News Article
SETi & Cascade to develop UV LEDs for water purification
SETi’s germicidal UV LEDs, comprising aluminium gallium nitride, will be used to provide potable water to small groups from any source of fresh water
Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi) and Cascade Designs, Inc. of Seattle, have signed a Joint Development Agreement to develop the next generation of portable water purification systems for commercial, military and disaster relief/humanitarian applications.
The water purification systems will use SETi’s germicidal UV LEDs to provide potable water to small groups from any source of fresh water anywhere.
Germicidal UV LEDs are a new technology that offer an alternative to mercury lamps or chemical treatment and enables a compact, lightweight and mechanically robust disinfection solution that can stand up to the rigors of military and humanitarian use and, when powered with an alternative energy source, can offer a sustainable source of drinking water for many months.
Through a development program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), SETi has already successfully demonstrated the use of its germicidal UV LEDs in a bench top disinfection chamber. The collaborative effort with Cascade Designs will further this work and lead to the development of the first multi‐stage UV LED‐based water purification system.
Cascade Designs has forty years of experience developing and manufacturing innovative products for the outdoor and military markets. Under the MSR (Mountain Safety Research) and Platypus brand names, the company has a significant share of the portable, point‐of‐use water treatment market.
Cascade Designs is the standard‐issue supplier of sleep pads, snowshoes, camp stoves, and on‐the‐move water treatment systems for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Together, the companies believe that UV LEDs, combined with proprietary filtration and absorption technologies, will have breakthrough potential for the military and humanitarian relief efforts.
"We see great potential in partnering with SETi,” says Joe McSwiney, president of Cascade Designs, Inc. “With SETi’s UV LED technology and our experience in designing and manufacturing a broad range of water treatment products, we believe we can develop revolutionary new water treatment systems that will advance the work we’re already doing to supply the U.S. military and bring sustainable relief to people around the world who lack potable water.”
Remis Gaska, president and CEO of SETi agrees. “With a strong track record of taking new technologies to market, Cascade Designs is the obvious choice for SETi to partner with,” Gaska says. “This collaborative effort will demonstrate the effectiveness in UV LEDs for Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. disinfection and will not only address the need of the public sector markets, but will also pave the way for the development of UV LED‐based disinfection products in the private sector.”
