Houston tech company earns worldwide patent for LED disinfectant product
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Houston-based illumiPure announced that it received a worldwide patent for its LED white light disinfectant earlier this year.
Known as CleanWhite, the product can quickly and continuously sanitize high-touch areas while a room remains occupied and has shown an elimination of 99 percent of surface bacteria, spores, mold, biofilms, and viruses including SARS-CoV-2 through light-based technology. It's intended to be used in areas like kitchens, restrooms, and locker rooms and is safe for humans and pets.
CleanWhite uses spikes of light wavelengths at 405 and 470 nanometers to kill surface pathogens. Unlike other products on the market, CleanWhite can emit these levels without also emitting a visible purple-violet light while also suppressing blue light wavelengths.
The product's ability to safely and continuously emit these levels of white light allows it to kill dangerous bacteria and pathogens in just a few hours.
"CleanWhite features technology that makes it the first of its kind, achieving a sought-after solution to produce 405+470 nm blue light as white light," John Higgins, CEO of illumiPure, said in a statement. "As a result of this revolutionary finding, we anticipate the patent’s success across a myriad of industries, including education, healthcare, hospitality, and retail.”
CleanWhite uses spikes of light wavelengths at 405 and 470 nanometers to kill surface pathogens. Photo via illumipure.com
The fixtures appear much like any other LED light and have been customized for the commercial, retail, healthcare, transportation, hospitality industries. illumiPure has already partnered with six Houston school districts, including Tomball ISD, Humble ISD, Galena Park ISD and Barbers Hill ISD.
“Nurses love illumiPure technologies because they feel protected,” Ricky Shelton, Energy Manager at Barbers Hill ISD, said in a statement.
According to the company, it is also in testing with a major sports franchise and is working with the Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi, which is slated to be the largest mall in the world once complete.
Founded in 2017, illumiPure focuses on air purification, surface disinfection and indoor/outdoor air quality monitoring.
In addition to CleanWhite, the company also has developed an air purifier product known as the Air Guardian, which has been shown to process air for longer dose times and uses intense ultraviolet light and plasma-like oxidizing energies to kill particles.
It also released The Portable by Air Guardian, a mobile version of the air purification system, and the Vertices AQS indoor/outdoor air quality sensor this year. A residential version of the Vertices sensor is slated to roll out later this year, as is one more new product, according to the company.
Earlier this year the company brought some of its production in-house, by the use of 25 3D printers for its Vertices units as well as other auxiliary components. The growing company plans to expand its headquarters in northwest Houston sometime next year.
John Higgins is the CEO of illumiPure. Photo via LinkedIn