UV-C disinfection lighting: an ally in helping to alleviate the challenges faced on the frontlines of healthcare

 

March 7, 2022

 

FROLIC studio shares their process of designing low-cost decontamination devices using Philips UV-C disinfection lighting donated by the Signify Foundation, which are currently in use at several hospitals in Uganda.

 

2020 was an unusual year, and the spread of COVID-19 put to the test parts of our society and welfare system that we once took for granted. For us, at FROLIC studio, just sitting and watching without offering help became out of the question.

society and welfare system
Our first initiative was to put a call out and see how our role as a design studio could be better used in this critical situation. The response we received from like-minded people (researchers, designers, health care workers and many others) was stunning and resulted in the 'COVID-19 Decontamination Toolkit', an open-sourced box for sterilizing and extending the life of protective masks. Here is where our relationship with Signify Foundation slowly began.
 health care kit
A year after our 'Toolkit' launched, we evolved the product into a new and improved low-cost version called 'Sandu UVC' aimed at emerging markets. Still employing the same principle of cleaning and recycling medical equipment using Ultra-Violet Germicidal Irradiation, the 'Sandu UVC' boxes are more robust, foolproof, and ready-made units.
The team during a market research in Gaya, India
Afterwards, we sent around 40 units to healthcare facilities in Uganda, thanks to an agreement with RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland - The Netherlands Enterprise Agency). This achievement was possible with the support we received from many partners, one of them being the Signify Foundation, which donated all the Philips UV-C disinfection lighting and drivers needed in the 'Sandu UVC' decontamination boxes.
Signify Foundation
In October 2021, we travelled to Uganda and saw for ourselves how the 'Sandu UVC' boxes are being used in healthcare facilities ranging from large cities to rural areas of the country. We visited several hospitals during the week we spent there, gathering invaluable insights directly from healthcare professionals. We also observed how the 'Sandu UVC' decontamination boxes are used in daily operations and where we still have room to improve them during the next development phase. Ultimately, we were humbled to see how the 'Sandu UVC' boxes are being used, needed and much appreciated.
healthcare facilities

About the author:

Leticia Nogueira

Leticia Nogueira


Communications, FROLIC studio

 

About Signify

 

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

Meydan Bridge

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