# US 12,005,148 B2 · Coolant-cooled heat sink(s) with associated ultra-violet light assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,148 B2 - Document ID: US12005148B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/245,356 - Filed: 2021-04-30 - Published: 2022-11-03 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Hongqing Zhang; David J. Lewison; Frank L. Pompeo; James Busby; Jay A. Bunt; Joyce E. Molinelli Acocella; Madhana Sunder; Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005148B2 ## CPC - A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation - H05K 7/20772: {within server blades for removing heat from heat source} - F21V 29/59: {with forced flow of the coolant} - A61L 2202/11: Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps - A61L 2202/14: Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs - H05K 7/20763: {Liquid cooling without phase change} - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Apparatuses and methods of fabrication are provided which include a coolant-cooled heat sink through which coolant passes to facilitate cooling the coolant-cooled heat sink, and an ultra-violet (UV) light assembly associated with the coolant-cooled heat sink for directing UV light towards an interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink across which the coolant passes. The UV light inhibits bacterial growth at the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus to facilitate cooling one or more electronic components, the apparatus comprising: a coolant-cooled heat sink through which coolant passes to facilitate cooling the coolant-cooled heat sink, the coolant-cooled heat sink including a base surface coupled to the one or more electronic components to facilitate cooling the one or more electronic components; and an ultra-violet (UV) light assembly associated with the coolant-cooled heat sink to direct UV light towards an interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink across which the coolant passes, to inhibit bacterial growth on the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant-cooled heat sink includes a coolant-carrying compartment with a plurality of thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment, and wherein the interior surface comprises one or more surfaces of the plurality of thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the UV light assembly further comprises a UV light source to provide the UV light, and a control, the control being operatively coupled to control power to the UV light source, where a power level is set, at least in part, based on UV light intensity feedback received from a UV light sensor associated with the UV light source, the control powering the UV light source to produce the UV light for directing towards the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ultra-violet (UV) light assembly comprises: a UV light source to provide the UV light; and a lens coupled to the coolant-cooled heat sink and operatively positioned relative to the UV light source to direct the UV light towards the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lens is a collimating lens to direct collimated UV light towards the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the coolant passes through the thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment from a coolant inlet side of the thermally-conductive fins to a coolant outlet side of the thermally-conductive fins, and wherein the lens is disposed to direct the UV light towards the coolant inlet side of the thermally-conductive fins. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the UV light source comprises a first UV light source, and the lens comprises a first lens, and wherein the ultra-violet light assembly further comprises a second UV light source and a second lens, the second UV light source and the second lens being located to operatively direct UV light towards the coolant outlet side of the thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ultra-violet (UV) light assembly further comprises: a UV light source to provide the UV light; and multiple UV light guides for directing the UV light towards the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink, the multiple UV light guides extending into the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a UV lens at an end of a UV light guide of the multiple UV light guides to facilitate directing the UV light towards the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a coolant-cooled heat sink through which coolant passes to facilitate cooling the coolant-cooled heat sink; an ultra-violet (UV) light assembly associated with the coolant-cooled heat sink for directing UV light towards an interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink across which the coolant passes, the UV light inhibiting bacterial growth at the interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink; and wherein the coolant comprises an anti-corrosion material, and the UV light assembly comprises a control, a dosage of the UV light directed towards the interior surface being controlled by the control of the UV light assembly to maintain the anti-corrosion material in the coolant above a set level for a specified operational lifetime. ### Claim 11 An apparatus comprising: multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks through which coolant passes to facilitate cooling the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks; and an ultra-violet (UV) light assembly associated with the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks for directing UV light towards respective interior surfaces of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks across which the coolant passes, the UV light inhibiting bacterial growth at the respective interior surfaces of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each coolant-cooled heat sink of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks includes a coolant-carrying compartment with a plurality of thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment, and wherein each interior surface comprises one or more surfaces of the plurality of thermally-conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment of the respective coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coolant comprises an anti-corrosion material, and the UV light assembly comprises a control, a dosage of the UV light directed towards the respective interior surfaces being controlled by the control to maintain the anti-corrosion material in the coolant above a set level for a specified operational lifetime. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ultra-violet (UV) light assembly comprises: at least one UV light source to provide the UV light; and multiple lenses, each lens being coupled to a respective coolant-cooled heat sink of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, and being positioned relative to the UV light source to direct the UV light towards the respective interior surface of the coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 15 The apparatus of claim, 12, wherein the ultra-violet (UV) light assembly comprises: a UV light source to provide the UV light; and multiple UV light guides coupled to one coolant-cooled heat sink of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, and being positioned relative to the UV light source to direct the UV light towards the respective interior surface of the one coolant-cooled heat sink. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the multiple UV light guides comprise a first set of UV light guides, and wherein the UV light assembly further comprises a second set of UV light guides, the second set of UV light guides being coupled to another coolant-cooled heat sink of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks and being positioned relative to the UV light source to direct the UV light towards the respective interior surface of the other coolant-cooled heat sink, wherein the UV light source provides the UV light for at least two coolant-cooled heat sinks of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ultra-violet (UV) light assembly further comprises: a UV light source to provide the UV light; and a control operatively coupled to control power to the UV light source, where a power level is set by the control, at least in part, via UV light intensity feedback received from a UV light sensor associated with the UV light source, the control powering the UV light source to provide the UV light for directing towards the respective interior surfaces of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks.