a wand). Device 430 may include mateable portion 433 so that device 433 may be mated to a device (e.g., a handle at least twice as long as the longest dimension of device 430 so that an UV-C broom may be provided). Device 430 may include sensors to determine how device 430 is configured. Protection structures may be provided to protect UV-C from not going past the structures. Accordingly, UV-C absorbant materials may be provided. UV-C reflective materials may also be provided to reflect and/or block and reflect UV-C light away from undesired areas and towards desired areas.

FIG. 5 shows topology 500 that may include UV-C generating devices 205 that may include one or more UV-C arrays of LEDs coupled through communications 501 to one or more internets and/or networks 502, one or more remote databases and/or servers 503, one or more third party data services 504 (e.g., medical data services for a patient utilizing a UV-C generating device), one or more other devices 507 (e.g., one or more other medical devices for a patient using a UV-C generating device), one or more other services 510 (e.g., a service that provides data regarding other UV-C generating devices), one or more third party services 509 (e.g., timing/clock services for the timing/clock of a UV-C generating devices), and/or one or more peripherals 508 (e.g., external displays, external batteries).

Flow chart 560 includes step 561 in which control signals are received by a UV-C generating device to change a mode of operation. Step 562 may be included in which the operational mode is changed based on the received control. Step 563 may be included in which notification may be provided to the change of mode as configured by the control. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that this notification may be human perceivable and/or may be provided to a device (e.g., a remote storage device for recordation of the mode change and/or the time of the change and/or the operator associated with the change and/or the patent associated with the UV-C generating device). Step 364 may be provided in which a device waits for new control signals such as control signals associated with a mode change.

Flow Chart 570 may include step 571 in which an intensity for each UV-C LED in a device and/or array may be determined. Step 572 may be included in which each UV-C LED and/or array may be driven based on the determined intensity or intensities for that UV-C LED array. New data may be received in step 573. Such data may be received from sensors on the UV-C generating device or from external sources (e.g., manual sources or other devices locally or remotely communicatively coupled to the UV-C generating device that is generating UV-C light. The new data may be interpreted in step 574 and the intensity for one or more UV-C LEDs and/or arrays in the UV-C generating device may be adjusted and/or turned ON and/or turned OFF. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple or several (e.g., over 10 or over 100 or over 1000) different intensities may be driven for any UV-C LED.

Flow chart 580 may be included and may include step 581 in which a control provide for one or more UV-C LEDs and/or UV-C LED arrays may be determined. Step 582 may drive based on the determination in step 581. Step 583 may receive new data and step 584 may update drive operation. Drive operation may include how one or more UV-C LEDs and/or arrays are operated over time (e.g., how intensity, pulse frequency, ON pulse duration, OFF pulse duration) is provided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C operational provide may change over time such that a UV-C LED or group of LEDs is operated in one manner during a first period of time and a second manner during a second period of time and a third manner during a third period of time and a fourth manner during a fourth period of time.

FIG. 6 includes device 600 that may include one or more processors 601, one or more manual inputs 602, one or more displays and/or visual indicators 603, one or more humidity detectors 605, one or more flow detectors 605, one or more contact and/or contactless input and/or output ports 606, one or more speakers and/or microphones, one or more temperature sensors 609 (e.g., to sense temperature in a working space), one or more pressure sensors 610 (e.g., pressure sensing for sensing pressure in a working space) and/or other sensors (e.g., metal sensors UV-C transparency sensors), one or more image and/or data capture devices 610 (e.g., a visible and/or infrared or other spectrum camera or data capture device), one or more light-emitting diodes and or other light emitting sources 612 (e.g. UV-C LEDs and/or UV-C light emitting sources), one or more sources of energy 613 (e.g., rechargeable and/or removable batteries), one or more internet or intranet connectivity devices 614, one or more slave and/or master devices 615, one or more auxiliary data storage devices 616 (e.g., a remote server), and one or more peripherals 618 (e.g., an external display to display information from a UV-C generating device).

FIG. 7 includes flow chart 710 that may include step 711 in which a temperature is determined of a working area and/or working substance. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the temperature of a working substance may be desired to be changed (e.g., increased to provide additional sterilization) or the temperature of a working substance may be desired not to be changed (e.g., air a human is breathing in a ventilator). Step 712 may determine flow of a material (e.g., gas and/or liquid) in a working area. Step 713 may determine, for example, humidity in a working substance. Other detectors may be utilized for example, such as an transparency detector to determine transparency (e.g., UV-C transparency), a metal detector (e.g., an inductive sensor) to determine metals in a working substance. Step 714 may change the operation of a UV-C LED or a group of UV-C LEDs (or other LEDs such as a UV-B and/or UV-A LED or LED group) based on the information from the sensors in a UV-C device. Other devices may be notified of sensed data and changes made to the UV-C generating device (e.g., so that the other devices may change their respective modes of operation). Data from the UV-C generating device and other devices may be stored and archived in step 716. Data may be received from other devices in step 717.

Flow Chart 730 may be included that may include step 731 to determine if software (e.g., a firmware update for a UV-C generating device) is available. Step 732 may provide an indication (e.g., a human indication to an operator and/or administrator) and/or an indication to another device that a software update is available (e.g., to slave devices). Step 733 may download data (e.g., the software update). Step 734 may, for example, await instructions to install the software. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that downloading a software update may configured to not occur until instructions are received to download the software update. Instructions may be received to install the update in step 735 and the update may be installed in step 735. The updated software may be run in step 736 and an indication that the updated software update is running may be sent to one or more entities (e.g., one or more human or non-human entities) in step 747).

Flow chart 760 may be included and may include step 761 to determine if a battery voltage (or another battery attribute) is sufficient, step 762 to provide an indicator of sufficient battery voltage (or another battery attribute), determine if the battery is sufficient in step 764, provide indication of insufficient battery voltage in step 764, determine if a battery voltage is critical in step 765, and provide a controlled shut down ins step 767 (e.g., if the battery is determined to have a critical attribute such as a critical voltage).

FIG. 8 may be included and may include circuit board 812 inside of a cylindrical tube provided by inner wall 813 and outer wall 811. Persons skilled in the art may appreciate that an outer wall may not be provided and that the external side of circuit board 812 may provide a back wall to the cylinder.

Device 820 may include flexible circuit board 821 that may include one, multiple, or several LEDs (e.g., LEDS 822 and 823) as well as processor 824, circuitry 824, and communication ports 826 and 327. A reflective material may be provided over or coated over board 821 such as UV-C reflective material 861. Apertures such as apertures 862 and 863 may be provided that align with UV-C LEDs. For example, aperture 862 may align with UV-C LED 822 and aperture 863 may align with UV-C LED 823. Apertures may be smaller, the same size, or larger than UV-C LEDs associated with the apertures. An aperture may be associated with multiple or several UV-C LEDs.

Device 880 may include a cylindrical tube (e.g., tube defined by interior wall 885 and outer wall 884. A UV-C reflective material may be placed around exterior wall 885 or coated around exterior wall 885 with the UV-C reflectivity facing into the cylinder. The UV-C reflectivity material and/or coating may not be provided in front of UV-C LEDs such as UV-C LED 886 about area 883 so that UV-C LED can provide UV-C light 883 into the working area provided by inner wall 885.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder or structure defining a working space may be removeable from a UV-C generating device. For example, a cylinder or other structure defining or partially defining a working space may be removable and cleanable. Additionally, a cylinder or other structure may be removed and replaced. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a disposable/consumable structure (e.g., a UV-C transparent structure) may be provided inside a working space (e.g., inside a cylinder) and that disposable/consumable may be removed and replaced after each use (e.g., from time to time or from patient to patient).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C generating device may be a symmetrical device (e.g., in generally a cylindrical, elliptical, spherical shape) around an axis of symmetry or a non-symmetrical device around an axis of symmetry.

Device 910 may have a different height in one direction of mateable portions 912 and 916 than the opposite side of mateable portions 912 and 916. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 910 may have multiple flows for a working substance and may not have either mateable portion 912 and/or mateable portion 916. Device 915 may include a UV-C LED array 917. Such UV-C LEDs, or other UV-C light sources, may be provided on a single flexible circuit board, multiple flexible circuit boards or no circuit board at all and just mounted to support structures in device 910 and coupled, for example, via conductive material (e.g., conductive wires such as conductive insulated wires). Device 910 may include housing 915, one or more batteries 911, one or more heat sinks 913, and one or more circuitry 914. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the LEDs in LED array 917 may be part of circuitry 914 and may be wrapped around, for example, a channel where a substance may be flowed through the channel (e.g., a cylindrical tube).

FIG. 9 also shows configuration 920 that may include UV-C generation device 922 with mateable portions 921 and 923 and working material flow area 924 (e.g., located inside a cylinder). Extension module 925 may be provided to provide additional flow resistance (e.g., to balance the resistance of a multidevice fluidics system). Air resistance adder 925 may be controllable so air resistance is controlled (e.g., a structure that creates air resistance is moveable to create different air resistances such). Substance resistance adder 925 may include, for example, a shutter that may close partially or fully to change or stop the flow through adder 925.

Extension 926 may be included and may include, for example, one or more fans or pumps to accelerate, change, and/or decrease the flow through a UV-C generating device.

Extension 927 may include a particulate filter to filter particles having a particular size (e.g., larger than a particular size). A particulate filter may also have chemicals such as antibacterial chemicals. A particular filter may include, for example, one or more sources of UV-C LEDs to sterilize the filter. Any extension device may have any number of UV-C LEDs to sterilize any portion of the extension device. A particulate filter may include, for example, a UV-C blocking and/or absorbent material to minimize UV-C that may escape from a UV-C generating device. Accordingly, UV-C or any type of light filters may be added to block UV light (e.g., UV-C light) and such filters may permit the flow of a substance through the filter (and/or around the filter)

Supplemental electronics extension may be provided in device 928. Supplemental extension electronics may include, for example, one or more sensors such as one or more UV-C light sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, material determination sensors, humidity sensors, flow sensors, and/or any type of sensor or any combination of one of more sensors.

Extension 929 may be included that may provide one or more mating structures 930 that may mate with a device that would otherwise not mate with device 922.

FIG. 10 includes device 1000 that may include working substance flow working area 1007 that permits flow through portions 1005, through area 1007, and through portion 1006. Circuitry, such as circuitry with UV-C LEDs may be provided in one or more circuit boards 1004 and 1008. One or more batteries 1011 and 1001 may be provided. One or more heat sinks may be provided such as heat sinks 1002, 1003, 1009, and 1010. Such heat sinks may, for example, extend outside of housing 1000 without creating any aperture in housing 1000 about the heat sink to bring the heat sink outside housing 1000. Similarly, housing 1000 may be a heat sink itself or may include apportion that is a heat sink. A heat sink be fabricated from a thermally conductive material such as, for example, copper or aluminum.

FIG. 10 shows device 110 with housing 1053 that may include multiple or several working substance flow channels (e.g., channel 1054 and 1055 that permits working substance to flow through portion 1051, through channels 1054 and 1055 and trough portion 1058. Portion 1052 may fluidically couple channels 1054 to 1051. Portion 1057 may fluidically couple channels 1054 and 1055 to portion 1058.

FIG. 11 includes device 1100 that may include, for example, a UV-C sterilization wand, broom, or other device. Housing 1102 may include one or more batteries 1103, heat sinks 1104, circuitry 1005, and UV-C transparent material 1107 for UV-C LEDs on circuitry 1105 to provide UV-C light through UV-C transparent material 1107. UV-C absorbent or blocking structures 1101 and 1106 may be included to decrease or remove UV-C light reflecting off a surface being sterilized by device 1002 through UV-C transparent material 1107. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C transparent area 1107 may be removed and circuitry 1105 may provide UV-C light to a surface of an object via the environment (e.g., air).

Device 1100 may include track lighting (e.g., a light guide that amplifies in a particular area light from a visible LED or LEDS) to illuminate the area being operated on by UV-C light of device 1100.

Device 1150 may be included that includes handle 1160, housing 1153, UV-C transparent material 1152, UV-C blocking or absorbent materials 1161 and 1152, visible LEDS 1155 and 1156, manual interface 1162, and visible light 1161. Visible LEDs may be utilized to indicate, for example, when device 1150 is ON, the mode of device 1150, and/or the battery status of deice 115. Additional sensors may be included on device 1153 such as, for example, a distance sensor to determine the distance of a surface from one or more areas of UV-C transparent material 1152. In doing so, a surface profile of a surface may be determined and UV-C LEDs may be controlled behind UV-C transparent material (or materials) so that different portions of a surface get different intensities of UV-C light or UV-C light under different operating profiles.

For example, suppose device 1150 is switched from a non-human skin sterilization mode to a human-skin sterilization mode. In this example, the UV-C may be controlled by controlling different UV-C LEDs so that portions of a user's hand gets less intensity the closer the hand is to the UV-C led generating the UV-C light. Furthering this example, as the consumer turns the consumer's hands over under a particular UV-C LED that UV-C LED may be independently controlled from other UV-C LEDs to change the intensity to reflect the user's movements in order to provide an improved sanitization profile and safety profile.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flow sensor may be utilized to determine flow through a working area. An increased flow may be determined and the intensity of one or more UV-C LEDs as well as the operating profile of one or more UV-C LEDs may be changed. The number of intensities may be, for example, more than 10, 100, or 1000. Intensity may be increased for one or more UV-C LEDs, for example, if the humidity in the working area increases and/or if the UV-C transparency of the working substance decreases. Sensors (e.g., humidity and UV-C detection sensors) may be placed anywhere about a UV-C device (e.g., inside of a working area such as inside of a channel provided by a cylindrical tube.

FIG. 12 shows flow chart 1210 that may include step 1211. Step 1211 may include autonomously detecting if a human or non-human object is located in a working area. Step 1212 may be provided to change to human mode if a human object is detected. Step 1213 may be provided to change to non-human mode if a non-human object is detected. Step 1214 may determine surface type (e.g., types of non-human surfaces) and/or a location of one or more portions of a surface (e.g., the distance of the surface from one or more UV-C LEDs). Step 1215 may include changing the operation of a UV-C generating device based on the detection of the type and/or location of a surface. Step 1216 may be utilized to determine if an emergency shut off is desired (e.g., via manual input or via a detected anomaly such as the detection of a broken UV-C LED or a broken UV-C transparent material). Sensors may be provided to determine, for example, if a UV-C transparent material's integrity is removed. For example, a UV-C sensor may be placed to determine the UV-C in a particular area and a UV-C threshold limit may be monitored and an emergency threshold may be determined if the UV-C threshold is determined to have been passed. An emergency shut-off of the UV-C generating device may be provided in step 1217. Multiple types of emergency shut offs may be provided such as a shut off of all, or a portion, of a UV-C generating device. A controlled or uncontrolled shut-off may be provided. The UV-C LEDs may be shut off, for example, while a speaker and visual LED may be left operational so as to provide a human perceivable notification (e.g., a light and sound) that the UV-C generating device has a potential problem.

Flow Chart 1220 may be included and may include step 221 in which a consumable in unlocked from a working area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a consumable UV-C transparent cylinder may be placed in a UV-C transparent cylinder so that the consumable can be removed during a cleaning process, cleaned, and re-inserted or a consumable can be thrown away and a new one may be placed. The consumable may be removed in step 1222, a new consumable may be unwrapped from a packaging in step 1223, inserted into a consumable working area in step 1224, locked into a working area in step 1225. The device that includes the consumable may need to be adjusted after a consumable is inserted in step 1226 and this adjustment may be detected along with the presentence of the consumable device in step 1227. A UV-C generating device may not operate until, for example, a consumable is properly detected as being inserted and/or a device is detected as being properly adjusted to start operation (e.g., securitized). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a consumable may include one or more UV-C LEDs and associated circuitry as well as one or more sensors or other components and/or structures from a UV-C generating device.

Step 1230 may be included and may include detecting the integrity of a consumable in step 1231. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a consumable may be UV-C transparent and a UV-C detector may be utilized to determine the integrity of a UV-C transparent consumable. The mode of operation may be changed based on, for example, the integrity determination in step 1232. One or more notifications may be provided in step 133 (e.g., in a device perceivable and/or human perceivable communication). Different types of consumables may be detected and different operating modes may be utilized based on the consumable. For example, a medication may be delivered via a consumable and a different medication may be delivered through a different consumable. As per another example, different consumables may have different shapes of working substance channels in order to provide a different flow path and/or flow rate through the channel. Step 1234 may change mode based on the detected consumable and step 1235 may, for example, operate a UV-C generating device differently based on a determined consumable. Step 1236 may be utilized, for example, to provide a notification of the status of a consumable. Step 1237 may be provided to provide a notification of the status of operations. All notifications may be provided herein to a human (e.g., via a human-perceivable notification) or to a device (e.g., via a non-human perceivable notification).

FIG. 13 shows triangular structure 1311 that may include UV-C LEDs 1312 and 1313 that may be positioned to face into the working area defined inside of structure 1311. Any structure for a working area may be, for example, a UV-C transparent material or a circuit board including UV-C LEDs or other UV-C light sources. A UV-C transparent structure (e.g., a triangular or other shaped structure) may be placed inside of structure 1311 for a working substance to be contained and/or flowed through. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a working area may be closed while a UV-C operation occurs and then opened (e.g., one or two or more openings) so that the substance may be removed (e.g., removed and replaced).

Device 1320 may include an elliptical structure 1321 and UV-C LEDs 1322 and 1323.

Device 1330 may include a square housing (e.g., a square tube) and may include structure 1333 and UV-C LEDs 1331, 1332, 1334, and 1335. A rectangular housing may also, for example, be utilized.

Device 1340 may include structure 1343 may include UV-C LEDs 1341, 1342, 1344. Persons skilled in the art may appreciate that if a corner is provided in a structure a UV-C LED may be positioned about that corner.

Device 1350 may include a five-sided structure ((e.g., structure 1352) and may include LEDs 1351, 1353, 1356, 1358, and 1359, which may be, for example, facing inside of structure 1352 so that UV-C light is provided into structure 1352. UV-C LEDs 1354, 1355, 1357, and additional UV-C LEDs may be positioned inside of a working substance channel and may be provided providing UV-C light toward structure 1352. Reflective material may be placed on the interior (or exterior of structure 1352. For example, structure 1352 may be a UV-C transparent material that includes a printed circuit board with UV-C LEDs wrapped around structure 1352 and a UV-C reflective material may be provided so that UV-C light trying to escape structure 1352 is reflected back into structure 1352. The UV-C reflective material may not be provided, for example, around LEDs or sensors for sensing attributes inside of structure 1352.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that structure 1352 may be a six sided, or more structure (e.g., a printed circuit board). The printed circuit board may a flexible circuit board that is flexed around a cylindrical tube to create a six sided structure. A disc of three UV-C LEDs may be provided with a one side space between each of the three UV-C LEDs. Each column of UV-C LEDs may have, for example, three UV-C LEDs and may stagger so that as the LED discs are provided down a UV-C transparent structure (e.g., a UV-C transparent cylinder) the location of the UV-C LEDs rotate positions. For example the three UV-C LED disc located around the cylinder tube may be in a two configurations where the first configuration has three UV-C LED locations and three locations without UV-C LEDS and then the second configuration may have UV-C LED locations where these spaces occur and may have non UV-C locations where the previous configurations UV-C LEDs occurred. A cylindrical tube may have, for example, five or more (e.g., six) UV-C LED discs where each UV-C LED disc has three or more UV-C LEDs. A three UV-C LED disk repeated 5 times (e.g., in one or more disc configurations) provides fifteen UV-C LEDS providing UV-C light into the UV-C transparent cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the diameter of a cylindrical tube may be for example, a diameter that is less than a diameter of a bacterial/particulate filter without decreasing working substance flow like a bacterial/particulate filter as the UV-C light may not provide resistance on the same amount as a physical particulate and/or bacterial filter. A diameter of the inner diameter of a cylinder may be, for example at or between 2 millimeters and 25 millimeters such as at or between 5 and 20 millimeters, such as at or between 12 and 17 millimeters such as at or between 14 and 16 millimeters (e.g., approximately 15 millimeters). An outer diameter may extend between, for example, one half and three millimeters past an inner diameter (e.g. approximately 2 millimeters for a thickness of 2 millimeters). UV-C LEDs may be for example, approximately at or between 255 and 270 nanometers (e.g., approximately 260 or approximately 265 nanometers). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the components of a UV-C generating device may be of any size or shape. For example, a cylinder may be, for example, over 25 millimeters and under one half of a millimeter in inner diameter.

Device 1360 may include structure 1361 and may include UVC array 1362 and UVC array 1365. UVC array 1362 may include, for example, UV-C LEDS 1363 and 1365. UV-C array 1362 may be about a first UV-transparent tube and UV-C array 1365 may be about a different UV-C transparent tube.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a structure defining a working space (e.g., a cylinder) may have UV-C LEDs on one side of the structure and a portion of that structure may be UV-C transparent while another portion of the structure may be non UV-C transparent (e.g., UV-C absorbent or blocking) and may include a reflective surface on the non UV-C transparent material to reflect UV-C light back into the working area. In doing so, for example, UV-C LEDs may be placed about the UV-C transparent areas but not the UVC non-transparent areas. In doing so, for example, one or more UVC-LEDs may be able to provide a UV-C sterilization capability in a tube without having to provide UV-C LEDs about multiple sides of the tube. The UV-C LEDs may be provided on one or more dies but not provided on one or more sides. UV-C reflective material may be provided in order to, for example, increase the amount of UV-C light that is retained in the working area.

Structure 1370 is provided that includes portion 1371, 1372, 1373 that has a different interior working substance shape. UV-C LEDs may be positioned across portions 1371, 1372, and 1373 (e.g., UV-C LEDs 1374-1377 positioned around portion 1372).

FIG. 14 shows device 1400 that may include flexible circuit board 1403 that may include UV-C LEDS 1401, 1402, and 1403. Each UV-C LEDs 1401, 1402, and 403 may be included on independent circuit boards or mounted independently to a structure. Structures 1405, 1408, 1406, 1409, 1407, and 1410 may each provide one or more axis of movement so that one or more UV-C LEDs attached to the structures may be moved with the structure.

FIG. 15 includes device 1500 that may include UV-C generating device 1511 powered and/or controlled and/or communicate data between USB port 1512. In doing so, for example, UV-C generating device 1511 may be coupled to a computer (e.g., a laptop computer) as well as other devices (e.g. a vehicle such as an automobile).

Persons skilled in the art in possession of the present disclosure will appreciate any device (e.g., any UV-C generating device) may be added to a different device or made integral with the device, for example, integrated with a ventilator fan pump and information from UV-C sensors may be used to drive or control the UV-C generator.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements of any device herein may be utilized in any device herein. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments described. Instead, the present invention more generally involves UV-C focus, amplification, and control. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the apparatus of the present invention may be implemented in other ways then those described herein. All such modifications are within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A structure comprising:

a hollow cylinder, wherein said cylinder is fabricated from a material that is at least 50% UV-C transparent;

a flexible circuit board including a plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes, wherein said flexible circuit board is wrapped around said hollow quarts cylinder with said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes facing towards said hollow quarts cylinder.

2. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a UV-C reflective material coated on at least a portion of said cylinder to reflect UVC-light emitted from at least one of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes.

3. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a UV-C reflective material coated on at least a portion of said cylinder to reflect UVC-light emitted from at least one of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes, wherein said UV-C reflective material comprises aluminum.

4. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a UV-C reflective material coated on at least a portion of said cylinder to reflect UVC-light emitted from at least one of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes, wherein said UV-C reflective material is at least 70% UV-C reflective.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein said material is quartz.

6. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a UV-C reflective material coated on at least a portion of said cylinder to reflect UVC-light emitted from at least one of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes, wherein said UV-C reflective material comprises aluminum and said material is quartz.

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least six UV-C light emitting diodes.

8. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least twelve UV-C light emitting diodes.

9. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least fifteen UV-C light emitting diodes.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said UV-C light emitting diodes provides UV-C light between 260 and 280 nanometers.

11. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said UV-C light emitting diodes provides UV-C light between 260 and 265 nanometers.

12. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said UV-C light emitting diodes provides UV-C light between 250 and 260 nanometers.

13. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said UV-C light emitting diodes provides UV-C light between 200 and 280 nanometers.

14. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least six UV-C light emitting diodes and the wavelengths of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes is the same.

15. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least twelve UV-C light emitting diodes and the wavelengths of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes is the same.

16. The structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes comprises at least six UV-C light emitting diodes and the wavelengths of at least two of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes are different.

17. The structure of claim 1, wherein said circuit board further comprises at least one UV-B light emitting diodes.

18. The structure of claim 1, wherein said circuit board further comprises at least one visual spectrum light emitting diode.

19. The structure of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink associated with heat generated from at least one of said plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes.

20. The structure of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor, flow sensor, and humidity sensor.