Feasibility analysis of inactivating influenza A(H1N1) virus using UVC robot in classroom environment

Yizhen Wu; Peiyao Guo; Dekun Luo; Jianyu Deng; Huilu Yao; Wenhong Sun

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29540

Feasibility analysis of inactivating influenza A(H1N1) virus using UVC robot in classroom environment

Heliyon. 2024 Apr 15;10(8):e29540. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29540. eCollection 2024 Apr 30.

Authors

Yizhen Wu¹, Peiyao Guo¹, Dekun Luo¹, Jianyu Deng¹, Huilu Yao¹, Wenhong Sun^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangxi Key Laboratory for the Relativistic Astrophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
² MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Nanning 530004 Guangxi, China.
³ Third Generation Semiconductor Industry Research Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.

Abstract

Background: Starting from 2009, H1N1 has been one of the respiratory diseases that afflict the global population. Concurrently, due to the influence of COVID-19, it has become widely accepted that preventing the virus's spread necessitates personal protection measures and disinfection in public spaces.

Experiments: This study conducted two experiments. In the classroom experiment, six UVC dose test points were calibrated to test whether the UVC dose at each testing point met the standards for inactivating IAVs and the time required to meet the standards. In the simulated classroom experiment, seven square slides made of IAVs were placed. After 10 min of robot movement, irradiated sterile square slides were made into suspension and injected into chicken embryos. Cultivate chicken embryos and conduct IAVs testing.

Results: Classroom experiment has shown that 5 testing points can meet the standards for inactivating IAVs(3 mJ/cm²), with a required time of 80 min, 40 min, 15 min, 5 min and 10 min. The UVC dose for testing points that do not meet the standards in 80 min is only 0.5 mJ/cm². The simulation classroom experiment outcomes revealed that 99.99 % of IAVs were deactivated. Furthermore, this study established both a desktop control group and a chair arm control group, both of which yielded identical results, indicating an inactivation logarithm of IAVs≥4log.

Conclusion: The study presented that IAVs on the surface of an object can be effectively and rapidly deactivated at an irradiation density of 1.8 mW/cm². Meanwhile, the study provides evidence of the feasibility of using the GXU robot to inactivate IAVs in a classroom environment.

Keywords: Classroom environment; Deep ultraviolet LED; Influenza A; Influenza A virus; Robot; Robot technology; UVC; Virus inactivation.