Los Angeles-based Dimer UVC Innovations, which develops the GermFalcon germ-killing robot aimed at sanitizing airplanes, today offered to provide its services to three U.S. airports to help address an outbreak of a pneumonia-like illness that originated in China.
The coronavirus, which is in the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), has spread to 473 patients in China, and that 17 people have died from the virus. In the U.S., officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed one case of a Washington State resident testing positive for the virus after a trip to China.
Image: Dimer UVC Innovations’ GermFalcon robot
Dimer said its GermFalcon robot was specifically created to improve airplane hygiene, using ultraviolet-C (UVC) light to kill viruses, bacteria, and “superbugs on surfaces and in the surrounding air.” The GermFalcon is also designed to navigate an airplane cabin, with strategically placed UVC lamps that can expose all high-touch surfaces to the UVC light.
The company said it will offer the germ-killing system to “contribute to emergency response efforts at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
“The threat of coronavirus infecting innocent passengers on an airplane is one we must work to eliminate immediately,” said Elliot Kreitenberg, co-founder of Dimer. “This is a dangerous virus that has already taken lives. GermFlacon is a fast and effective response to this threat, and we are pleased to offer it at no expense to contribute to emergency response efforts at LAX, SFO, and JFK airports during this crisis.”
UVC germ-killing robots in hospitals
A UVD robot disinfects an intensive care unit in a hospital. Image: UVD Robots
UVC disinfection robots are typically seen in healthcare facilities and hospitals, being used to disinfect air, water, and surfaces in rooms and operating rooms. Companies in this space include Tru-D (recently acquired by PDI Healthcare), XENEX Disinfection Services and its LightStrike Robots, and UVD Robots, a spinoff from Denmark’s Blue Ocean Robotics robot incubator. A spokeswoman for UVD Robots said several partners of the company in Asia are collaborating with health authorities in the region to disinfect larger areas in airports, as the robot is too large to be used inside an airplane.
The outbreak in China originated in Wuhan, and centered on a seafood market. The CDC said while originally thought to be spreading from animal-to-person, “there are growing indications that limited person-to-person spread is happening.” But it also noted that it was unclear on how easily the virus is spreading between people.
The CDC said it began implementing public health entry screening at SFO, JFK and LAX airports on Jan. 17, and will add entry health screening at two more airports – Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago (ORD). The agency is providing updates on the outbreak at this site.
Dimer makes UVC products for hospitals too. Nice research!
Is it safe? UV light has radiation? How long will the radiation last in that particular area after the light is off?
Ultraviolet radiation is adjacent to the visible spectrum. It typically doesn’t linger, so as long as unshielded people are not in the room when the disinfection robot is working, they should suffer no ill effects if they enter afterwards.
Hi Karen, different radiation to the one you are thinking of. No residual after lights are turned off. They are line of sight kill on germs only. Does not penetrate surfaces.
Bring your lights. We need them. Thank you…Robot
Is ultraviolet-C light able to kill all corona virus? Will a small portable want be effective or does it have to be a huge robot type device to have any effectiveness? If effective, how long does the virus infected area need to be exposed to the UV-C light? Do you sell personal, portable hand held units? (If not, you should develop one)!
Humans should limit exposure to UV radiation, which is why a robot can be effective for disinfection.
The robot would need to stay stationary for at least 15 minutes at a distance of 2-3cm’s for it to be effective against the coronavirus.
This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.