SURFACE DISINFECTION AND VISIBLE LIGHT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING SAME

Surface disinfection for enclosures with Ultra-Violet (UV) light and illuminating such enclosures with visible light. Particular embodiments relate to limiting the transmission of viruses and bacteria in the interior space of an aircraft, such as a lavatory, through the use of UV light application, while providing visible light to passengers of such lavatory, both in a safe and compliant manner. This disclosure provides a lighting system and method that combines a visible light emitter and a UV light emitter into a single light system module. Although UV light is a preferred method of neutralizing pathogens, its use is not safe for human exposure. Accordingly, the disclosed lighting system is capable of detecting the presence of an occupant within an enclosure or defined space and only allows the visible light emitter to function (and prevents the UV light emitter from functioning) while people or animals are present within the electromagnetic range for the lighting system. The lighting system can then detect the absence of an occupant within an enclosure or defined space, prior to activating the UV light emitter, and once absence is detected, the UV light emitter can be activated by a controller.