The virucidal effects of 405 nm visible light on SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus.

The germicidal potential of specific wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum is an area of growing interest. While ultra-violet (UV) based technologies have shown satisfactory virucidal potential, the photo-toxicity in humans coupled with UV associated polymer degradation limit their use in occupied spaces. Alternatively, longer wavelengths with less irradiation energy such as visible light (405 nm) have largely been explored in the context of bactericidal and fungicidal applications. Such studies indicated that 405 nm mediated inactivation is caused by the absorbance of porphyrins within the organism creating reactive oxygen species which result in free radical damage to its DNA and disruption of cellular functions. The virucidal potential of visible-light based technologies has been largely unexplored and speculated to be ineffective given the lack of porphyrins in viruses. The current study demonstrated increased susceptibility of lipid-enveloped respiratory pathogens of importance such as SARS-CoV-2 (causative agent of COVID-19) and influenza A virus to 405 nm, visible light in the absence of exogenous photosensitizers thereby indicating a potential alternative porphyrin-independent mechanism of visible light mediated viral inactivation. These results were obtained using less than expected irradiance levels which are considered safe for humans and commercially achievable. Our results support further exploration of the use of visible light technology for the application of continuous decontamination in occupied areas within hospitals and/or infectious disease laboratories, specifically for the inactivation of respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A.

In vivo dosimetry with optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters, OSLDs, compared to diodes; the effects of buildup cap thickness and fabrication material.

PURPOSE: For external beam in vivo measurements, the dosimeter is normally placed on the patient's skin, and the dose to a point of interest inside the patient is derived from surface measurements. In order to obtain accurate and reliable measurements, which correlate with the dose values predicted by a treatment planning system, a dosimeter needs to be at a point of electronic equilibrium. This equilibrium is accomplished by adding material (buildup) above the detector. This paper examines the use of buildup caps in a clinical setting for two common detector types: OSLDs and diodes. Clinically built buildup-caps and commercially available hemispherical caps are investigated. The effects of buildup cap thickness and fabrication material on field-size correction factors, C(FS), are reported, and differences between the effects of thickness and fabrication material are explained based on physical parameters. METHODS: Measurements are made on solid water phantoms for 6 and 15 MV x-ray beams. Two types of dosimeters are used: OSLDs, InLight∕OSL Nanodot dosimeters (Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL) and a P-type surface diode (Standard Imaging, Madison, WI). Buildup caps for these detectors were fabricated out of M3, a water-equivalent material, and sheet-metal stock of Al, Cu, and Pb. Also, commercially available hemispherical buildup caps made of plastic water and brass (Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL) were used with Nanodots. OSLDs were read with an InLight microStar reader (Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL). Dose calculations were carried out with the XiO treatment planning system (CMS∕Elekta, Stockholm) with tissue heterogeneity corrections. RESULTS: For OSLDs and diodes, when measurements are made with no buildup cap a change in C(FS) of 200% occurs for a field-size change from 3 cm × 3 cm to 30 cm × 30 cm. The change in C(FS) is reduced to about 4% when a buildup cap with wall thickness equal to the depth of maximum dose is used. Buildup caps with larger wall thickness do not cause further reduction in C(FS). The buildup cap fabrication material has little or no effect on C(FS). The perturbation to the delivered dose caused by placing a detector with a buildup cap on the surface of a patient is measured to be 4%-7%. A comparison between calculated dose and dose measured with a Nanodot and a diode for 6 and 15 MV x-rays is made. When C(FS) factors are carefully determined and applied to measurements made on a phantom, the differences between measured and calculated doses were found to be between ±1.3%. CONCLUSIONS: OSLDs and diodes with appropriate buildup caps can be used to measure dose on the surface of a patient and predict the delivered dose to depth dmax in a range of ±1.3% for 100 cGy. The buildup cap: can be fabricated from any material examined in this work, is best with wall thickness dmax, and causes a perturbation to the delivered dose of 4%-7% when the wall thickness is dmax. OSLDs and diodes with buildup caps can both give accurate measurements of delivered dose.