Tunable Lighting for Pathogen Disinfection

Juganu, an Israeli company supported by venture capital and specializing in lighting systems with the ability to emit light at specific wavelengths, is now offering a product designed to disinfect surfaces and neutralize pathogens. This offering aims to equip buildings with advanced safety technologies to help prevent the transmission of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19.

The company asserts that its J.Protect product underwent clinical validation through research led by Dr. Meital Gal-Tanamy at the Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine. It is worth noting that Dr. Gal-Tanamy’s primary research area is typically the Hepatitis C virus, which spreads through different means than airborne viruses such as Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Juganu reports that the new product has been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency across 48 states and is collaborating with companies like Comcast, Qualcomm, and NCR Corp. to introduce its disinfecting and pathogen deactivation lighting technology to various markets nationwide.

According to the company, the lighting technology utilizes two types of ultraviolet light – UVA and UVC – to eliminate viruses and kill bacteria on surfaces.

The system employs UVA light when individuals are present in a room, which can neutralize viruses following an eight-hour exposure period. When a room is unoccupied, the lighting system switches to UVC light, a more powerful disinfectant but also potentially harmful to people, to achieve disinfection in under an hour.

The company’s testing focused on surfaces and did not include evaluations of the lighting system’s impact on aerosolized viral particles, which are understood to be a primary source of infection from the novel coronavirus.

“We have received an exemption from the FDA and have EPA approval for distribution in 48 states,” stated Juganu’s chief executive, Eran Ben-Shmuel, during an interview.

Ben-Shmuel indicated that the lighting technology has already been pre-sold in both Israel and India, and the company is currently accepting orders for installations within the U.S.

Juganu, having secured $53 million in funding from investors including Comcast Ventures, Viola Growth, Amdocs, and OurCrowd, maintains offices in Israel, Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S. The company has a track record of selling lighting systems to various municipalities and businesses globally.

This new hardware represents an expansion into a rapidly growing market focused on technologies supporting the reopening of businesses in areas significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Intelligent lighting will represent a substantial opportunity within physical spaces. We are transitioning from lighting that simply provides illumination to systems that disinfect and enhance security, while also supporting well-being by replicating natural light patterns based on sunrise and sunset,” Ben-Shmuel explained in a statement.