High-pressure mercury vapor lamp incorporating a predetermined germanium to oxygen molar ratio within its discharge fill
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsAchim Gerhard Rolf Körber, Rainer Hilbig, Robert Peter Scholl, Johannes Baier
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Abstract
A high-pressure mercury vapor lamp suitable for sterilization purposes. Germanium and oxygen are added in small quantities to the mercury and/or the mercury halides, with a molar ratio of germanium to oxygen being greater than 1. The addition of germanium monoxide increases the GAC efficiency (GAC: short for Germicidal Action Curve) of a high-pressure mercury vapor lamp, because germanium monoxide emits a strong molecular band system in the range from 250 to 280 nm.
Claims11
A light source suitable for ultraviolet radiation, comprising a discharge lamp, wherein the discharge lamp is a high-pressure mercury vapor lamp comprising a mercury and/or mercury halides disposed in a discharge vessel;
- wherein germanium and oxygen are added to the discharge vessel, a molar ratio of germanium to oxygen being greater than 1.
A method for minimizing corrosion of a discharge vessel of a high-pressure mercury vapor lamp having a mercury and/or a mercury halides disposed in the discharge vessel, the method comprising step of adding germanium and oxygen to the mercury and/or to the mercury halides, such that the discharge lamp includes 1 to 100 micromoles per cubic centimeter of mercury and 0.1 to 10 micromoles per cubic centimeter of germanium monoxide, and a molar ratio of the germanium to the oxygen is greater than 1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.