We couldn’t be happier to see our partner Beacon release their new fixture which integrates Care222 technology. Not only are they helping to fight pathogens in everyday spaces, but they will also donate 10% of their proceeds to help bring Care222 technology to underserved communities!

This first-of-its-kind far-UVC research collaboration will evaluate the efficacy of far-UVC pathogen deactivation while identifying and assessing any negative impact on the surrounding air. This research will be initiated by leading U.S.-based universities and certified laboratories over the next 3-6 months and results will be provided as they become available.

Basal cells in the corneal limbus play an important role in the turnover cycle because they are the source of all cells that constitute the corneal epithelium. Ushio, Inc. and a research group from the Division of Ophthalmology Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, Japan examined the penetration depth of ultraviolet (UV) light in the corneal limbus and assessed the safety of Far-UV-C on stem cells in the basal area of the corneal limbus.

Ushio Inc. and a group of researchers observed and researched the safety of 222nm Far UV-C on the eye and also conducted an experiment on its effect on the inactivation of microorganisms. No acute or chronic adverse effects impacting the eyes were found.

In its first step toward a sustainable approach to reducing transmission of COVID-19, influenza and other airborne viruses, Seattle's Space Needle landmark has installed filtered Far UV-C devices using Care222 technology in its elevators.

New groundbreaking peer-reviewed research was just published by a consortium of international researchers, showing that filtered Far UV-C systems like Care222® technology can reduce over 90% of airborne pathogens in under 10 minutes. The study was conducted in a chamber with continuous introduction of new pathogens; this mimics a closed room with someone continuously coughing into the space.

Ushio Inc., the worldwide leader in filtered Krypton Chloride lamp technology, has published life test data of its Care222 module. Life tests were performed on 20 production lamps for over 1 year, without any failures, and are continuing.

Happy Care222 Day! Today we proudly celebrate that a safe and efficient tool is here to fight back against COVID, Influenza, and future epidemics. Yes, the Care222 technology is ready to bring people together now!

From UV to ionization, a leading expert explains the best technologies for indoor air disinfection to reduce COVID-19 transmission.

A group of researchers including Professor Hiroki Oge of Hiroshima University Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Professor Takemasa Sakaguchi of the Virology Department of Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences recently evaluated the effect of irradiating the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 using Ushio’s Care222® filtered far UV-C disinfection technology.

Perhaps you have seen UV wands, UV LEDs and UV air purifiers advertised as silver bullets to protect against the coronavirus. While decades of research have looked at the ability of UV light to kill many pathogens, there are no set standards for UV disinfection products with regard to the coronavirus. These products may work to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but they also may not.

Ushio America, Inc. (“Ushio”) announced today that its strategic partner, Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (“Acuity Brands”), has successfully secured a certification by UL LLC for the combination of Ushio Care222® filtered Far UV-C technology with Acuity Brand’s newly developed (patent-pending) UV dosing controls. This is the first germicidal UV (GUV) source in the wavelength range 200-230 nm (i.e. “far-UVC”) to be UL LLC Certified to meet U.S. and Canadian standards for germicidal equipment for use in occupied spaces. When properly installed and administered, the module is in the Exempt risk group for photobiological hazards, as described in the IEC 62471:2006, Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems.

A group consisting of Assistant Professor Hiroki Kitagawa, Assistant Professor Toshihito Nomura, and Professor Hiroki Ohge of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hiroshima University Hospital, as well as, Professor Takemasa Sakaguchi of the Virology Section of the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Hiroshima University irradiated a SARS-CoV-2 variant using a device equipped with Ushio’s Care222 filtered Far UV-C technology and confirmed that it has the same viral inactivation effect on the variant as on the original strain.

Recognizing the urgent need for safe and effective pathogen reduction technologies that can be used in occupied spaces, Ushio Inc. of Japan developed their Care222 lamp module. The technology uses a combination of an excimer lamp that emits ultraviolet light concentrated around the 222-nanometer wavelength, and a unique filter that blocks potentially harmful photons above 230nm from being emitted.

Dr. David Welch, a key researcher at Columbia University, explains the theory and research behind UVC, far-UVC and filtered 222nm technology. The presentation discusses in depth how filtered 222nm light can reduce SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens while being safe for humans.

Ushio is proud to announce its inclusion in FORTUNE’s annual Change the World list for the company’s achievements with Care222® products. Each year FORTUNE highlights companies that have made a measurable social or environmental impact through their strategy and operations.

Ushio has also been advancing the science around a promising, more practical type of UV light—at a wavelength of 222 nanometers—which still inactivates microbes, but (as a growing number of studies suggest) does not penetrate the eye or skin and so can safely be used around humans.

Dr. Hiroki Ohge, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hiroshima University Hospital, and a group of researchers lead by Dr. Takemasa Sakaguchi, Professor, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, have completed a research study that demonstrates that irradiation with filtered 222nm UV-C light effectively reduces SARS-CoV-2 in an in vitro experiment.

Dr. Hiroki Ohge, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hiroshima University Hospital, and a group of researchers led by Dr. Takemasa Sakaguchi, Professor, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, have completed a research study that demonstrates that irradiation with filtered 222nm UV-C light effectively reduces SARS-CoV-2 in an in vitro experiment.

Effectiveness of 222-nm ultraviolet light on disinfecting SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination - This study shows the efficacy of 222-nm UVC irradiation against SARS-CoV-2 contamination in an in vitro experiment.

Ushio Inc. has succeeded, for the first time in the world, in inactivating resident skin bacteria by directly irradiating normal human skin with 222-nm light at 500 mJ/cm2 without causing erythema as a sign of acute injury, in cooperation with a group led by Professor Ryosuke Kuroda, Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.

Ushio Inc. (TYO: 6925; headquarters in Tokyo, Japan) and a research group led by Dr. Ryosuke Kuroda, Chairman and Professor of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, have completed a research study that shows that irradiation of filtered 222nm UV-C light on human skin reduces bacterial counts while causing no injury to the skin.

White Paper: Care 222® Far-UVC Disinfection* Modules in the Workplace: Testing Effectiveness of Long-Range Surface Disinfection

White Paper: Testing Long-Range UV Disinfection* with Care 222® Far-UVC Disinfection Modules

Ushio America, Inc. (Ushio) announced a strategic alliance with Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) to supply the Care222® UV disinfection module. The filtered excimer lamps generate 222nm of far UV-C light capable of inactivating viruses and bacteria on indoor surfaces. Acuity Brands, a market leader in the development and manufacturing of lighting solutions and building management systems, plans to incorporate these lamps into a range of its products, including its ceiling and wall-mounted lighting fixtures that can operate in occupied or unoccupied spaces, to reduce pathogens.

Joint research between Kobe University and Ushio Inc. has provided proof for the first time in the world that direct and repetitive illumination from 222nm ultraviolet radiation C (UVC), which is a powerful sterilizer, does not cause skin cancer. This suggests that 222nm UVC is also safe for human eyes and skin. This technology is expected to have a wide range of antibacterial and antiviral applications in medical facilities and daily life.

Ushio Inc. and a research group from the Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University (Professor Chikako Nishigori, lecturer Makoto Kunisada, graduate school student Nozomi Yamano, et al.), demonstrated for the first time in the world via animal experimentation that repeated irradiation of 222nm ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) with high disinfection power does not cause skin cancer, suggesting its safety on human skin and eyes.

DNA Damage Kills Bacterial Spores and Cells Exposed to 222-Nanometer UV Radiation - This study examined the microbicidal activity of 222-nm UV radiation (UV222), which is potentially a safer alternative to the 254-nm UV radiation (UV254) that is often used for surface decontamination.

David J. Brenner - Columbia University Center for Radiological Research

Performance test for virus inactivation by UV irradiation