Xenon Corporation

Saad Ahmed

Stephen R Wilk

Ryan Hathaway

Roger Williams

Rezaoul Karim

Systems and methods for treating unwashed fruit with fruit bloom that provide a first ultraviolet (UV) energy with one or more flashes using a first set of one or more flash lamps to a first surface of each of a plurality of blueberries and provide a second UV energy with one or more flashes using a second set of one or more flash lamps to a second surface of each of the plurality of blueberries. The system determines a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first and second UV energies and determines an adjustment to a parameter of at least one of the first and second UV energies based on the fruit bloom level. The system provides UV energy with the adjusted parameter to a subsequent set of blueberries to remove microorganisms from the blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

Ultraviolet treatment of food products to kill microorganisms while retaining fruit bloom

Systems are disclosed for providing ultraviolet (UV) energy to items on a processing surface. The system includes a lamp positioned over the processing surface to provide UV energy to the processing surface and a reflector cell positioned to cause UV energy emitted from the lamp in a direction away from the processing surface to be reflected toward the processing surface. The system includes the reflector cell having a reflector cap positioned above the lamp and a shroud extending downwardly from the reflector cap toward the conveyor wherein the shroud has a vertical dimension, a longitudinal dimension, and a horizontal dimension along the direction of the conveyor such that the horizontal dimension and the longitudinal dimension define a treatment area on the conveyor. The lamp is configured to deliver energy to the treatment area such that the delivered energy to the processing surface is substantially uniform over the treatment area.

Reflector for providing uniform light energy

A flash lamp system provides flashes to a bottom side of a conveyor to disinfect the conveyor while the conveyor is transporting products on a top side of the conveyor. The flashes are provided to discontinuous segments of the conveyor such that a portion of the conveyor is treated with each revolution, but a controller causes the entire length of the conveyor to be disinfected over multiple revolutions. The controller can respond to changes in speed and detected levels of disinfection. The disinfection system can be used in many applications, such as the transporting of fresh or frozen food products.

Flash lamp system for disinfecting conveyors

Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting a UV-transmissive window. The system includes a first light source for emitting UV energy. The system also includes a UV transmissive window having a planar dimension and a thickness direction perpendicular to the planar dimension, the window positioned so that UV energy from the UV light source passes through the thickness dimension of the window. The system further includes a second light source for introducing a beam of light transverse to the thickness dimension of the window, a detector for detecting light received from the second light source after the light passes through the thickness dimension, and a control system responsive to changes in the detected light received from the second light source and configured to transmit an alert when a change in the detected light exceeds a threshold.

Protecting a UV-transmissive window

A circuit for a gas discharge system includes a pulse forming circuit, a discharge lamp, a circuit for recovering energy from the discharge lamp when a trigger to the lamp is turned off, a high voltage switch between the lamp and ground, and a two-part dissipating circuit across the switch. The system can provide a flat response with highly controllable pulse width.

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Wilmington, MA, United States of America

Saad Ahmed