US Patent Granted: Automated aircraft tray table disinfecting system using ultra-violet light

Press Release

Innovation Title:
Automated aircraft tray table disinfecting system using ultra-violet light

Name and Age of Inventors (at the time of innovation):
Yumna Syeda Ali Shah (16)
Nimra Syeda Ali Shah (14)
Bilal Syed Ali Shah (11)

Problem Statement:
The aircraft tray table was found to be one of the dirtiest places on the plane. A study in 2015 found it is 50 times dirtier than a toilet flush button. An aircraft tray table has cold viruses, human parainfluenza viruses, norovirus (which can cause diarrhea and vomiting), and the superbug MRSA, which causes skin infections.
For an average aircraft with 300 seats, it will take approximately an hour for airlines to just disinfect all tray tables. Airlines do not have this much time and therefore they silently neglect leaving passengers at the mercy of viruses, bacteria, and germs.

About the Innovation:
Young inventors at DiscoverSTEM have designed an automatic airplane tray table disinfectant system, which uses UV-C light to disinfect the table within just 18 seconds. The light turns on as soon as the passenger latches the table and shuts off when it is opened, to save human exposure to UV-C light.

Patent Certificate:

US Patent Grant Date:
August 30, 2022

United States Patent Publication Number:
11427326

Awards & Recognition:
‘Alternate Finalist’ at Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge-2018 held at NASA Kennedy Space Center.

To Read Patent Details:
Click Here USPTO | Google Patents

About DiscoverSTEM

DiscoverSTEM nurtures child prodigies. Through our various programs, we transform children into young innovators and entrepreneurs who can solve some of the world’s most pressing problems through their patented innovations.

We provide a complete innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to children and help them transform their unique ideas into practical solutions and products.

For more information on DiscoverSTEM, please contact us HERE.

Hisham Ahmad - CMO

I am a 14-year-old freshman attending Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, Texas. I have extensive experience with marketing, as I have been a part of various companies and mentorships. I graduated from the DiscoverStem program, allowing new doors to open up for me, and change the way I see things. The DiscoverStem program has also given me more experience with concepts such as patents, invention, and innovation, as well as inspiration to use these skills to help the world around us.

DiscoverSTEM founders Mirza Rizwan and Mirza Faizan have made history by becoming the first Indian to win the coveted George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation – USA.

Started in 1949 by former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Freedoms Foundation honors exceptional contributions of Americans towards communities in the USA. Generally reserved for the US citizens, the awarding organization made an exception to recognize the stellar research work and its impact of India’s Mr. Rizwan in designing and implementing a unique STEM & Innovation program for American children, thereby revolutionizing the education system in the USA.

Few of the other notable non-US citizens who have received George Washington Honor Medal include Ms. Margaret Thatcher (Former Prime Minister of United Kingdom), Lech Walesa (Former President of Poland and Noble Prize winner) and world-renowned Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. As the latest recipients of this prestigious honor, Mirza brothers join historically acclaimed group of citizens whose work and dedication advance the American ideals, the award letter says.

Some of the distinguished US citizens who have received this award for their stellar contributions in their field are Walt Disney, Astronauts Sally Ride and John Glenn, Capt. Sully Sullenberger, Athletes like Arthur Ashe, George Foreman and Tiger Woods and famous US educator Jaime Escalante.