It is estimated that multidrug-resistant bacteria in German hospitals kill 10,000 to 20,000 people every year, and conventional drugs or antibiotics become ineffective.
As part of the joint laboratory GaN Optoelectronics, scientists from the Ferdinand Braun Institute, the Leibniz Institute for High Frequency Technology (FBH) and the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) have developed special LEDs. The wavelength is 230nm. Professor Michael Kneissl, head of the Department of Experimental Nanophysics and Photonics at the University of Berlin, said: "The purpose is to use these LEDs against multi-resistant bacteria."
Shenzhen LightS Tec.,Co.,Ltd --far uv-c 222nm lamp
UVC light destroys the DNA or RNA of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, inactivating them, and in some way prevents the development of resistance to them. The special feature of the new LED is the wavelength used, which does not penetrate into the skin of humans or animals, so it will not or will only be slightly damaged. Such LEDs can be used, for example, to disinfect the skin surface before operation to prevent bacteria from penetrating the wound.
The disinfection effect of UVC light in the form of a so-called mercury lamp has long been known to science, and this light has been used to disinfect water or material surfaces. The wavelength of light emitted by these lamps is approximately 254 nm. It is worth noting that this kind of radiation must be used very carefully and must not come into contact with human or animal cells so as not to damage them. UVC light is part of sunlight, but under normal conditions it will not reach the earth because it has been absorbed by the atmosphere. As a result, no creatures on earth have a protective mechanism against this light. "Now there are many preliminary research records
The first prototypes are used for medical testing
The Dermatology Clinic of Charretti Medical University Berlin and the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine of the Greifswald University Medical Center also participated in the VIMRE project (prevention of multi-drug resistant pathogens through UVC radiation in the body). The two medical partners are currently testing LEDs on tissue samples and skin models, as well as the necessary dosage and harmlessness for deeper skin.
"In the future, these special LEDs will have many other uses," Michael Kneissl said. "They are extremely small, so they can also be used in hard-to-reach places and in endoscopes, such as in the throat or nose. In the long run, they can also be used against coronaviruses, because the virus's DNA or RNA will also be used UVC light damage."