UV-LED Disinfection: A New Opportunity for BlueLight Analytics

As a manufacturer of technology for the dental industry, BlueLight Analytics (BlueLight) is interested inimproving infection control protocols for dental light curing units (LCUs) and recognizes the potential forultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) technology to be disruptive in its industry. An infection controlstrategy for LCUs would complement BlueLight's current products and services, which are centered onquantifying the clinical performance of curing lights. Current infection control strategies can damage LCUs andcompromise light output. If light output is compromised, dental resins may be undercured.Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection could overcome challenges with current infection control strategies. UV-LEDtechnologies can provide the same (or superior) disinfection as traditional UV while using less energy andrequiring no mercury, which makes them an environmentally sustainable alternative for infection control.For the purposes of this 6-month research project, the team, consisting of one undergraduate student, oneMaster's student, one PhD student and one post-doctoral fellow, will develop a UV-LED-based disinfectionprotocol for LCUs. Research tasks will include: (a) Determining appropriate conditions for UV-LEDdisinfection of clinical surfaces; (b) Comparing UV-LED disinfection to current industry-standard infectioncontrol strategies and (c) Assessing impact of UV-LED disinfection on LCU light output.Having tools that can assist healthcare providers maintain the proper operation and ensure sterility of theirequipment is critical. In a broader context, UV-LED is widely used as a Cleantech-based disinfectant andUV-LED disinfection technologies are viewed as disruptive technologies across a broad range of industries.Use of UV-LED technology will open a new market for BlueLight to increase sales opportunities. Thus, theknowledge gained from this project can help both Dr. Gagnon's lab and BlueLight take on other challenges inthe Cleantech space.