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. 2020 Sep 30;8(3):582–595. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-20-00218

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© Gilbert et al.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly cited. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. When linking to this article, please use the following permanent link: https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-20-00218

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FIGURE 2. — Multiple configurations can improve irradiation on the mask surface. (A) Image showing the table top setup of our custom ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. White circles on the table top demonstrate the foot print for placement of masks to be decontaminated within an 88 cm x 40 cm irradiation area. A shadow is visible on the far surface of the mask (white arrow) indicating decreased exposure due to the curvature of the mask and angle of the ultraviolet rays. (B) The far surface of the mask on the outer rows of our irradiation area, the mask region furthest from the bulb, receives 15% of the ultraviolet intensity compared to the top of the mask. (C, D) By adding a reflective backboard of aluminum foil wrapped cardboard to the edge of the irradiation area, the ultraviolet rays can be reflected to increase the irradiation exposure to the far surface of the mask. (E, F) Alternatively, by creating a sloped surface for the masks at the edge of the array, mask surfaces can be more aligned toward the light source resulting in more uniform irradiation intensities across the surface. (G, H) Another decontamination setup includes suspending or hanging the masks. If there is access to a second, optional fixture, this allows for irradiation of both sides of the mask simultaneously.