Visual technology company Christie is now mass producing its Christie CounterAct line of commercial UV disinfection products with patented Care222 far-UVC light technology. CounterAct fixtures are designed for use in occupied indoor spaces, including hotels.
Developed by Christie, and using parent company Ushio’s Care222nm UV lamp technology that is licensed through Columbia University, the CounterAct line of mounted fixtures is designed for high-ceiling applications and is meant to be as easy to install as commercial lighting fixtures.
Christie CounterAct uses proprietary filtered far-UVC light to eliminate 99 percent of pathogens on surfaces in indoor spaces, including the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19, influenza, bacteria, and other antibiotic-resistant superbugs by damaging the DNA or RNA of the pathogen, which leaves them unable to reproduce and infect humans.
“With our CounterAct fixtures, as an added layer of defence, bringing customers back to the places they love to share and create memorable experiences, has never been safer,” said Brian Claypool, EVP, cinema, Christie. “Many businesses and industries all over the world rely on being able to have their customers together in person, and they will need every tool available to help them do so safely.”
To date, Christie CounterAct models have demonstrated compliance with UL, CE and UKCA by third-party testing facilities for electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, compliance with the radio equipment directive and photobiological safety. This last measure is a safety evaluation to confirm that the level of UV exposure for occupants is in line with accepted industry guidelines.
UV light can effectively neutralize pathogens, but the 254nm wavelength used in other disinfection products on the market can penetrate and damage human eyes and skin. CounterAct fixtures contain Ushio’s patented Care222 lamps that emit far-UVC 222nm light, which was shown in a 2020 study by Kobe University to be safely used with people present. Additionally, Care222 is the world’s first far-UVC technology with a proprietary optical filter that blocks potentially harmful longer (>230nm) UVC wavelengths from being emitted.
“The fact that the unique far-UVC light from our Christie CounterAct UVC disinfection fixtures can be used automatically and continually in the presence of people is the key advantage,” said Claypool. “The technology reduces pathogens from the environments where people gather. By harnessing these benefits as part of a user-friendly product that can be quickly deployed, we hope to provide a much-needed boost to our partners across many industries.”