Ultraviolet light is invisible to humans but many insects can see it, an effect known as phototactic sight. UV light emits at different levels called nanometers ( one billionth of a meter ). There are 3 common spectrums of UV light:
1. UVA - 315 - 400 nanometers (nm) - known as "black lights" and used in insect zappers
2. UVB - 280 - 314 nm - treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis
3. UVC - 100 - 280 nm - what our V-254 Wound Lamp and Mobile UV Sterilizer operate at for germicidal action
Medfaxx lights operate generally at 253.7 nanometers which is the maximum beneficial wave length for the sterilization of air and even water. The UV light is present in a fluorescent lamp tube which contains a mixture of 3 mgs of mercury and a phosphor coating. When turned on the electrical current is mixed thorugh the lamp tube that contains the phosphor and mercury vapor. The atoms in the mercury vapor absorb the energy from the electrical current and causes the atoms to become unstable. In returning to balance they must lose the excessive energy they contain. The release of the energy is in the form of ultraviolet energy. Being inside the tube it will attempt to get out of the phosphor coated lamps and the process then releases the UV light. The amount of phosphor lining determines the type UV light that will be released. On the V-254 there is an additional filter that filters out basically all light except for the 253.7 nanometer rays.
Our UVC light penetrates the outer membrane of viruses, bacteria, mold and evey yeasts. This causes the modification of the DNA structure and eliminates the possibility of microbe reproduction resulting in the death of the microbe. Generally speaking when bacteria is prevented from reproduction then death is imminent. All microorganisms have different levels of tolerance to UV which is called the "D" value, which makes it possible to estimate the time necessary to totally destroy the microbe. No known pathogen has ever been able to mutate and protect itself from the effects of UVC light.
