Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 08-01-2026 Origin: Site
Hospitals are unique environments with high concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms, making airborne transmission a critical pathway for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Traditional air disinfection technologies, such as chemical fumigation or low-pressure mercury ultraviolet lamps, face significant challenges: they either pose risks of toxic by-products or are under environmental pressure due to the impending phase-out of mercury.
In recent years, Deep Ultraviolet C-band Light Emitting Diodes (UVC-LEDs, wavelength 200–280 nm) have emerged as a revolutionary choice for hospital air disinfection, thanks to their efficiency, safety, environmental friendliness, and ease of integration. Drawing on authoritative academic research, this article systematically analyzes the germicidal mechanism of UVC-LEDs, their technical advantages, and their application value in hospital scenarios.
UVC-LED is a solid-state light source based on semiconductor materials such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) or Aluminum Gallium Nitride (AlGaN), capable of emitting deep ultraviolet light in the 200–280 nm range. Its germicidal mechanism relies on the irreversible damage caused by high-energy UV photons to microbial genetic material. Research indicates that the photon energy in this band is approximately 428–599 kJ/mol, which is significantly higher than the bond energy of the π-bonds in microbial DNA pyrimidine bases (approx. 230 kJ/mol) and peptide bonds in proteins (270–350 kJ/mol). This energy is sufficient to trigger the formation of dimers between adjacent thymine bases, blocking DNA replication and transcription, thereby achieving efficient inactivation.
Wavelength precision is a core advantage of UVC-LEDs. UV absorption spectrum analysis shows that 265 nm is the peak absorption wavelength for DNA, while 275–280 nm is closer to the peak absorption of proteins. UVC-LEDs can precisely output these optimal germicidal wavelengths by adjusting the composition of the semiconductor materials. Compared to traditional mercury lamps (primary peak at 254 nm with a broad spectrum), UVC-LEDs can increase effective germicidal efficiency by over 30%. Furthermore, their narrow-band emission characteristics avoid energy waste on ineffective wavelengths, providing a higher effective irradiation dose for the same input power.
Hospital air disinfection demands high standards for safety, continuous operation capability, and environmental adaptability. The technical characteristics of UVC-LEDs align perfectly with these requirements.
(1) Safety and Eco-friendliness: Eliminating Mercury Pollution and Chemical Risks
Traditional low-pressure mercury lamps contain 20–600 mg of mercury. Improper disposal can cause environmental pollution, and exposure to mercury vapor (>0.01 mg/m³) can lead to chronic poisoning. The Minamata Convention and the EU RoHS Directive have explicitly restricted mercury-containing products, with the EU set to completely ban mercury UV lamps starting in 2027. UVC-LEDs utilize a fully solid-state, mercury-free design, fully complying with the trend toward green healthcare.
Additionally, chemical disinfection (e.g., chlorine-containing agents) can generate toxic by-products like cyanogen chloride and dichloroacetonitrile. In contrast, UVC-LEDs inactivate microorganisms through physical action, leaving no chemical residues. Experiments by the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that UVC-LEDs achieved a 99.99% inactivation rate against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant within 1 minute, without altering air composition.
(2) Efficient and Controllable: Supporting "Dynamic Disinfection in Occupied Spaces"
Areas like Emergency Rooms (ER) and Intensive Care Units (ICU) require continuous disinfection while medical staff and patients are present. Traditional mercury lamps require 10–30 minutes to warm up, and frequent switching significantly shortens their lifespan. Conversely, UVC-LEDs have a response time of only 10–100 ms, allowing for millisecond-level startup. This supports on-demand, intermittent, or continuous operation without disrupting clinical work.
Precise dose control is another advantage. Different pathogens have varying sensitivities to UVC: Escherichia coli requires a dose of approximately 3,000 μW·s/cm² for 90% inactivation, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires 6,200 μW·s/cm². UVC-LEDs can adjust irradiation intensity in real-time by regulating the drive current, achieving "on-demand disinfection" that balances efficacy with energy efficiency.
(3) Long-term Economy: Significantly Reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
The lifespan of UVC-LEDs can reach 20,000–40,000 hours, which is 4–8 times that of mercury lamps (1,000–5,000 hours). Their electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency reaches 30%–40%, resulting in energy consumption that is only 10%–30% of that of mercury lamps.
UVC-LEDs have achieved large-scale application in various hospital scenarios:
Dynamic Disinfection in Key Areas: Installing upper-room UVC-LED devices in ERs and ICUs allows for continuous operation in occupied environments, achieving an airborne colony count reduction rate of 55.76%–76.33%.
Integrated Disinfection for Class I Environments: Integrated with fresh air/HVAC systems, UVC-LEDs help operating rooms achieve airborne colony counts of ≤10 CFU/m³, meeting the requirements of GB 51039-2014 Code for Design of General Hospital Architecture. They demonstrate >99% inactivation rates for coronaviruses and influenza viruses within 1 minute.
Portable Instant Disinfection: Portable devices weighing 0.5–1 kg can operate for 2 hours on a single charge and complete disinfection of a 10 m² space within 30 seconds. These are currently being piloted in fever clinics and isolation wards.
Currently, UVC-LED technology is evolving toward "High Power, High Luminous Efficacy, and High Reliability." The output power of single chips based on AlGaN materials has exceeded 100 mW (a 5-fold increase over early versions), making the disinfection of large spaces feasible. Simultaneously, industry standards are being accelerated; the Technical Requirements for Medical UVC-LED Air Disinfectors is now in the consultation phase, which will standardize wavelength precision, germicidal efficiency, and safety protection.
As the phase-out of mercury-based light sources accelerates and hospital infection control standards continue to rise, UVC-LEDs—with their triple advantage of "High Germicidal Efficiency + Safety & Eco-friendliness + Economic Longevity"—are poised to become the mainstream technology for hospital air disinfection, helping to build a safer, greener, and smarter medical environment.
