The Sterilray uses the same harmonic natural frequency that comprises the outer cellular structure on virus DNA, and it destroys from within, breaking DNA protein bonds and completely annihilating the microorganism.

In an attempt to make the world a cleaner place, physicist Ed Neister was working in wastewater treatment, investigating new technology to kill bacteria and viruses that live in moist environments.

During his research, he came upon a wavelength in the far UV (FUV) band, which after some original research at the University of New Hampshire, he found to be 10,000 times more effective in killing pathogens like MRSA, Acinetobacter, C diff and the norovirus than any other method of sterilization or disinfectant.

Enter the Sterilray Disinfection Wand, formerly known as the GermBuster Sanitation wand — not just for its striking similarity to the Ghostbusters Proton Pack — from the Dover, NH-based Healthy Environment Innovations (HEI). Neister harnessed the power of FUV lamps in a wand capable of disinfecting surfaces in a single pass. 
 
Before the Sterilray, all UVC lamps produced a specific 253.7-nanometer wavelength. The photon energy penetrates a microorganism’s outer structure and modifies the DNA, making them incapable of reproduction. Neister’s wavelength created much more (proprietary) photon energy.

The Sterilray uses the same harmonic natural frequency that comprises the outer cellular structure on virus DNA, and it destroys from within, breaking DNA protein bonds and completely annihilating the microorganism. A DNA killer is born.   
  
Originally, when Neister first started hunting germs, the major germ was norovirus (the group of viruses responsible for the stomach flu, among other ailments).

"We went to all of the cruise lines and asked them for feedback," recalls John Neister, HEI executive vice president of sales and marketing, and Ed’s brother. "We first thought of putting the Sterilray on a Segway." The cruise lines weren’t into the idea though, because they didn’t have a need for it on the floor.

"They needed something that someone could carry around and disinfect all of the high-touch surfaces on the ships,” says Neister. “That is why our original design is a backpack model."

From there, the Neisters went into healthcare to try to make a positive impact on the 2,000,000 patients who become infected after entering a healthcare facility each year, 100,000 of which die.

In the medical device industry, it takes time, testing and patience to entice market acceptance. Healthcare professionals are still apprehensive about the device.

"When we walk in and say that you can wave something over a surface and disinfect it, dry and chemical-free, they look at us like we just came off of [the Enterprise]," says Neister. 

As HEI moved forward to take the Sterilray off of a bench top and put it on an operator’s back, they turned to the design team at Beverly, MA-based Goddard Technologies (GTI). 

Design Support

A combination of discussions between Ed Neister and the team at GTI led to the partnership. The lamp technology had to be specific. HEI needed a particular coupler to power the lamp. GTI was charged with these specs, as well as providing mechanical engineering and design support, and industrial design input. The partners, in conjunction with a power supply company, were able to work out the details.

A 254-nm lamp would need more than 100 seconds to deactivate. A Sterilray FUV lamps produces a high level of disinfection in less than a second — the technical demands were no small feat.

"We were brought on early by HEI, when it was only a bench-top unit that they had developed in their lab," says Ken Beudoin, GTI director of sales and marketing. "It was just a proof of concept, and it was used primarily in a lab environment to prove that it could have the killing effect. HEI approached us to make a product for sale that was transportable and portable in a backpack and hand-wand application."

GTI was responsible for both the handheld wand, and the portable backpack power unit and docking station. Originally, GTI had designed a very flat paddle, but it had to evolve into the present hand wand because of limiting factors and size requirements inside of the wand.

"It had to be light," adds Neister. "The original [wand] design was over 9 pounds. We had to go back and get it down to the present 4 pounds. That’s the weight of a regular clothing iron, now no one is complaining." 

"They wanted to get the hand wand down to less than 4 pounds, and the backpack comes in around 15 to 20 pounds, 9 pounds without the battery," notes Andrew Goddard, president and owner of  GTI. "We couldn’t have a heavy device, especially a [wand] that could potentially cause carpal tunnel in an operator’s hand."

Operator Error

One of the biggest issues GTI faced was that the unit had to generate a high level of voltage in order for it to perform the killing effect. Safety factors were also involved to ensure that the device operator was protected. “Safety was first and foremost,” says Beaudoin. “We didn’t want to have the operator exposed to killing their own DNA while they were using it.”

Some of the "safety bells and whistles" built into the unit are similar to those of power tools on the market today.

Double-throw switches were added to prevent the device from being inadvertently turned on when the user is facing it. GTI also specified proximity sensors that were built in so that if the wand was too far away from the target area, the unit wouldn’t function.

Operator safety and human error posed additional risks. “The operators fit a certain demographic," notes Beaudoin. “The human factors of the product were a key part of the design — because the product was intended to be a long-use product. It wasn’t meant to be a 2- or 3-second application before it was put back in the holster. It was meant to be 2 or 3 hours.”

Preventing human error presented some interesting predictions in potential operational usages during GTI’s brainstorm sessions. 

“We had to consider safety features when the product was upside down and facing the operator,” says Beaudoin, “or if it was vertical and away from the target surface. We had to anticipate all of the operational usages of the product and figure a way to cover those usages and the raw implications.”

GTI investigated the human factors involved with the product, knowing it was going to be used by an operator in a certain fashion.

“We had to understand and target the different operational functions of the wand, and from there, our team drew out all different possibilities,” Beaudoin says. “They were brought to the table during the brainstorm when we filtered down to the most critical risk factors.”

During development, thermal issues and cooling became a major concern because the apparatus creates a high level of voltage. “We couldn’t have the power supply overheating; we couldn’t have a hot component on your back. Cooling the unit was a major design concern,” says Beaudoin.

Neither GTI nor HEI could divulge the exact nature of the power supply. However, if the product were plugged into line voltage, around 120 volts in the U.S., the pack would have to generate thousands of volts for the light intensity.

“HEI had some proprietary design done to create a fully custom power supply for this generation,” Beaudoin reports. “The batteries were a type of lithium-ion base, but that topology changed over time. The bottom line for the power supply is that it is a custom power supply, and it was fully designed and developed for this application.”

Production Limitations

Given that HEI was a start-up organization with a relatively low volume for the first production units, GTI had limited processes available to find production-ready, molded-type components. The team investigated large lightweight materials.

“When we did the urethane castings for the outer casings, we found a material that was one-third of the weight of a normal urethane, but had the same strength and structure capabilities,” adds Beaudoin. “We had a lot of decisions along the procurement phase of the program that were done in that light — to try to reduce weight."

HEI hopes to increase the power of the lamp in the next month and finally get it into the hands of some of the top infection control people in the U.S. for testing. “Once they give their blessing, I think we’re going to start taking off,” predicts Neister. “What potential customers question is the application of the device, not the design. They want to know if it kills as fast as we say it does, and our testing proves that it does.” 

HEI has more major (proprietary) tests scheduled in the near future, but the company is also pursuing other applications with the technology. “Given the state of all of the resistant bacteria and viruses, this technology has proven to be able to eradicate them in a fraction of a second,” attests Beaudoin. “The upward opportunity for it to cross over into so many parts of our world is really dramatic, whether it is pre-schools or operating rooms. The technology can be really cross-pollinated.”

"I liken [the current] design to the first cell phone,” Neister adds. “I think it’s a good design right now, but once we get into production, and sales and the technology moves forward with the power supply, it may go back to the original design concept that Goddard had given us — a very thin paddle.”

For more information, visit http://www.he-innovations.com/ and http://www.goddardtech.com/.