SBIR Phase II: Scaling and Optimizing Manufacturing Methods for Germicidal Optical Fibers (GOFs) to Prevent Disease-Causing Biofilms in Tight Channels

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to advance the development of germicidal optical fibers (GOFs). GOFs are the first fiber technology that can effectively distribute ultraviolet (UV)-C radiation in pipes, tubes, and channels by side-emitting UV-C radiation along their entire length, like a glowstick. Placing these fibers in conduits found in hospitals, homes, and businesses can reduce infections, deaths, and operational issues caused by bacteria build-up. By expanding the use of the GOFs, the team hopes to can reduce reliance on toxic chemicals for disinfection and decrease harmful disinfection by-products. This research will increase the knowledge on the ability to manufacture specialty optical fibers as well as increase general knowledge on UV disinfection technologies. This SBIR Phase II project aims to address the logarithmic decay of light that occurs in all existing optical fibers. This limits the working length of GOFs. Technical improvements to the GOFs are needed to increase the uniformity of the light profile. Current draw tower manufacturing methods and equipment are not able to optimize the light profile. Therefore, the specific objectives of this project are to: i) modify the manufacturing equipment in a draw tower and ii) alter the optical configuration to increase the total light availability in the fiber. These objectives will increase the uniformity of light scattering along the length of the fiber and increase the length of GOFs that can be used in disinfection applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.