According to the American Cancer Society, over 1 million people will develop skin cancer this year, the rate has been increasing rapidly since 1973. In order to help increase the public awareness regarding the harmful effects of exposure to ultra-violet radiation, the development of an ultraviolet detector based on a chemical capable of changing its color upon irradiation with sunlight is proposed. This characteristic of color change is a key factor since it will provide the information on the amount of UV light present in sunlight without the aid of any electronic amplifying circuit of any optical filter. The intensity of the visible color is directly proportional to the amount of ultraviolet light striking the photo-detector. Contrary to traditional detectors of this type, the present UV detection device will be very affordable and easy to use by the general public. The present ultraviolet sensor can be incorporated in any items such as watches, pins, credit cards, and sunscreen bottles providing a very handy reminder of the danger of ultraviolet light exposure. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The present ultraviolet sensor is designed to provide an affordable and easy way to measure the intensity of ultraviolet sunlight. People will be reminded of the harmful effects of UV exposure by a simple change of color. The present detection device is believed to have a great commercial potential. SolarTech's UV sensor technology has already had interest from major US corporations.
Thesaurus Terms:biomedical equipment development, colorimetry, monitoring device, radiation detector, solar radiation, ultraviolet radiation cancer prevention, clinical biomedical equipment, skin neoplasmNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
