The technology

Principle of the technology

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The basic principle of Pulsed Light sterilization is to destruct microorganisms with short intense light flashes generated by Xenon lamps.

Energy, needed for product decontamination is accumulated in a capacitor.

A high-voltage signal initiates the so called ‘arc formation’.

An ‘arc’ is highly ionized gas with strong currents. Xenon gas is used, because of its capacity to convert electrical energy into light energy. This arc starts the flash of intense luminosity.

The peak power of one flash is around 1 megawatt.

The flashes present a continuous spectrum, rich in UV light that lasts a few hundred of microseconds.

The housing of the lamp is made of quartz, so almost no optical energy is wasted.

The flashes are controlled and concentrated by aluminum reflectors, specifically designed for each application.

1) Each flash produces an enormous amount of energy. With a lamp energy of 300 J and a flash time of 0.3 mS that’s 1Mwatt. Or, 1 kW per square cm of the treated object.

2) The microorganisms absorb all the energy, mainly that of the further UV domain.

3) Pulsed light has a complete destructive effect on microorganisms, thanks to a combination of two phenomenons :

Sterilizing effect of UV : the DNA in the cells of microorganisms absorbs the UV rays. This ruptures the double strands of DNA and provokes the formation of abnormal single-strand bonds. This prevents DNA replication. The microorganism’s protein production and cell metabolism is blocked: and it dies.

Power of the flash : intense energy delivered in a very short time increases this lethal effect.

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The Claranor equipment

A Claranor installation consists of two parts:

1) the electronics bay: powered by the main current it generates the electrical pulses. The integrated cooling system regulates the temperature of the water in the lamp circuit.

2) optical cavity: here the light is generated, powered by the electronic bay. It has flash lamps associated to the reflector that focusses the light towards the surface that needs to be treated.

See pulsed light sterilization applications for caps sterilization, cups sterilization and packaging sterilization.

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