Lit Thinking Sponsors First International Congress on Far-UVC Science and Technology (ICFUST)

The Lit Thinking team, a sponsor for the First International Congress on Far-UVC Science & Technology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

It was an honor and a privilege to sponsor the First International Congress on Far-UVC Science & Technology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center where we showcased our innovative, state-of-the-art solution to air sanitization. Our proprietary software empowers businesses to effortlessly optimize indoor air quality through data-driven, simple, and safe technology – all backed by […]

Recommended Air Flow and Exchange for Minimum Quality Air (EPA)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants.

US EPA / January 2023 “ASHRAE recommends that homes receive 0.35 air changes per hour but not less than 15 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm) per person as the minimum ventilation rates in residential buildings in order to provide IAQ that is acceptable to human occupants and that minimizes adverse health effects.” Link […]

A New Method of Pasteurization for Food: UV Radiation for Food Safety

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has emerged as a promising technology for food processing under real-world conditions.

Chemical Engineering Journal / January, 2023 “The application of ultraviolet (UV) light in the food industry has held great promise for a long time. UVC light (200–280 nm) possesses excellent germicidal properties to inactivate a wide range of microbial pathogens (e.g., bacteria, fungi, yeasts, molds, and viruses).” Link to article.

Study Demonstrates No Skin Damage After Long Term Use of Far-UVC

No evidence of skin cancer after long-term (66 week) chronic exposure to 222-nm Far-UVC radiation.

Photochemistry and Photobiology / January, 2023 “The findings from this study support the long-term safety of long-term chronic exposure to far-UVC radiation, and therefore its potential suitability as a practical anti-microbial approach to reduce airborne viral and bacterial loads in occupied indoor settings.” Link to article. 

An Excimer Lamp to Provide Far-UVC Irradiation for Dining-Table Disinfection

UVC for food safety: An emerging technology for the microbial disinfection of food products.

Nature Scientific Reports / January, 2023 “By varying the lamp irradiance output, the number and positions of the lamps, the far-UVC irradiation can achieve a 3-log reduction for a dining duration of 5 min. Besides, the far-UVC lamp has a low damage risk to diners when achieving an effective inactivation rate.“ Link to article.

Far-UVC Against E. coli

Far-UVC may be potentially effective in preventing infection by ESBL-producing E. coli in health care settings.

American Journal of Infection Control / November, 2022 “The present study clearly showed a bactericidal effect of far-UVC on ESBL-producing E. coli. We believe that irradiation with far-UVC may be potentially effective in preventing infection by ESBL-producing E. coli in health care settings.” Link to article. 

Ocular and Facial Far-UVC Doses from Ceiling-Mounted 222 nm Far-UVC Fixtures

Far-UVC radiation, defined as ultraviolet (UV) radiation with wavelengths from 200 to 235 nm, is a promising tool to help prevent the spread of disease. The unique advantage of far-UVC technology over traditional UV germicidal irradiation lies in the potential for direct application of far-UVC into occupied spaces since antimicrobial doses of far-UVC are significantly below […]

No Evidence of Induced Skin Cancer or Other Skin Abnormalities after Long-Term (66 week) Chronic Exposure to 222-nm Far-UVC Radiation

Lab technician Walking Between Rows of UV Lights.

Far-UVC radiation, typically defined as 200–235 nm, has similar or greater anti-microbial efficacy compared with conventional 254-nm germicidal radiation. In addition, biophysical considerations of the interaction of far-UVC with tissue, as well as multiple short-term safety studies in animal models and humans, suggest that far-UVC exposure may be safe for skin and eye tissue. Based on […]

Whole Room Air Cleaning for High Bioburden Spaces

Far-UVC deployed in a room-sized chamber effectively inactivates aerosolised Staphylococcus aureus.

Nature Scientific Reports / March, 2022 “For the first time, we show that Far-UVC deployed in a room-sized chamber effectively inactivates aerosolised Staphylococcus aureus. At a room ventilation rate of 3 air-changes-per-hour (ACH), with 5 filtered-sources the steady-state pathogen load was reduced by 98.4% providing an additional 184 equivalent air changes (eACH). “ Link to […]

The Impact of Far-UVC Radiation on Pathogens, Cells, Skins, and Eyes

Far-UVC radiation, especially the 222 nm emission of KrCl excimer lamps, exhibits strong antimicrobial properties.

GMS Hygiene and Infection Control / February, 2021 “Far-UVC – especially at a wavelength of 222 nm – is very effective against all pathogens…this is not a short-term solution for the current pandemic, but may be suitable for future technological approaches for decontamination in rooms in the presence of people or for antisepsis.” Link to […]

Dr. Shashwat Rathkanthiwar

Director, MOCVD Research
Dr. Shashwat Rathkanthiwar is a seasoned material scientist and prolific researcher with over a decade of expertise in III-nitride semiconductors. His groundbreaking approach integrates semiconductor materials science, physics and electronics, envisioning revolutionary advancements in electronic, optical, quantum, and critical device technologies. Dr. Rathkanthiwar will spearhead the research on Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) of ultrawide bandgap nitride semiconductors, enabling far-ultraviolet optoelectronics and kV-class power electronics. 
 
Dr. Rathkanthiwar earned his undergraduate degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India, shifting gears to Nano Science and Engineering for his doctorate at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, where his thesis focused on III-nitride ultraviolet photodetectors. His postdoctoral tenure at North Carolina State University’s WideBandgaps Laboratory honed his expertise in epitaxially grown nitride semiconductors on native substrates, addressing doping, point defect management, and strain relaxation. 
 
With 31 journal publications, 80 international conference presentations, 1 patent, and over 15 invited talks, Dr. Rathkanthiwar’s contributions have garnered Editor’s Pick selections in Applied Physics Letters, alongside numerous awards and recognitions for research excellence, including Best Oral and Poster Presentations. Dr. Rathkanthiwar serves as an independent reviewer for 14 major journals and also chairs technical sessions at esteemed conferences such as American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy, Compound Semiconductor Week, Electronic Materials Conference, and Materials Research Society Meeting.

Braden C.

UCF Intern

My experience at Lit Thinking has been very impactful towards my growth as an engineer. I started working here in the middle stage of the product development process and we now have a fully developed product that’s actively on the market. I have been able to work directly with the Director of Engineering, which has allowed me to understand what it means to be an engineer. As interns we get access to a broad range of engineering applications including mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing.

Juan C.

UCF Intern

My experience as an intern at Lit Thinking™ has been outstanding. There has been an immense improvement in my leadership, hands-on, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Lit Thinking™ has helped me enhance my professional career as a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida by working through the Engineering design process to develop Visium 1™

Juan

“My experience as an intern at Lit Thinking has been outstanding. There has been an immense improvement in my leadership, hands-on, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Lit Thinking has helped me enhance my professional career as a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida by working through the Engineering design process to assist with developing Visium.”

Juan C.
University of Central Florida

Braden

“My experience at Lit Thinking has been very impactful towards my growth as an engineer. I started working here in the middle stage of the product development process and we now have a fully developed product that’s actively on the market. I have been able to work directly with the Director of Engineering, which has allowed me to understand what it means to be an engineer. As interns we get access to a broad range of engineering applications including mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing.”

Braden C.
University of Central Florida

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Josh Oelker

Director, Business Development - Commercial

Josh Oelker joins the Lit Thinking team as an accomplished sales and business development leader with over 15 years’ experience that includes nearly a decade of invaluable involvement in Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) solutions for a multitude of applications. His background involves building relationships and fostering revenue within many areas, such as Commercial buildings, HVAC, Healthcare, Education and Food processing, as well as with many channels, segments, and partnerships. In addition, Josh has worked with different types of GUV technologies, including Far UV, LED UV, Xenon pulse and PCO. 

Josh started his career in GUV at Steril-Aire, where he rose from a Regional Sales Manager to a National Sales Manager, responsible for the overall revenue of a 30-year-old UVC/IAQ company. During his time there, he created, developed and launched an IoT UVC Sensor and monitoring platform with a cloud-based dashboard that allows continual awareness and efficacy. He also co-authored white papers on UVGI efficacy for disinfection and UVC for Energy Savings/Sustainability. 

In his most recent role as Director of Business Development- HVAC at PURO, Josh established an HVAC distribution network for new and future products from scratch. He collaborated on expanding the company’s product portfolio of UVC HVAC options and gained invaluable experience with other UVC and IAQ technologies. 

Josh’s passion for GUV has led him to explore the diverse benefits of UV disinfection in partnership with the USDA, the University of Minnesota and international biosecurity researchers. As an Associate ASHRAE member and an industry-expert, Josh has given numerous PDH accredited presentations on the efficacy and application of GUV for safer, healthier and more efficient buildings. 

Wendy Walling

Director, Business Development - Healthcare

Wendy Walling joins the Lit Thinking team as a seasoned sales, marketing and business development professional with over 20 years’ experience that includes an invaluable background in Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) technologies for Healthcare applications. Her diverse background includes the development and launch of antimicrobial textiles under the trademark license of the Clorox Professional Products Group and a 12-year career as a Marketing and Communications leader with Cox Target Media, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

 

In her most recent role as Global Director of Marketing at Intellego Technologies AB, Sweden, Wendy designed and built from the ground-up the company’s primary brand and business unit, UVC Dosimeters. She successfully expanded the company’s product portfolio of photochromic dose indicators for measurement of ultraviolet energy for 254 nm, 260-280 nm and 222 nm, and directly managed the company’s private-label business for customers in the US, Korea, Greece, South Africa, Colombia, Peru and the UK. In addition to developing UV auditing protocols for the largest healthcare system in the US, Wendy served as the host of Intellego’s thought-leadership video and podcast series, Making the Invisible VISIBLE, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 

Wendy’s passion for the promotion and adoption of GUV technologies has garnered the attention and respect from peers at the International Ultraviolet Association where she is an active member of its Healthcare Task Force and GUV working groups. She has served as a member of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA and a contributor to the 2022 GBAC Validation & Auditing Technology Guide.