March Chapter Meeting: Applying Upper Room Germicidal UV –in the pandemic and beyond

Speaker:

Richard L. Vincent, MSc, FIES, Chair ASHRAE GPC 37

Mount Sinai Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine

Bio:

Mr. Vincent applies germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) disinfection technology and tools to control the transmission of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases both airborne and surface borne (fomite) or mix-mode, in high-risk settings. He was the project manager and UV lighting specialist for the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study (TUSS), (1997-2004). TUSS—a multidisciplinary, multicenter epidemiological field trial of ultraviolet air cleansing effectiveness formed by St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) advanced UVGI application for airborne disease control in homeless shelters. At the Mount Sinai Hospital, he is working to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) by benchmarking the efficacy of various technologies including mobile, whole-room UVC devices for decontamination of surfaces from pathogens such as MRSA, and C. Difficile. He has studied the use of stationary UV units to clean mobile technology. He is collaborating with the Harvard Medical School and the South African National Institute of Occupational Health on testing prototype upper room UV LED air disinfecting technology. He is studying UV LED surface disinfection in the laboratory and then in situ. Since 2008 he has been on faculty at the Harvard Course: Building Design and Engineering to Prevent Airborne Infection – An International Approach. He has taught a shortened course in Pretoria, South Africa and Mumbai, and New Delhi, India. He has provided technical assistance on GUV projects in India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Since 2016, Mr. Vincent serves as the Coordinator for the StopTB Partnership working Group: End TB Transmission Initiative (ETTI). He provided expert input on GUV for the WHO Guidelines on tuberculosis infection prevention and control, 2019 update. Mr. Vincent chairs the ASHRAE GCP 37 developing guidelines for the application of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems (UVGI/GUV). Further, he chairs ASHRAE TC 2.9 subcommittee on research for UVGI air and surface disinfection. Mr. Vincent chairs the CIE TC 6-52 to develop a test method for gonioradiometric measurement of upper room GUV fixtures. He is the project director of a two-year pilot inpatient study of LED adaptive lighting systems to promote sleep for hospitalized patients. He is working with the IES Photobiology committee, ASHRAE, and the CIE to make recommendations for GUV in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Title:

Applying Upper Room Germicidal UV –in the pandemic and beyond

Description:

Upper Room (UR) Germicidal UV (GUV) air disinfection is an effective intervention to control the pandemic spread of SARS-CoV-2. UR GUV is known to work against a wide range of airborne pathogens including: TB, influenza, measles, and SARS. ASHRAE GPC 37 is preparing Guidelines for Applying UR GUV. We will discuss why, where, when, and how UR GUV can be deployed as a mainstream environmental control, complimentary to ventilation.