Listen to this articleUV Innovators came together in early 2020. When the virus hit, the timing could not have been more fortuitous or sorely needed. Below is our recent interview with Dr. Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr. and Stephen Grenon, Co-Founders of UV Innovators:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to UV Innovators?
A: Todd M. Pope, a medical device leader named one of Time Magazine’s 50 Most Influential people in healthcare, relized pre-Covid that there was a need for industrial-strength portable UV light to kill pathogens. He reconnected with Stephen Grenon, a serial entrepreneur with over 63 patents and more than 20 medical device product introductions and Dr. Nick Medendorp, Jr., a seasoned LED technology leader with over 115 patents to his name. Together, UV Innovators was formed to develop a medical-grade UV handheld to combat pathogens that cause hospital-acquired infections.
Our team saw an opportunity to develop a powerful, portable, handheld device that had the industrial strength of UV towers, but could be used in many different environments. These unique features ultimately led us to realize we needed to create a new market solution.
The only UV handhelds on the market are “just toys or flashlight wands,” as Nick calls them — low-grade UV that either didn’t work or required consumers to hold the wand over a surface area for six minutes or more that did not guarantee successful decontamination. “Many of these companies have baited Instagram and Facebook customers into thinking that their products are effective when they aren’t,” said Nick Medendorp, CEO. UV Innovators set out to build UVC handheld devices with hospital-grade disinfecting power.
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Q: How can UV Innovators help businesses in this challenging times?
A: Not all disinfecting solutions are created equal; each comes with drawbacks. Nobody knows the long-term effects of breathing aerosolized chemicals day in and day out. Many feel this is not a healthy and sustainable solution, particularly for children or anyone with underlying health issues. These chemicals have been in short supply and are expensive, some janitorial companies have been forced to water them down or use off-brand chemicals.
Current UV solutions have had their challenges. Existing UV towers are not practical for most commercial spaces. They were created for large industrial areas, using high-powered UV light that cannot be used anywhere near people. “We needed to answer a few questions as we developed the NuvaWave,” said Steve. “Can we develop a lightweight, portable device that is both safe and effective with the ability to kill 99.9% of pathogens in less than 2 seconds? Can we make it ergonomic, robust and easy to use? And it is possible to untether it from the wall by making it battery operated? Can we make it affordable? These were the key requirements for building this new product category.” It was time for a new wave of disinfection. NuvaWaveTM was born.
UV Innovators created the portable disinfection device using UVC light spectrum that is medical grade and able to disinfect surfaces in 2 seconds or less. Importantly, it’s also mercury-free and chemical-free.
Q: Who is your ideal client and why?
A: Once it became clear that Covid-19 was a global threat, we shifted the focus of our handheld disinfecting device to a broader commercial market. Nick, Steve and Todd, having been medical and technology professionals for their entire careers, realized that schools, offices, airlines, hotels, and public municipalities were not equipped to handle 24/7 sanitizing — everyone in the world is looking for a way to safely get back to work, travel, school, working out, eating out, shop and to vote safely.
Q: What can we expect from UV Innovators in next 6 months?
A: Every day we are focused on the integrity of the institutions in which we place our trust. We feel that NuvaWave has a critical role to play in stopping the spread of this disease and many other viruses and bacteria that are lurking. For businesses and institutions such as churches and schools, the stakes are higher. As a society, we have a moral obligation to keep children and elderly citizens safe, and we also have a legal responsibility (and liability if we don’t). Many airlines are not disinfecting between flights because aerosol sprayers add 30 minutes between flights and massive, heavy, UV devices are not practical. We realize that if a surface is disinfected one time that it will not last for 30 days. “Once someone coughs or sneezes, the surfaces need to be disinfected again.” This is why NuvaWave is ideal to disinfect those high-touch surfaces in-between the terminal cleaning procedures that happen too infrequently.
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Q: What’s the best thing about UV Innovators that people might not know about?
A: UV Innovators consistently seeks to create the best technology and solutions to combat pathogens. The team is made up of high-level technical thinkers that focus on how to meet the needs to keep others safe and healthy. Infectious disease experts think that Covid-19 may be something we will have to learn to live with permanently and UV Innovators continues to expand its knowledge and reach. Dr. David Weber, a world-renowned epidemiologist has joined UV Innovators as a scientific advisor to the company and will help us continue to tailor our solutions to not only treat the pathogens of today, but to combat those that are lurking.
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