QuantaDose 2 Step UV Test

QuantaDose® UVC Test Card provides real-time results to ensure that UVC devices are working properly. The test card is simple to use and offers a low-cost, in-house, reusable method of monitoring UV intensity and verifying the optimal UVC germicidal light wavelengths in your disinfection process. The card has a dual-wavelength system with a wide-band photochromic UV dosimetry analyte and a narrow-band short-wave fluorescent indicator.

Step 1: Confirming UV-C Wavelengths

When the card is exposed to direct UV-C light between 222-280 nm, the specialized narrow-band shortwave analyte absorbs the invisible UV-C light. This releases the invisible UV-C energy as visible photons at a wavelength of approximately 515 nm, causing the letters UV-C to illuminate in a bright green fluorescent color.

A passing result in Step 1 will display green or yellow UV-C letters, indicating a properly functioning UV-C bulb. If the letters emit a blue or white color, it is important to investigate further to ensure that the UV-C LED device is not mixed with non-germicidal UV intensity.

Important Factors for Step 1:

1. The UV-C letters stop glowing when not exposed to direct UV-C light.
2. The letters are only visible when directly exposed to UV-C light between 222nm – 280 nm.
3. The green UV-C letters can be affected by the color of the LED tracking light.

Step 2: Testing UV-C Intensity

The measurement of ultraviolet (UV) intensity is a two-step process that involves first determining the wavelength of the light being tested, and then using that information to measure its intensity. The reason for this two-step approach is that the color change of photochromatic materials is sensitive to both the wavelength and intensity of UV light. Therefore, it is important to know the wavelength of the light being tested in order to accurately measure its intensity and obtain meaningful results.

Wavelength is an important factor when measuring the intensity of UV light because different UV wavelengths have different energies and, therefore, can cause different reactions in photochromatic materials. For example, UV light with a shorter wavelength has more energy than UV light with a longer wavelength. This means that the same intensity of UV light at a shorter wavelength will cause a greater color change in a photochromatic material than the same intensity of UV light at a longer wavelength.

To illustrate this concept, consider a simple example where a photochromatic material changes from clear to green in response to UV light. If we expose the material to UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm, the material will change to green. However, if we expose the same material to UV light with a wavelength of 222 nm, the material may not change color or may change to a different color. This is because the material is more sensitive to UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm than to UV light with a wavelength of 222 nm.

It is important to note that the intensity of UV light also affects the color change of photochromatic materials. For example, the same intensity of UV light at a given wavelength will cause a greater color change in a photochromatic material than a lower intensity of UV light at the same wavelength. This is why it is important to measure both the wavelength and intensity of UV light in order to obtain accurate and meaningful results.

In conclusion, the measurement of UV intensity is a two-step process that involves determining the wavelength of the light being tested and then measuring its intensity. This is important because the color change of photochromatic materials is sensitive to both the wavelength and intensity of UV light, and an accurate measurement of UV intensity requires knowledge of both factors. Understanding the relationship between wavelength and intensity is crucial for accurate and meaningful results when measuring UV intensity.