What is an ultraviolet irradiator and what is it for? By association with the sun and its ultraviolet rays , you can immediately answer - to sunbathe. And rightly so, but not only ...
UV tanning
Doctors have been researching the effect of sunlight on the human body for decades and have come to the conclusion that they are useful in moderate doses. Studies have shown that under the influence of sunlight, metabolism is activated, the circulatory system and endocrine glands work better, the general hormonal background, and immunity is strengthened.
And what to do in a period when the sun is inactive? Doctors attribute to infants from September to April and exposure to ultraviolet quartz lamps.
Therefore, a small-power ultraviolet irradiator "Sun" with a mercury-quartz lamp can to some extent replace solar radiation with slushy autumn and cold winters, especially in the northern regions. Adults, and kids, too, can get a beautiful tan and make up for the lack of ultraviolet radiation under the influence of a quartz lamp "Sun." This lamp is not intended to destroy bacteria and viruses, it is used only as a mini-solarium.
Local irradiation under the quartz lamp "Sun"
Models of ultraviolet irradiators with a powerful lamp, which has a virucidal and bactericidal effect, help the body cope with the infection.
With the help of such a home outpatient clinic, as prescribed by ENT doctors and dentists, inflammation in the nasopharynx and in the mouth is treated; surgeons - infected wounds and inflammations; neuropathologists and therapists - arthritis and various pain symptoms; dermatologists - skin diseases. Prescribe treatment with ultraviolet radiation by pediatricians and gynecologists.
For local exposure, both the modern ultraviolet irradiator OUFb-04 “Sun” and the earlier OUFk-01 are used.
At home, these irradiators are also used to disinfect the room where the patient is located. This procedure must be carried out in the absence of people in the room.
Indoor air disinfection
For a long time there are open type bactericidal irradiators, the lamps of which emit very hard ultraviolet light, harmful to people. Such devices are equipped with a special timer that turns off the device at a given point in time, allowing people to leave the room during disinfection.
An example of such a device is a UV-free bactericidal ozone-free irradiator with a UVBOT-40-01 Ufobact timer. It can be used not only in large and small rooms, but also in transport: automobile, railway, sea vessels and aircraft.
To disinfect the room, there are special ultraviolet irradiators with lamps that emit ultraviolet light, but the design of the device allows people to be indoors during their work.
A special fan drives the air inside the device, in which the lamp is hidden, and it comes out already disinfected. Such a device can work all day in the room where people are, without harm to them. Therefore, the OBR-15 and OBR-30 irradiators-recirculators during epidemics and the threat of their occurrence for the prevention of transmission of infections successfully operate in crowded places: in offices, medical institutions, in banks and commercial premises.
Bactericidal and quartz lamps - what is the difference?
Each ultraviolet irradiator "Sun" has an alphanumeric designation, for example OUFb-01, OUFd-01 or OUFk-01. What is the difference? The capital letters “k” and “b” are a regular quartz or bactericidal lamp. Both of these lamps emit ultraviolet light, but there is still a difference.
Quartz lamps are called so thanks to a special quartz glass, which passes the entire spectrum emitted by mercury, including the ozone-forming one. And ozone in large volumes is deadly, as it has a high oxidizing ability. With prolonged operation of a conventional quartz lamp, and this is noted by the reviews of the owners of such devices, the room begins to smell like a thunderstorm, that is, ozone. Therefore, the instruction attached to such a device as “The Sun” (ultraviolet irradiator) includes instructions on airing the room, as well as on limiting the maximum working time and the duration of the break during the disinfection of the room, they must be followed.
Quartz lamps have already been replaced by safer ones, in which they began to use uvolev glass, filtering out the dangerous ozone radiation spectrum. Pronouncing a new name without preparation is difficult, so the lamps began to be called bactericidal. In the instructions for such devices, as a rule, there is no longer a clause on the mandatory ventilation of the room after air disinfection.
As for the letter "d", it means that the device is for children. The ultraviolet irradiator "Sun" OUFd-01 in terms of design, configuration, use and contraindications is no different from the OUFk-01 device. It is distinguished by a less powerful lamp, and, consequently, a more gentle mode of exposure to the skin and mucous membranes, and a streamlined shape of the plastic case.
Digit designator numbers
Most of the reviews are given by parents of young children, to whom a pediatrician recommended the ultraviolet irradiator OUFk-01 “Sun”.
This is understandable, because most of all adults worry about the health of their babies, and the number 1 is a low-power quartz lamp, which is primarily intended for children under three years of age. With its help, you can also disinfect a room up to 12 cubic meters in less than half an hour. m
Performing the procedure in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor and the instructions for the device, you can even do without medication for some viral diseases or significantly reduce the risk of their occurrence. This is stated in the reviews by many mothers of even the smallest children of infancy and toddler.
But the illuminator with the number 2 in the designation is more suitable for adults, since the lamp in it is already more powerful.
Three are already designated mini-tanning beds for tanning, which can be obtained without leaving home. The radiation from such a quartz paw is selected so that the tan is full and even.
The device with the number 4 is a bactericidal irradiator designed for the sanitary treatment of premises with an area of up to 60 square meters from infections and viruses. Specialized medical institutions, in which all surrounding objects are sterilized, use such an ultraviolet quartz irradiator “Sun”.
Reviews praise such a device for efficiency, however, and it is used by many at home only to irradiate rooms, despite the fact that it is equipped with less powerful devices. "Sun" No. 4 is strictly prohibited for children under three years of age.
Contraindications
With all its undoubted advantages, the UV irradiator "Sun" can be used by no means to everyone. Reviews of device owners who had to deal with a negative reaction of the body to radiation confirm the seriousness of contraindications.
Naturally, it is impossible to use it for people with painful sensitivity to the sun's rays, with malignant diseases at any stage, during periods of exacerbation of chronic diseases, with vascular problems, for a long time after a heart attack.
In any case, if quartzing is not prescribed by the attending physician, and the irradiator is needed only because a friend has one, and she really likes it, it is better to consult with doctors and undergo an examination before doing any procedures, even strictly following the instructions.
Instrumentation
Ultraviolet irradiator "Sun" of any manufacturer is equipped with tubes for intracavitary procedures with different diameters of the outlet openings, in one of them the outer edge is beveled at an angle of 60 °. There may be three or four.
Glasses are also included. By the way, many mothers are perplexed why in the device for the smallest glasses there is one pair, only for a child. But an adult with glasses must be with him. And where to get them when there is one irradiator in the house?
Before using the irradiator, you must carefully read the instructions. According to users, it is quite clear and describes in detail the sequence of necessary actions for various diseases and their prevention.
There is no automatic shutdown in the device, you have to follow the procedure time in impermeable glasses (!) Or additionally purchase a power supply with a procedural clock.
A very important element in the configuration of the device is a biodosimeter. It is needed to determine the biodose for each skin type, the sensitivity of which is different for everyone, even in the same family.
The instructions describe in detail how to use it. But our people are used to checking everything, so they often turn to the manufacturer’s website for clarification.
Advantages and disadvantages of irradiators
In assessing the advantages that distinguish the "Sun" (ultraviolet irradiator), the reviews are rather unanimous. The main thing is that the device really helps in the treatment of runny nose and cough, tonsillitis in children and adults.
It is difficult to believe the owners ’assurances that when the irradiator works,“ all microbes in the air die ”, a comparative analysis of the incidence of the family in the autumn-winter period without the irradiator and the next year with it certainly deserves attention.
Users did not find any shortcomings in the operation of high-quality devices, except for the lack of automatic shutdown and the quality of glasses. Complaints concern unscrupulous manufacturers. One can imagine what happens if the OUFb-04 device is placed in a box with the inscription OUFk-01. And this happens, judging by the reviews. So, when buying an irradiator for a small child, it is better to choose a reliable manufacturer and carefully check the equipment.
A disadvantage, some owners call contraindications for use, but there's nothing to be done.
All reviews agree that the UV irradiator "Sun" should be in every home, especially in the northern regions, where there is little sun, and in families with small children.