Distinguished Lecturer M. S. Shur, Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 will present "Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes Save Lives"
April 26th 2023 5:45pm
Modern light sources -Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) - are 20 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and nearly 3 times more efficient than more modern compact fluorescent lamps. It is even more important that LEDs can produce light optimized for specific needs and applications, such as light for treating the seasonal affective disorder, growing plants, and preserving or even “restoring” paintings and objects of art. Many emerging applications are in medicine, lighting for seniors, merchandising, the automotive industry, photography, the film industry, and theatre lighting.
LEDs go beyond the visible range: they are capable of producing ultraviolet (UV) light. UV radiation finds numerous applications in water and air purification, sterilization, biological threat identification, medicine, biology, industrial processes, defense, and homeland security. Conventional ultraviolet mercury, xenon, and deuterium lamps are bulky, might contain mercury, produce ozone, require high voltages, slow to turn on, and have a limited set of available wavelengths. UV LEDs are environmentally friendly and compact sources consuming low power and emitting at many wavelengths. Research is now underway to use these LEDs for increasing yield, improving quality, and extending the storage time of fruits and vegetables. UV LEDs will help reduce waste, alleviate the problem of world hunger, purify water, kill bacteria and viruses, and solve the tremendous problem of Hospital Acquired Infections (leading to nearly 100,000 deaths annually in the United States alone).
