# US 10,246,348 B2 · Ultraviolet disinfection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,348 B2 - Document ID: US10246348B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/820,184 - Filed: 2017-11-21 - Published: 2018-04-05 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-08 - Assignees: RayVio Corporation - Applicants: RayVio Corporation - Inventors: Douglas A. Collins; Li Zhang; Yitao Liao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246348B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/325: {Irradiation devices or lamp constructions} - C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)} - C02F 2201/009: Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower or fuel cells - C02F 2201/3222: Units using UV-light emitting diodes [LED] - C02F 2201/3228: Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors - C02F 2201/326: Lamp control systems - C02F 2303/04: Disinfection - C02F 2305/10: Photocatalysts - C02F 2307/02: as part of a bottle - Y02A 20/212: Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention include an elongate chamber. A UV source includes a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including an active layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region. The active layer emits radiation having a peak wavelength in a UV range. The semiconductor device is positioned on a wall of the elongate chamber. An inner surface of the elongate chamber is reflective. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water disinfection vessel comprising: an inner wall of the vessel that reflects light; a first ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) injecting UV light into the vessel; a first optical detector detecting a transparency of water in the vessel, wherein the transparency is related to impurities in the water; a second LED that emits non-UV light of a wavelength that is absorbed by microbes in the water, wherein the first optical detector detects light from the second LED that passes through the water to detect absorption of light by the microbes; a controller circuit configured to receive signals from the first optical detector to determine the transparency of the water; and the controller circuit configured to control a UV dosage from the first UV LED based, at least in part, on the transparency of the water. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vessel of claim 1 further comprising a second optical detector positioned to detect a light output of the first UV LED, without the light from the first UV LED passing through the water, to generate a baseline signal related to an output power of the first UV LED, and wherein the controller circuit is configured to use the signals from the first optical detector and the second optical detector to determine the transparency of the water to UV light. ### Claim 3 A water disinfection vessel comprising: an inner wall of the vessel that reflects light; a first ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) injecting UV light into the vessel; a first optical detector detecting a transparency of water in the vessel, wherein the transparency is related to impurities in the water; a controller circuit configured to receive signals from the first optical detector to determine the transparency of the water; and the controller circuit configured to control a UV dosage from the first UV LED based, at least in part, on the transparency of the water, wherein the first optical detector detects UV light, wherein the first optical detector is positioned in the vessel remotely from the first UV LED, and wherein the first optical detector detects the light from the UV LED that passes through the water to measure the transparency of the water to UV light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vessel of claim 3 further comprising a second optical detector positioned to detect a light output of the first UV LED, wherein an optical path length from the first UV LED to the first optical detector is at least twice the optical path length from the first UV LED to the second optical detector, and wherein the controller circuit is configured to use the signals from the first optical detector and the second optical detector to determine the transparency of the water to UV light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vessel of claim 4 wherein the second optical detector detects light from the UV LED that does not pass through the water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vessel of claim 4 wherein the second optical detector detects light from the UV LED that passes through the water. ### Claim 7 A water disinfection vessel comprising: an inner wall of the vessel that reflects light; a first ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) injecting UV light into the vessel; a first optical detector detecting a transparency of water in the vessel, wherein the transparency is related to impurities in the water; a controller circuit configured to receive signals from the first optical detector to determine the transparency of the water; and the controller circuit configured to control a UV dosage from the first UV LED based, at least in part, on the transparency of the water, wherein the first optical detector detects light from the first UV LED, and wherein the controller circuit is configured to receive the signals from the first optical detector and generate a warning signal if the first UV LED is not working properly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vessel of claim 7 further comprising a second LED that emits non-UV light of a wavelength that is absorbed by microbes in the water, wherein a second optical detector detects light from the second LED that passes through the water to detect absorption of light by the microbes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vessel of claim 8 further comprising a third optical detector positioned to detect a light output of the second LED, without the light from the second LED passing through the water, to generate a baseline signal related to an output power of the second LED, and wherein the controller circuit is configured to use the signals from at least the second optical detector and the third optical detector to determine the transparency of the water to the non-UV light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vessel of claim 8 further comprising a third optical detector positioned to detect a light output of the second LED, wherein an optical path length from the second LED to the second optical detector is at least twice the optical path length from the second LED to the third optical detector, and wherein the controller circuit is configured to use the signals from at least the second optical detector and the third optical detector to determine the transparency of the water to light emitted by the second LED. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vessel of claim 10 wherein the third optical detector detects light from the second LED that does not pass through the water. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vessel of claim 10 wherein the third optical detector detects light from the second LED that passes through the water. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The vessel of claim 7 wherein the vessel comprises a transparent liner and an outer shell, and wherein the first UV LED and first optical detector are located between the liner and the outer shell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vessel of claim 7 wherein the inner wall of the vessel that reflects light uses TIR to reflect the light. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vessel of claim 14 wherein the inner wall is transparent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The vessel of claim 7 wherein the inner wall of the vessel is coated with a reflective material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The vessel of claim 7 wherein the first optical detector detects visible light, and wherein the controller circuit turns off the first UV LED when the first optical detector detects ambient light entering the vessel. ### Claim 18 A water disinfection vessel comprising: an inner wall of the vessel that reflects light; a first ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) injecting UV light into the vessel; a first optical detector detecting a transparency of water in the vessel, wherein the transparency is related to impurities in the water; a controller circuit configured to receive signals from the first optical detector to determine the transparency of the water; and the controller circuit configured to control a UV dosage from the first UV LED based, at least in part, on the transparency of the water, wherein the controller circuit is configured to automatically and periodically energize the first UV LED and detect the signals from the first optical detector. ### Claim 19 A water disinfection system comprising: a container for disinfecting water; a UV LED emitting UV light into the water for disinfecting the water; an air source for supplying bubbles; and a motorized stirring mechanism for agitating the water while the air source is supplying bubbles in the water and so as to push the bubbles downward for extending the effective lifetime of the bubbles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 further comprising one or more baffles in the container. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 wherein the stirring mechanism comprises a propeller located near a top surface of the container, and wherein the air source supplies bubbles near a bottom surface of the container such that the bubbles tend to rise toward the top surface of the container and are pushed back down by action of the propeller. ### Claim 22 A water disinfection vessel comprising: an inner wall of the vessel that reflects light, the inner wall being configured to hold water; a removable cap for sealing a top opening in the vessel for adding and removing the water; a first ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) supported by the cap for injecting UV light into the vessel; the inner wall having a generally parabolic shape surrounding the UV LED that curves inward towards the UV LED for reflecting light emitted from the UV LED downward into the water; and a controller circuit in the cap for controlling energization of the UV LED. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The vessel of claim 22 further comprising a switch on the cap, wherein the controller circuit turns on the UV LED for a time after the switch is turned on. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The vessel of claim 22 wherein a light distribution of the UV LED is generally Lambertian, and the generally parabolic shape of the inner wall directs substantially horizontal light emitted from the UV LED downward into the water. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The vessel of claim 22 further comprising an outer shell, wherein the inner wall is insulated from the outer shell. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The vessel of claim 22 wherein the inner wall comprises glass.