Deutsch
English
ItalianoAn informal exchange of ideas about Planlicht's lighting expertise and the MCI's development expertise led to a momentous idea, which came just at the right time in Corona: the power of UV light should be used to render microbes on surfaces harmless. UV-C rays are used, with which humans normally do not come into contact, because this particularly short-wave and energy-rich radiation is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere. UV-C light has already been used to disinfect air, water and surfaces. What is new about it now is the efficient large-area application by means of LED luminaires from Planlicht. The MCI researchers are responsible for the entire characterisation of the lighting technology as well as the control and adaptation of the sensor technology.
The first concrete project in the era of Corona was shopping trolleys in supermarkets, which were to be made available to customers as "clean" and virus-free as possible. MCI's expertise in the development of LED lighting systems for scientific applications (SciLED) was seamlessly integrated into this new project. The shopping trolleys are irradiated with UV-C light in a specially constructed box from Berger Ecotrail. The short-wave light destroys the surface of the pathogens and kills viruses, bacteria, germs and fungi by 99 percent. Treated in this way, customers can use the practically virus-free shopping trolleys without hesitation. Test series at the Medical University of Innsbruck (Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology) confirm that this actually works. HIV and noroviruses have already been tested, tests with influenza viruses and SARS-CoV 2 (COVID-19) are just starting. The laboratory prototype on which the tests are carried out was developed and built at the MCI. Based on the positive results so far, the microbiologists expect very good results here as well.
"In our Emerging Applications Lab, we have been working on LED systems for scientific applications for some time. We knew that UV-C light has a lot of potential for destroying corona viruses, which is why the technology could be implemented in a very short time," emphasises Ronald Stärz, head of the Emerging Applications Lab (EAL). "In keeping with the spirit of the MCI as an Entrepreneurial University®, we are very pleased to be able to work with our partners to develop solutions that can be used immediately in companies, not only in times of boom, but also in times of crisis. Innovations are, as always, a flight forwards - especially in challenging times, this courage is in demand," explains Michael Kraxner, R & D Director at the MCI.
Harald Schöbel from the MCI research team praises the interdisciplinary cooperation of the project partners: "This is a very multi-layered project. Electrical engineering, lighting technology and microbiology are working closely together, all partners are from Tyrol, and together we are creating new solutions that will be used far beyond our region."
Further ideas are already in the drawer: for example, the technology could also be used to disinfect keyboards, mobile phones, conveyor belts and much more.
SciLED by MCI:
SciLED is one of the lighthouse projects of the Emerging Applications Lab (EAL) at MCI, which was set up with the support of Infineon. Within the SciLED project, individual lighting and irradiation solutions based on LED technology are realised for scientific applications. Based on a modular design, customised systems can be developed for use in the laboratory. This includes both the photometric properties (wavelength, intensity, dose) and the mechanical implementation in existing experimental apparatus. Numerous lighting systems for biotechnological, pharmacological and medical applications have already been realised.
The goal of SciLED is to develop LED applications for the life science sector that meet scientific requirements. This is intended to close the gap to the commercial LED systems already available.