How to Select a Light Therapy Box for Seasonal Depression

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, seasonal depression that occurs during fall and winter months due to a lack of sunlight affects approximately 4 to 6% of people. Seasonal Affective Disorder, also called SAD, can affect another 10 to 20% of people and is four times more likely to occur in women than in men. SAD is also more common in northern locations such as Washington state as opposed to a more southern and sunny state like Florida.

Light therapy with a medical phototherapy lamp, also called a light therapy box, can help to alleviate some symptoms of seasonal depression although can be more effective when combined with additional treatments such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.

How Light Therapy Treatment for Depression Works

Light therapy boxes mimic outdoor sunlight, which is believed to cause a chemical change in the brain that eases symptoms of seasonal depression and lifts your mood. Generally, a light therapy box should emit as little UV light as possible and should provide an exposure to 10,000 lux of light.

Recommendations for using light therapy include:

• Using for about 20 to 30 minutes within the first hour of waking up

• Have your eyes open but do not look directly at the light

• Keep the lamp a distance of 16 to 24 inches away from your face

Light therapy boxes are designed with special medical phototherapy lamps. Some people might think that a tanning bed provides the same benefit although this is not true. Tanning bed lamps are quite different and are known to increase the risk of skin cancer. While light therapy for seasonal depression is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, they are designed to be safe and effective.

Your doctor can help to recommend a specific type of light therapy box, although you can buy one without a prescription and most health insurance plans will not cover the cost.

Considerations When Choosing a Light Therapy Box

It is best to speak with your doctor about your symptoms and for help in choosing the right type of light therapy treatment. For people with bipolar disorder, too much exposure could induce manic symptoms. People with eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or eye damage from diabetes should speak with their eye doctor before beginning phototherapy.

When choosing a light therapy box make sure that it is specifically designed to treat seasonal depression. Many medical phototherapy lamps are designed to treat skin disorders such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo. Medical therapy lamps designed for skin conditions are not the same as lamps designed for depression.  Tanning lamps and UVC germicidal lamps are also not designed with the same wavelength and can cause harm instead of benefits if used incorrectly. 

LightSources is a leading global supplier of UV lamp solutions including medical phototherapy lamps. We provide high-tech, custom designed and engineered lamps for a wide range of applications and industries, including phototherapy. Contact us for high-quality UV lamp solutions including light therapy lamps for seasonal depression.

UV Lamps in Your Furnace Disinfect the Air

Ultraviolet (UV) light has very distinct properties and when emitted in the short wave UVC range, it is very effective at killing germs.  UV light is emitted in different wavelengths known as UVA, UVB and UVC.  UVA and UVB reach the earth and are what causes the common sunburn, whereas UVC energy is absorbed by the ozone layer.  UV lamp engineers recreate UVC energy in powerful germ-killing lamps that quickly eliminate harmful pathogens to sterilize surfaces and the air in mere seconds. 

How Do UVC Lamps Sterilize Air?

UVC lamps sterilize the air by quickly eliminating harmful germs including bacteria and viruses.  UV wavelengths are measured in nanometers (nm) and UV light at the 254 nm range is proven very effective at destroying germs. UVC electromagnetic energy penetrates the DNA of these cells and renders them unable to replicate.  A cell that cannot replicate is considered harmless. 

UVC Lamps in Furnaces

UVC lamps are the key to disinfection in surface, water, and air purification systems.  UVC disinfection lamps can be mounted in furnaces and HVAC systems to eliminate the growth of mold or mildew inside the unit itself and to sterilize the air as it passes through the lamp’s wavelengths.  UVC germicidal lamps in furnaces help to prevent the spread of airborne disease while also improving equipment performance.  Mold and mildew tend to build up in damp, dark places like the inside of a furnace, UV lamps improve equipment performance for longer lasting use with less maintenance required. 

According to this article by the National Institutes of Health, UVC lamps effectively reduce contamination of fungi in HVAC air handling systems. 

UVC Lamps for Furnaces

LightSources offers germicidal UVC lamps for air purification when installed in furnaces and HVAC systems.  UVC germicidal lamps designed to emit 185 nm produce ozone, another type of disinfection lamp that can travel in the air with an oxidative effect to eliminate foul odors. UV lamps should be installed by a professional for furnace and HVAC disinfection. 

LightSources offers UVC germicidal lamp solutions to OEMs of all sizes.  We provide a wide selection of high-tech, high-quality germicidal lamps and offer custom designed solutions to meet the specifications of your air purification system.  Contact us to speak with an engineer about UV lamps for furnace disinfection applications. 

UVC Lamps Help Hospitals with Effective Sterilization

 

Hospitals provide critical care to people with serious illness whether emergency treatment, diagnostic services, or ongoing care for chronic illness.  Due to the nature of the typical patient, hospitals must be vigilant in sterilizing surfaces and protecting patients from infection.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that on any given day an estimated one out of every 31 patients in the U.S. contract a Healthcare Acquired Infection (HAI) from their stay in a hospital. 

Patients who enter a room following a patient that had an infection such as the influenza virus and even drug resistant superbugs like MRSA run a high risk of contracting an HAI.  

UV Lamps in HVAC and Air Purification Systems

Many illnesses can be transmitted through airborne particles such as tuberculosis and many influenza viruses.  UVC lamps in air purification systems play an important role in sterilizing the air making it healthier for patients and staff.  UV lamps can be installed in upper room UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) systems or directly into HVAC systems for automatic purification.  Some systems can be designed to come on when a patient leaves the restroom, for example, while others are always working behind the scenes in furnaces and AC units.  

UVC Germicidal Lamps for Surface Sterilization

UVC lamps provide highly effective sterilization in air, water, and surface sterilization systems.  There are many ways to reap the benefits of surface sterilization with systems like UVC robots and UVC lamps that directly disinfect critical areas like surgical rooms.  UVC lamps are also used to disinfect and keep surgical equipment clean.  UVC robots are being deployed in hospitals as well as other public places to work autonomously with high rates of efficacy. 

LightSources Leading UVC Lamp Supplier for Hospital Disinfection Systems

LightSources is a leading global supplier of UVC germicidal lamps found in sterilization systems in hospitals and the healthcare industry.  Our UVC lamps are designed and engineered by the leading high-tech lamp designers in the industry with proprietary technology.  We offer a wide selection of germicidal lamp products as well as custom designed solutions and prototype development. 

LightSources supports OEMs of all sizes with the following germicidal lamp products:

• Low pressure amalgam lamps

• Low pressure mercury lamps

• Quartz sleeves

• MPUV technology

• Electronic ballasts

We offer these types of germicidal UV lamps and others to meet your sterilization needs.  We provide custom solutions with custom phosphor blends to meet your exact specifications. Our UVC germicidal lamps are found worldwide in air, water and surface sterilization systems including hospital UV disinfection systems. 

LightSources offers high-quality UVC germicidal lamps proven to deliver high efficacy and long-lasting performance.  We offer custom solutions and prototype development with quick turn-around time.  Contact us to learn more about our many lamp solutions for UVC germicidal systems for hospital disinfection. 

UV Light Keeps Kitchens and Restaurants Cleaner

 

Restaurants have been finding innovative ways to keep patrons safe from germs while keeping their doors open. Ultraviolet (UV) light and the powerful germicidal benefits of UVC energy is nothing new, although restaurant owners are taking notice of the many ways this germicidal technology can help their business. UVC lamps are part of many systems worldwide such as air purification systems, water disinfection systems and surface sterilization systems.

Where UVC Lamps Help Restaurants

High intensity UVC lamps have proven efficacy in eliminating a wide range of harmful pathogens including viruses, bacteria, mildew, and mold. This germicidal technology can be harnessed in various systems to protect food directly in addition to protecting surfaces, water, and the air in enclosed spaces. Here are some of the most popular areas of installing UV sterilization lamps for restaurants and food service applications:

Food irradiation - The short wave electromagnetic energy has powerful sterilization effects, keeping food safe with UV germicidal irradiation. UV lamps can help to keep food fresher, longer, and prevent early spoilage as well as preventing many harmful germs like E. Coli and Salmonella.

Kitchen hood exhaust systems – UV energy has the ability to prevent the buildup of grease in commercial kitchen hoods. This mitigates fire risk, reduces equipment maintenance, and prevents foul odors that can occur from grease buildup.

Keep walk-in freezers clean – UV lamps prevent mold and mildew from forming in cool, damp places like walk-in freezers which is critically important to storing fresh food and meeting health code regulations.

Air sterilization in eating areas – sterilizing the air that circulates through a restaurant’s HVAC system helps to keep patrons safer with cleaner, purified air. UV lamps in HVAC systems keep the air cleaner by eliminating airborne pathogens and removing foul odors from the air.

UVC Lamps for Restaurants and Kitchens

LightSources is a leading supplier of UVC germicidal lamps found in UV sterilization systems worldwide. We offer a wide selection of germicidal lamps including:


Low pressure mercury lamps

Medium pressure UV lamps (MPUV)

Amalgam lamps with proprietary technology

High intensity UV lamps

Specialty UV lamps

Customizable lamp design solutions

Prototype solutions

LightSources offers quality UVC germicidal lamps engineered with proprietary technology that outlasts and outperform comparable lamps.

LightSources employs the leading, high-tech UV lamp engineers in the industry with deep technical knowledge of UV radiation and lamp design. We follow a strict quality policy as part of our ISO9001:2015 registration and provide quick turn-around time to meet your production schedules. Contact us to learn more about how our high-quality germicidal lamps can improve your restaurant and kitchen UV sterilization systems.

UV Efficiencies in AC Units

Almost everyone enjoys the refreshing comfort of an AC unit in their home, commercial or industrial location during the heat of summer. But along with that comfort come microorganisms, mold, and mildew inherent in the passageways of an AC system. These unwanted intruders make the system work harder and shorten the mechanisms’ operating life.

AC Units: Breeding Ground for Pathogens

They can also cause a variety of ailments, including colds, allergies, COPD, bronchitis, asthma, headaches, and nausea. More serious illnesses include lung infections, pulmonary disease, autoimmune deficiency, and even cancer. This can cause serious long-term health consequences, even for those with no other underlying health conditions.

No amount of human labor, even by a licensed professional, can eliminate all the microorganisms and spores that collect in the vents, coils, and drain pans, and along the other interior surfaces of an AC system. Even the highest-quality HEPA filter cannot trap all the potentially toxic microscopic pathogens and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that escape the AC system. The application of chemicals will only dispel toxins into the same area the AC blower system is intended to service.

UV Light Prevents Build-Up and Improves Efficiency

The answer is to install, with a new AC unit or as a retrofitted adjunct to an existing unit, a UV light sterilization system, particularly with light in the frequency of 253.7 nanometers (commonly referred to as 254 nm). UV light at that pinpointed frequency will instantly destroy the nucleus of each microorganism that passes through its radiation. Such UV light purification systems will work with optimum efficiency at temperatures ranging from 40° to 120° F, can be programmed to radiate 24/7 or only in tandem with the AC blower, and are virtually maintenance free, with bulbs lasting several thousand hours.

The UV in-duct version of AC purification systems should be mounted near and downstream from the system’s coil and should be aimed at the coil and condensation pan. The efficiencies gained from installing a UV germicidal AC purification system are many and varied. Families will be healthier, with less time spent taking the kids to the doctor. Workforces will operate more efficiently with greater productivity and decreased absenteeism.

LightSources is a leading global supplier of high-quality UV germicidal lamps to suit HVAC sterilization needs.  We design, engineer and manufacture high-tech germicidal lamps to meet various disinfection system needs and OEM specifications. Contact us to learn more about our many options for UVC germicidal lamps.

Keeping Food Safe with UV Light

In the food growing, processing, and service industries, a lot of things can go wrong. Dangerous contaminants lurk around seemingly every corner during each step of the process of bringing food from the field to the table. As a result, the agricultural, food processing, and restaurant businesses are subject to some of the most stringent regulations, resulting in increased costs, both to producers and consumers.

UV light food sterilization equipment can play an indispensable part as a silent partner in keeping food safe and of optimal quality for human consumption. UV light can be used to destroy harmful microbes, viruses, and other microorganisms that can threaten to shut down a business, temporarily or permanently, through substantial government fines, product recalls, costly litigation, and their resultant bad publicity.

UV Food Sterilization Keeps Food Fresher Longer

Properly installed and operated, UV light food sterilization systems can effectively and efficiently ensure that food and beverage products are free from the harmful microorganisms that human effort alone cannot begin to adequately combat. The result is a safer end product that stays fresher longer, increasing shelf life and preventing premature sprouting of foods like potatoes and onions.

Products during processing are invariably exposed to the air and various surfaces within the sphere of operation. UV germicidal lamps can continuously sterilize such air and surfaces, along with any water used for rinsing products or included as an ingredient in the production process. Surfaces may include everything from tables to slicers and grinders to pans, bottles, and conveyor belts, to the final packaging material, all of which can be constantly sanitized by UV light.

UV light sterilization systems are relatively low cost and very low maintenance, and eliminate the need for chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides. Examples of food industries efficiently and effectively benefited by UV light sterilization systems are beef, fish, and poultry producers; dairy and cheesemakers; beverage companies; liquid sweetener manufacturers, such as corn syrup; frozen food companies; bakeries (where UV light was first used to treat flour and yeast to eliminate insects); fruit and vegetable producers; and chocolatiers.

LightSources is a leading supplier of UVC germicidal lamps, found in air, surface, and water sterilization applications around the globe. We offer a wide selection of UV lamps and equipment to meet the needs of any surface, water or air sterilization system.  Contact us to speak with an engineer about our high-tech UV germicidal lamps.

UVC Robots Enter the Battle Against COVID

COVID-19 and its variants have been ravaging the globe for more than a year now, and hopefully the war is winding to its conclusion, with increased vaccinations and increasingly knowledgeable diligence by citizens to help curb the spread of infection.

There is another significant weapon in the fight against COVID: UVC germicidal lamp robots. Several scientific studies have confirmed UVC light’s effectiveness in killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, and businesses, particularly hospitals, are increasingly deploying robots to aid in sterilization of air and surfaces. Many hospitals across the United States are using UV light robots as an added layer of protection against the spread of the pernicious virus. 

Human resources and personal protective equipment are sometimes pressed to exhaustion during surges in COVID-19 cases. That is when UV robots can provide valuable resources with additional sterilization.  UVC robots can be programmed to enter a hospital room after the manual cleaning is complete and finish the job by killing bacteria and viruses missed by overworked staff. The robots can work tirelessly and even navigate back to their charging ports when sensing depletion of their battery power.

UVC germicidal lamps have been proven effective in eliminating causes all along the spectrum of coronavirus diseases, including Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).  

UVC Robots Valuable in Many Settings

The value of UVC robots does not end with battling coronaviruses. They also reduce risk of the most common Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) generated from superbugs that invade hospital environments. UVC robots are increasingly employed outside the medical field where masses gather in concentrated locations, such as airports, train stations, shopping malls, and public shelters. 

As with any UVC sterilization system, the type of germicidal UV lamps is key to reaching maximum disinfection. LightSources is a leader among UV lamp manufacturers, with decades of experience, a global presence, and the leading high-tech lamp engineers in the industry.

LightSources follows a strict quality policy as part of our ISO9001:2015 certification and provides high-tech germicidal lamps that outlast and outperform comparable lamps. Our lighting engineers possess in-depth knowledge of lamp manufacturing design and engineering and UV radiation, offering custom solutions to meet various sterilization needs. Contact us to speak to an engineer about our UVC germicidal lamps for UVC light robots.