UVC technology originated in the early twentieth Century, when the mercury lamp was first produced in mass production.

The ultraviolet light emission lamp was used for disinfection of drinking water in 1910. But the prototype factory was closed because it was proved to be unreliable.

In 1950s, the new UVC water treatment system was tested, and by the middle of 1980s, there were about 1500 factories in Europe.

In addition to water treatment, UVC is used in a series of applications, including clean medical equipment and hospital rooms, disinfection of the air conditioning system to prevent the spread of pathogens, and so on.

Mercury vapor lamps are very effective in these large applications, but the bulbs are very fragile, and the use of dangerous mercury means they are not suitable for portable and environment-friendly applications.

In recent years, LED manufacturers have developed more and more efficient UVC LED. Although not as effective as UVA LED (used for curing inks and paints), they can be used for low power applications.

As a result, industry analysts believe UVC LED will develop rapidly in the next few years. The foundation of this boom is that UVC LED has created a market for portable, consumer friendly UVC applications. For example, consumers will buy Portable "magic wand", which can be used to disinfect daily necessities, such as smartphones, tablets, or keyboards.

Consumer goods manufacturers are able to embed LED UVC technology into their products for self disinfection. For example, when the toothbrush is used, it can be automatically sterilised when it is put back to the rack. If the button is pressed, the baby bottle can be sterilized automatically, and when it is used, the tap can sterilize the water. These possibilities are endless.

Have the potential to save lives

However, some of the more in-depth application of UVC is a matter of concern. Portable sterilization bottles can improve the way developing countries provide clean drinking water to their citizens, and water can be sterilized when they need to be drunk. This is particularly valuable in some areas, such as areas without centralized water disinfection infrastructure, or areas where safe water can be quickly provided.

In addition to new applications, even hospitals (UVC has been used in hospitals for many years) can benefit. Over the world, more than 700 thousand patients are infected in hospital each year, and 75000 are dead. UVC technology can be embedded in medical devices, such as stethoscope and anatomic knife, which can be sterilized in a few seconds.

UVC LED has the potential to bring the disinfection capacity of UVC into the mass market, which may have a major impact on public health.