Ultraviolet Sterilising Water Bottle

[Bigfoot]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10858815

This wee invention is up for an award and rightly so, I think it is a very clever, very fast bit of kit for anyone who needs to purify water. No chlorine tabs ever again?

 

[Teepee]

I like the wind up idea.

The batteries are a pain in the Steripen-my friend seems to use loads of batteries with his.

 

[Paul_B]

Then the bulb stops working after two trips. Steripen is not reliable.

 

[daveO]

"A prototype was effective in killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses"

Did the other 0.1% just get a really good tan?

 

[Paul_B]

How many bacteria does it take to make you ill? I mean don't they kindof reproduce ontheir own thus defeating thepurpose of a steriliser that leaves some behind? Simplistic I know as the body can cope with a certain amountof them and it is only a critical mass of them that overwhelms the systemmakingyou ill. I wonder how many can still survive before you start to get ill? with a typical infected amount of water would 99.9% kill rate be enough or not?

 

[Bigfoot]

Well I think I would prefer to use it and worry less about the 0.01% of bacteria that might still survive, rather than drink the water unfiltered.

 

[naefearjustbeer]

I think if you read the small print of most water filter/purification systems they probably quote similar percentages.

 

[Pierr]

How can this be presented as an invention when the steripen is sold for some time already?

 

[Paul_B]

Or the technology has been used for decades in water filtration plants around the world from big network ones to small scale local ones or the type that hill farms have for their water sources.

BTW a little thought up here in the south Cumbria / Yorkshire / Lancashire corner of the world, courtesy of Manchester taking all our water there is a drainpipe ban up here in one of the wettest parts of the country. I know of several farms who are not on the mains water who have had their water sources dried up. Some are connecting to neighbours water sources just to get by. Although Manchester can't be blamed for the streams feeding hill farms but if populous centres like Manc and Liverpool and other cities were able to enforce water thrift then we would be in a better situation when there is a drought. BTW this is officially a drought believe it or not. The term means different things in different parts of the world. It doesn't have to mean scorched earth. There has been two extreme weather patterns already this year and there are some reports of a third one. This is all affecting our farming. Already winter fodder is scarces. Farms have only been able to collect as low as 1/10th of previous years levels. Others couldnot collect and if the wet weather continues they might not be able to harvest what they have. They will have to buy it in. Costs go up and farms already under pressure struggle more. With supermarkets controlling pricing they are in difficulties in some area.

Anyway off topic rant over.

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

I think the product is sound but I think were the problem would be is if you were trying to treat turbid water water with lots of particles in it were bacteria/viruses can hide... but of course we can filter this out..... still got to try and teach this old dog new tricks though...

 

[wentworth]

How is this new? Aquastar has been producing a bottle with built in UV bulb for 5 yrs...

 

[oslodunc]

Used UV sterilisers in the aquarium trade for years. Very effective.
I see this as a step in the right direction.

 

[nigeltm]

I think the product is sound but I think were the problem would be is if you were trying to treat turbid water water with lots of particles in it were bacteria/viruses can hide... but of course we can filter this out.....

Looking at the photo this system can handle the turbid water.

Think of a cafetiere with a UV bulb in one end.

The "coffee filter plunger" in the bottle is a fine filter. So pour moderately prefiltered water in one end then plunge the filter through the water (instead of pouring the water through the filter as in a traditional filter). This leaves filtered water in the bottle ready for the UV treatment. It looks like the innovation is in the wind-up power for the bulb and the "filter in place" approach of the plunger.

It'll be interesting to see if this idea is taken up and becomes a commercial product. A ruggedised bottle which gives taste free water which can be poured out (unlike the Hydropal type bottles) sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[apj1974]

http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/Projects/Project.aspx?ID=1096&RegionId=19&Winindex=3

by the look of things the uv tube is right in the centre of the water. I wonder if the bottom bit can be removed once filtered?

 

[Ray Britton]

This is now very old technology. As has been said, this is already well used all over the world in water treatment, but in quite a different form than is used in this bottle.
Hair dresser and other beauty industries us a similar technique to this, BUT will also tell you that they do not work well if the item to be sterilised is not rotated (so this or any other water treatment bottles need to be moved or rotated to work effectively). So, as has also been alluded to, this system will not cope well with dirty water for the reason above. In fact, this technology is now so widely available, that even Philips provide ultra violet sterilisers for their tooth brushes.

I guess any award for this product will reflect its wind up system (which is an advantage, and if reliable, a lot better than battery power). It will of course suffer from all of the disadvantages of any 'one bottle' filter or steriliser, in that it becomes less adaptable in use.

Edited to add:
As the report makes great play on just how fast this bottle is in use, and quotes some other ways taking at least 30 minutes (which is true for one of them), it may be worth pointing out that with a system like the 'travel tap' you could fill your bottle, drink the contents. Fill it again and drink the second lot of water. then fill and drink it again in less than 90 seconds!
Just adding some balance to the high speed claim.

 

[torc]

Charity organisations should concentrate their time and limited funds into teaching about cheaper and
less technologically complicated devices for purifying water.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4786216.stm
Happy trails...torc.

 

[Paul_B]

This is now very old technology. As has been said, this is already well used all over the world in water treatment, but in quite a different form than is used in this bottle.
Hair dresser and other beauty industries us a similar technique to this, BUT will also tell you that they do not work well if the item to be sterilised is not rotated (so this or any other water treatment bottles need to be moved or rotated to work effectively). So, as has also been alluded to, this system will not cope well with dirty water for the reason above. In fact, this technology is now so widely available, that even Philips provide ultra violet sterilisers for their tooth brushes.

I guess any award for this product will reflect its wind up system (which is an advantage, and if reliable, a lot better than battery power). It will of course suffer from all of the disadvantages of any 'one bottle' filter or steriliser, in that it becomes less adaptable in use.

Edited to add:
As the report makes great play on just how fast this bottle is in use, and quotes some other ways taking at least 30 minutes (which is true for one of them), it may be worth pointing out that with a system like the 'travel tap' you could fill your bottle, drink the contents. Fill it again and drink the second lot of water. then fill and drink it again in less than 90 seconds!
Just adding some balance to the high speed claim.

I have the eliminator version of the travel tap technology and although I have only used it once found that there was a strong taint to the water. HAve you found that the travel tap tastes iodiney or chloriney? It does in mine. I followed the instructions closely and flushed it through using the tap connector of about twice the recommended length of time so it should be well flushed through so manufacturing debirs and sterilisation residues should have been flushed out. Am I to correctly assume that it is basically an iodine or chlorine based sterilisation kit? WIth all the reviews from punters it sounded like it was taste taint free and fast and bestthing since sliced bread. Not my experience.

 

[Nonsuch]

Looks good. It's not actually made by Dyson so it might not break the first time you use it !
NS