The Care222 technology is a new disinfecting Far UV-C light source that inactivates bacteria and viruses in the same manner as conventional ultraviolet sanitizers but is not harmful to either humans or animals.

Other available disinfection methods like chemical disinfectants or conventional UV disinfection are only used intermittently, and usually when people are not around. The Care222 technology is working all the time, including when people are present, allowing continual disinfection of the air and environmental surfaces.

Yes. Care222modules use an excimer lamp in combination with a special optical band pass filter that blocks the ultraviolet wavelengths that could have a harmful effect on people. Care222 is the only Far UV-C product in the world with this key technology.

Ushio Inc. and various researchers have performed a number of studies to test the effectiveness of our Care222 filtered Far UV-C excimer lamps. Tests have shown the effectiveness on surfaces and airborne pathogens and found that after treatment, bacteria growth was noticeably lower than in untreated areas.

We have worked with our global research partners to develop an optical band pass filter that prevents harmful UV rays from leaving the lamp. Ushio’s Care222® filtered Far UV-C technology (“Care222 Technology”) is protected under U.S. and non-U.S. patents covering apparatuses and methods for inactivating viruses or killing bacteria with combinations of a light source and an optical filter that block potentially harmful UV-C wavelengths. Inventions in these patents are credited to Dr. David Brenner, et al., and assigned to Columbia University. Ushio Inc. is the worldwide exclusive licensee of these patents.

Yes. A recent study conducted at the Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences shows that Ushio’s Care222 lamps “effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus).” This and other studies show that shorter irradiation times are needed to inactivate the COVID-19 virus. Additional research can be found on our latest news and research page.

In most applications, Care222 lamps cycle on for 15-30 seconds every few minutes. Care222 lamps obtain full irradiation output in less than one second, while conventional germicidal lamps take several minutes to ramp up to 100% output.

The Care222 technology will soon be in use all over the U.S., as a key component in our partners’ UV light disinfecting systems.

Please visit our Partners page for more information about our manufacturers and how your business can be protected with a system equipped with the Care222 technology.

No. We sell the Far UV-C lighting components that enables those systems. Our technology is put into the fixtures sold by manufacturers like Acuity Brands, Christie Digital Systems, Toshiba, and others.

No. The Care222 module is only available for use in professional systems designed for highly traveled commercial areas and is not intended for use as a component in any home system.

Decades of research and history demonstrate that UV-C light can effectively inactivate many common pathogens. Our own studies have found Care222 Far UV-C lamps to be as or more efficient than conventional UV-C light at disinfecting various pathogens.

UV-A has the lowest energy level and can affect the inner cells in the top layer of skin; UV-B has a medium energy level and can affect the cells in the top layer of skin, and UV-C has the highest energy level and can affect the outermost cells in the top layer of skin.

Far UV-C is light with wavelengths between 200-230nm, with a limited ability to penetrate biological materials as compared with conventional germicidal UV light. This limited penetration makes Far UV-C light efficient in reducing pathogens with people present because it cannot deeply penetrate the eyes or skin.

In research tests held at leading universities, direct and repetitive illumination from properly filtered 222nm ultraviolet radiation (filtered Far UV-C) has not been shown to cause skin cancer or long-term DNA damage. The optical band pass filter was the key differentiator in these studies.

Even at exposure levels 5 times above current safety guidelines, research on the 222nm wavelength has shown that filtered Far UV-C light does not penetrate the eye tissues to the depths associated with cataracts, photokeratitis, and other eye conditions.

No. The Care222 technology has been developed to inactivate various pathogens, but we are proud to be able to help eliminate the virus that causes COVID-19 and to join in the effort that will allow us all to return to many of our normal activities.

No! You should still follow all of the recommended safety protocols that have been recommended by the CDC, like wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and washing your hands frequently.