Ushio is excited to share news regarding a Far UV-C clinical trial currently underway in Canada. Research Nova Scotia is conducting a study at three long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia with the support of Ushio’s Care222 partner, UVX. This important study will investigate the effectiveness of Far UV-C in mitigating infection rates of high-risk senior care residents.

A project conducted by Far UV Technologies and USUVClean installing Care222 technology in school cafeterias and entranceways across 4 school districts during the pandemic saw a 27% reduction in absenteeism year over year during the pandemic.

Ushio America is thrilled to announce the launch of the new Filtered Far UV-C product line from Direct Supply, integrating Ushio’s cutting-edge Care222 light sources

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.

Recent experimental studies have indicated the potential for ultraviolet-C irradiation at 222nm (Far-UVC) to be used in occupied rooms to safely reduce exposure to airborne pathogens. Application of the validated model suggests that germicidal Far-UVC lamps could reduce levels of airborne human coronavirus by more than 90% in rooms with low ventilation rates. The inactivation of pathogens by Far-UVC is more efficient than previously thought, due to the complex path that particles take within the three-dimensional airflow and UVC irradiance pattern. Depending on the UVC-susceptibility of the aerosolized pathogen, Far-UVC lamps have the potential to provide effective room air change rates in excess of 100 equivalent air changes per hour, much greater than is possible with mechanical ventilation or filtration devices.

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.

In this study, UV reflection of 21 common materials was documented and compared using a filtered KrCl* excimer (installed with a bandpass filter at 222 nm), an unfiltered KrCl* excimer, and a conventional low-pressure mercury vapor lamp. Findings show that common materials can reflect UV, among which metals have greater reflection, filtered KrCl* excimer is safe and effective for surface disinfection, reflected UV for unfiltered KrCl* excimer and Hg lamp exhibit greater health risks, and that ozone generation by UV lamps is unlikely to cause health risks.

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.

This David J. Brenner article reviews both the safety of far-UVC, and its efficacy, both in the laboratory and in full-sized rooms. Highlighted is the paper by Ma et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology which addresses the efficacy of far-UVC light (in this case at 222 nm) against a broad spectrum of common pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. From their data, and based on our understanding of the largely random nature of UVC-induced damage within the genome, far UVC would be expected to be effective against the next pandemic virus, if and when it emerges.

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.

Filtered excimer krypton-chloride (KrCl) lamps, which emit predominantly at 222 nm, have been shown to provide similar or better pathogen reduction rates while being safe for human eye and skin exposure at much higher dose levels than the typical 254 nm radiation. This opens new opportunities to provide disinfection of air and surfaces while people are present. This paper presents a simplified setup for collecting reflectance data, using an existing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sphere, a 222 nm radiometer, and a filtered excimer KrCl lamp. Common building materials have been investigated with this method and most of them showed a diffuse reflectance of about 10%. Reflectance measurements were also made by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) for the purpose of validating the method.

A 12-month study in which doctors were observed in their work environment where Care222 technology had been installed. There were no adverse effects found.

It has been reported that 222-nm ultraviolet C (UVC) exerts a germicidal effect on bacteria and viruses as well as UV radiation emitted from a conventional germicidal lamp but is less toxic to the mammalian cells than that from a germicidal lamp. While an excimer lamp filled with krypton chloride (KrCl) gas principally emits 222 nm UVC, the lamp also emits a wide band of wavelengths other than 222 nm, especially UVC at a longer wavelength than 222 nm and ultraviolet B, which cause DNA damage. This study's results suggest that a bandpass filter serves a critical role in reducing the harmful effect of emission outside of 222 nm to mouse keratinocytes.

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.

A groundbreaking paper testing pathogen reduction in an air chamber. While there is laboratory evidence for Far-UVC efficacy, there is limited evidence in full-sized rooms. For the first time, we show that Far-UVC deployed in a room-sized chamber effectively inactivates aerosolized Staphylococcus aureus. At a room ventilation rate of 3 air-changes-per-hour (ACH), with 5 filtered sources the steady-state pathogen load was reduced by 98.4% providing an additional 184 equivalent air changes (eACH). The data indicate that Far-UVC is likely to be more effective against common airborne viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, than bacteria and should thus be an effective and “hands-off” technology to reduce airborne disease transmission. The findings provide room-scale data to support the design and development of effective Far-UVC systems.

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