FAQ

First let's begin with what UV light is. Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths just below the spectrum of visible light (400–780 nm). It is subdivided into three groups: UV-A with a wavelength of 315–400 nm, UV-B with 280–315 nm, and UV-C with 100–280 nm. The smaller the wavelength the more energetic the radiation. Next to its visible spectrum the sun also emits UV light. However, in contrast to the UV-A and -B rays the UV-C fraction is virtually completely absorbed by the atmosphere. This is why microorganisms did not have the opportunity to develop proper mechanisms of resistance against UV-C. Therefore, the part of UV radiation most effective in destroying these organisms is UV-C with a peak of inactivation at 254 nm for bacteria.

Since these short UVC wavelengths are entirely absorbed the atmosphere and do not reach the earth's surface, these wavelengths are only available to us through artificial sources, such as UVC LEDs or mercury lamps. The intensity from point sources like UVC LEDs falls off as 1 over distance squared, and once it gets past the scattering length, it falls off exponentially. This means that 1) the further away the UVC source from a human, the lesser dose they are exposed to, and 2) the absorption length of UVC radiation in human skin is extremely short so that almost no UVC radiation can reach the living cells in the skin; all the absorption occurs in the dead cell layers.



In short, the shorter UVC wavelengths are typically absorbed in atmosphere, and thus are thought to have less long-term damaging effects on human tissue. However, in rare instances of prolonged direct exposure to UVC light, temporary eye and skin damage have been exhibited, such as cornea injury (sometimes referred to as “welder’s eye”) although this generally heals after a couple of days. Therefore, safety recommendations with UVC LEDs include protecting skin (in particular open wounds) and, most importantly, the eyes from UVC radiation.



The EU health agency’s safety guidelines on the use of UVC sources can be found at: https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_031b.pdf.
In particular, the study concludes:

“In any case, UVC is strongly attenuated by chromophores in the upper epidermis (Young, 1997) and UVC-induced DNA damage in the dividing basal layer of human epidermis is not readily detected (Campbell et al, 1993; Chadwick et al, 1995) which may explain why the dose response curve for UVC erythema in human skin is very much less steep than for UVB (Diffey and Farr, 1991). It is unlikely that UVC from artificial sources presents an acute or long-term hazard to human skin. However, UVC is likely to cause acute photokeratitis… UVC exposure is unlikely to cause acute or long-term damage to the skin but can cause severe acute damage to the eye and should not be permitted at all from any tanning device.”The same study found the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to risks arising from artificial optical radiation (2006/25/EC) - albeit for all UV bands combined: “Exposure limit value for UV (180-400nm) is 30 J/m2 (= daily value of 8h)”

The damage to microorganisms caused by UV radiation occurs directly on DNA. UV irradiation of the DNA molecule causes thymine bases to form dimers. Thus, the enzymes responsible for unwinding and copying the DNA during replication are not able to function anymore. This renders the microorganism unable to reproduce and cause an infection. Most natural UV light is generated by the sun with about ten percent of sunlight being UV and only about three to four percent penetrating the atmosphere to reach the ground. Of the UV radiation that reaches the earth, 95 percent is UVA and five percent is UVB. No measurable UVC from the sun reaches the earth’s surface. Because of the spectral sensitivity of DNA, this is why microorganisms did not have the opportunity to develop proper mechanisms of resistance against UV-C. Therefore, the part of UV radiation most effective in destroying these organisms is UV-C with a peak of inactivation at 254 nm for bacteria. Only the UVC region demonstrates significant germicidal properties.

It is widely accepted that it is not necessary to kill pathogens with UV light, but rather apply enough UV light to prevent the organism from replicating. The UV doses required to prevent replication are orders of magnitude lower than required to kill, making the cost of UV treatment to prevent infection commercially viable.

Yes. Germicidal UV radiation is already used in hospitals to disinfect contaminated rooms and surfaces. UV systems are also used to disinfect drinking water in Los Angeles, and New York. The first full-scale UV disinfection system for water treatment was used in Marseilles, France in 1910. There is also a fairly robust consumer market- such as disinfectants for sleep apnea machines, baby bottles, aquariums, air purification, and cell phones. Please not that these devices have not been approved by the FDA so far, including SaniBeam.

The current scare over the Measles virus, one of the most contagious diseases known to man, is a good case-in-point. Nearly a century ago, Harvard University sanitary engineer, William F. Wells, discovered that germicidal ultraviolet energy killed airborne microorganisms, including Measles.

In the 1940s, Wells installed UV-C in suburban Philadelphia day schools to combat the spread of measles and compared infection rates. The schools without germicidal UV-C experienced a 53.6% infection rate, while the schools with the germicidal wavelength saw just 13.3%.

Around the same time, in 1936, Dr. Deryl Hart experimented with germicidal UV-C to disinfect an operating room at Duke University Hospital. He reported an 11.38% reduction in the rate of postoperative infection rates. Throughout the next few decades, UV-C was applied in schools and hospitals across the country, proving its ability to inactivate microorganisms and bacteria.

Compared to germicidal fixtures used in these studies, newer fixtures are available today that provide greater UV-C output and coverage, are less costly, use less power, and are less expensive.

SaniBeam has not been tested specifically on these pathogens, so we do not guarantee eradication of these pathogens when you use our device.

Step 1:Press the child lock on the bottom of the device for S-MINI (white) . Press the child lock on the top of the device for S-MACRO (black). Just press this child lock button once, no need to hold down. A blue indicator light will turn on next to it, indicating that the device is on.

Step 2: For S-MINI Hold the UVC On/Off Button located on the front of the device down for 3 seconds until you hear a beep. For S-MACRO gently tap the On/Off Button located on the front of the device. The digital timer on the front of the device will begin, indicating the number of seconds the UVC LED lamp is on and emitting the UVC beam. You will see a purple light indicating that the device is emitting UVC. Do not shine this light directly into eyes

Step 3: Slowly move the SaniBeam 3-5cm over the object you want to sanitize anywhere from 10-60 seconds. You can irradiate an object for as long as you wish. SaniBeam will stay on and irradiate for 1000 seconds before the timer will stop and the UVC LED lamp will shut off

Step 4: To stop the UVC LED simply press the UVC On/Off Button once. No need to hold it down. However, if you wish to restart the timer and UVC light then you must hold down the UVC On/Off Button again for 3 seconds.

S-MACRO Safety Feature: Please note that due to the safety feature on this device, the UVC beam will shut off temporarily if the device is pointed upward or rotated more than 45°. This does not mean the device turned off. Once you return the device to the faced-down position, the UVC beam will resume.

(Additional note: The working indicator lamp on the front of the device will blink blue simultaneously with the timer. This is an additional indicator that the device is on and working. If the device is left on for more than 5 minutes the SaniBeam will automatically power off. If you wish to manually turn the device off press the Power switch button on the bottom of the SaniBeam. When the blue light turns off then the device is now powered off)

SaniBeam™ is tested and proven to emit a germicidal wavelength of 270-280nm. We are also FDA registered, and we have our testing and FDA certification linked on our product page here.

We include a UVC test card in the box. This card contains our logo which will be invisible in normal lighting, but will appear and change color if UV light is detected. You can shine the SaniBeam on the logo to confirm that the UV is emitting properly.

In addition to our UVC test card, SaniBeam™ has been tested on certified American Ultraviolet® UVC dosimeter cards. Click here to see that SaniBeam™ emits a germicidal UVC wavelength when held 3-5cm away from an object for up to 30 seconds.

Please keep in mind with SaniBeam or any other UVC device, you will never actually see the UV light that is killing germs. The purple indicator light you see is just the indication that UVC is being emitted. UV-C light is harmful to our eyes so do not face the device upward or point directly into eyes.

(We have manufacturer CE, RoHS, FDA, LED and MicroTest information we are happy to provide upon request)

If necessary, charge your SaniBeam™. Place the Sanibeam test card on a flat surface with the back side facing up (no logo showing). Turn on the SaniBeam™. Hold the SaniBeam™ so the light is close to and over the center of the test card. Scan with the SaniBeam™ for 5 or more seconds. The SaniBeam™ logo will begin to appear to confirm that UVC light is being emitted.

3-5cm from object or surface you wish to sanitize. We recommend 30 seconds. Please note that SaniBeam works best on smooth surfaces. UV-C penetrates superficially and the light can’t get into nooks and crannies which include buttons or deep crevices. If a germ is encased within a food particle, for example, the UV light won’t be able to get at it.

1 led lamp is 3mw-5mw, 270nm-280nm wavelength

• 1x SaniBeam

• 1x USB charging cord

• 1x User manual

• 1x UVC testing card

Although it is unlikely that UVC from artificial sources presents an acute or long-term hazard to human skin- please Do Not use SaniBeam™ on skin . Rare instances of prolonged direct exposure to UVC light, temporary eye and skin damage has been exhibited, such as cornea injury (sometimes referred to as “welder’s eye”) although this generally heals after a couple of days. Therefore, safety recommendations with UVC LEDs include protecting skin (in particular open wounds) and, most importantly, the eyes from UVC radiation.

As irradiation sources, UVC LEDs require some precautions to ensure safe usage. You should wear goggles if you think you might accidentally expose your eyes with the UV light. ANSI Z87 rated eyeglasses with wrap around lens to protect the side exposure is recommended.

SaniBeam comes with a USB charging cord. You should charge your device for 40 minutes to achieve a full charge. A full charge should provide up to 9 hours of use. (The lifetime of the SaniBeam UVC LED is >10000 hours of use)

If you have not used your SaniBeam for 3 months, please charge it and then try to restart. If you have charged your SaniBeam and it is still not functioning please contact us at info@sanibeam.com and include your order number.

Yes, UVC light leaves no residual energy.

No, UVC is not a blacklight. UVC  does not detect or clean anything. With consistent use, UVC is shown to eliminate odors over time. We have not tested this specifically for odors so we don’t know the specifics regarding odor elimination.

The UV wavelength of light produced by this product would not pass through glass. Additionally the unit is not waterproof and should not be used in or near water. 

We are happy to offer free shipping within the USA and Canada. We also ship worldwide! For orders shipping outside the USA, please note that if you place an order online, you will be responsible for all duties, taxes, and customs charges. If you order is then refused, you will still be responsible for charges incurred in shipping the package. We are not responsible for lost or stolen packages.

After purchase, you should expect to receive your SaniBeam in the mail in 2-5 business days. Longer shipping times will occur when shipping outside the US. Your product ships from our warehouse in Portland, OR, USA Monday through Fridady on orders placed before 5PM PST.

Yes, once your item ships we will send you an email with tracking details. 

You have 14 days after receiving your purchase to contact us here. To qualify for a full return, you must include your order number, original receipt, or e-mail confirmation. Only unused SaniBeam product(s) in its original packaging and all instruction sheets/components in merchantable quality is eligible for returns or exchanges. Returns without prior communication with us will not be accepted. Your refund will be processed and returned to the original form of payment used to place your order. Depending on your banking institution, it will take approximately 4-7 business days to see your refund appear back in your account.

If your device arrives damaged or defective, please contact us at info@sanibeam.com with your order number and a copy of your confirmation page. If there is a physical defection on your product, if you are able to, please include photos of your device in your email.