Ultraviolet reactor with planar light source

A process for fabricating an ultraviolet reactor comprising:

• forming a set of parallel channels in a slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• providing a reactor substrate with an input manifold and an output manifold at a first surface of the reactor substrate;
• joining the slab of ultraviolet-transparent material and the reactor substrate at a second surface of the reactor substrate, the second surface being opposite the first surface, wherein the input manifold, the output manifold, and the set of parallel channels are in fluid communication after the joining step;
• and
• providing a planar ultraviolet light source isolated from the set of parallel channels by the slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• wherein the set of parallel channels and a defining plane of the planar ultraviolet light source are parallel in the fabricated ultraviolet reactor.

An ultraviolet reactor comprising:

• a shaped slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• a reactor substrate;
• a patterned flexible insert positioned between, and in contact with, the shaped slab and the reactor substrate;
• a set of parallel channels defined by interfaces between the shaped slab, the patterned flexible insert, and the reactor substrate;
• and
• a planar ultraviolet light source isolated from the set of parallel channels by the shaped slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• wherein the set of parallel channels and a defining plane of the planar ultraviolet light source are parallel.

An ultraviolet reactor comprising:

• a shaped slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• a reactor substrate;
• a flexible insert positioned between, and in contact with, the shaped slab and the reactor substrate;
• a set of parallel channels defined by an interface between the flexible insert and the shaped slab;
• an input manifold and an output manifold joined to a first surface of the reactor substrate, the first surface being opposite of a second surface of the reactor substrate that is in contact with the flexible insert;
• and
• a planar ultraviolet light source isolated from the set of parallel channels by the shaped slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• wherein:
• the set of parallel channels and a defining plane of the planar ultraviolet light source are parallel;
• the interface between the shaped slab and the flexible insert consists of a single flat flexible insert surface and excavated regions of the shaped slab of ultraviolet-transparent material;
• and
• the excavated regions solely define an ultraviolet exposure area of the set of parallel channels.