User:Livelarq/sandbox

LARQ is a privately held American direct-to-consumer company specializing in the manufacturing and production of the LARQ Bottle. The LARQ Bottle is the world's first "self-cleaning" water bottle to hit the market and uses UV-C LED technology to sanitize the water and bottle. The proprietary UV-C LED technology can be used "on-demand" to kill up to 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses in the LARQ Bottle.

CEO & Co-founder, Justin Wang, and CIO & Co-founder, Yitao Liao, partnered up to bring Liao's proprietary UV-C LED technology to consumers by creating a self-cleaning water bottle. Wang then established a Kickstarter campaign for the idea in 2017 under the name QUARTZ, which raised over 1.3 million dollars in crowdfunding. The name was later changed to LARQ in 2018. According to an interview with Wang and San Franciscan journalist, Betty Yu, Wang expressed an interest in helping to bring the idea of a self-cleaning water bottle to fruition after "feeling guilty about grabbing for a plastic water bottle one too many times."

LARQ's mission is to end single-use plastic use through innovation and design: "LARQ was started with a simple vision where innovative technology can be combined with inspirational design to help people access drinking water easily and sustainably." The brand is heavily based on eco-consciousness and making it easier for consumers to make the more sustainable choice of using a reusable water bottle instead of reaching for single-use water bottles. The brand is also a member of the 1% for the Planet nonprofit network and donates 1% of its sales to environmental nonprofits around the world.

The LARQ Bottle
The LARQ Bottle is LARQ's first product to be available to consumers. The bottle uses proprietary UV-C technology to "eradicate up to 99.9999% of bacteria and up to 99.99% of viruses". The product is proven effective against bacteria and known as the "stink-free" water bottle when compared to ordinary stainless steel, plastic, or glass water bottles that do not offer self-cleaning capabilities.

Specifications

 * UV-C LED self-cleans and kills odor-causing bacteria resulting in stink-free water bottle
 * 4 Adjustable modes for activating cycles
 * 5 colors available
 * Waterproof microUSB rated IPX7
 * 17oz / 500mL capacity
 * Electropolished stainless steel (BPA free)
 * Rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery
 * Weight: 13.5 oz (0.38kg)
 * Height: 9.6 inches (243.7mm)
 * Diameter: 2.7 inches (69 mm)

Construction
The bottle is designed with Scandinavian design influence with two tone powder coating. It features a waterproof microUSB port rated IPX7, similar to the iPhone 8 models or later. The bottle itself is constructed of full 18/8 electropolished stainless steel to maximize efficacy of disinfection in the UVC LED located in the cap of the bottle. The cap features the UV-C LED chip, a quartz lens and a rechargeable lithium polymer battery that advertises 2-6 weeks of battery life depending on frequency of use. The silicone button is located on the top of the cap and can be clicked to activate a cycle of UV-C purification. The ring around the button will light up indicating that a cycle is in progress. The microUSB port is located on the side of the cap.

How It Works
The LARQ Bottle's UV-C LED kills bacteria and germs with each cycle. There are four main "modes" of the LARQ Bottle:


 * Normal Mode - When drinking from trusted water sources, it is advised to use this mode by pressing the button once, which activates a 60-second cycle with a "breathing" sky blue light
 * Adventure Mode - Depending on the water source, a user may want to use a longer cycle known as Adventure Mode. Adventure Mode can be activated by pressing the button twice. A 3-minute cycle will commence with a pulsing blue light indicating that the cycle is in progress.
 * Self-cleaning Mode - The LARQ Bottle will automatically clean itself every 2 hours in a 10-second cycle with "breathing" sky blue light
 * Travel Lock - This function is designed for conserving energy or for travel or extended storage periods that turns off the Self-cleaning mode and disables ability to click on the button when not in use. To activate the Travel Lock, hold down the button for 5 seconds. To wake the bottle up again, press and hold for another 5 seconds.

Colors
The LARQ Bottle comes in 5 main colors: Monaco Blue, Obsidian Black, Seaside Mint, Granite White, and Himalayan Pink.

Crowdfunding
LARQ got its initial start on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding community that often lets people back inventive projects for entrepreneurs. At the time, LARQ went by the name QUARTZ. The company name was changed before the launch of the product in October 2018.

LARQ's initial goal for funding on Kickstarter was $30,000, but was surpassed within 2 months of posting the project. 12,758 pledgers on Kickstarter backed the project with a total value of $1,374,021.

UV-C LED Technology
UV-C LED technology is also known as Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), a disinfection method that uses 280nm ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or render microorganisms inactive by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA. UVGI/UV-C is used in a variety of applications including food, air, and water purification. UV-C is also known as "germicidal UV".

The use of UV light to disinfect drinking water dates back to 1910 in Merseille, France. In 1955, UV water treatment systems were applied in Austria and Switzerland. In 1998, the discovery that protozoa such as cryptospordium and giardia were more vulnerable to UV light than previously thought and paved the way to wide-scale use of UC water treatment in North America. Over time, cost of UV technology has declined, making it more readily available in water treatment facilities around the world and is even used in wastewater management facilities on a local scale. LARQ's UV-C technological innovation was making the UV-C technology available for consumer use in 2018.

Science and Efficacy
LARQ's proprietary UV-C LED chip is located in the cap of the bottle, which makes it possible for the light to illuminate the water and inside of the 18/8 electropolished bottle that causes a photochemical reaction that destroys the DNA of bacteria and viruses that may be suspended in the water or bottle. The efficacy was tested by Harrens Lab, based in Hayward, CA on May 30, 2018 prior to the launch of the bottle.

The following are the details of the Harrens Lab experiment where LARQ's proprietary UV-C LED technology was tested against water samples enriched with E. coli by Harrens Lab and based on ASTM E2315 ("Standard Guide for Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity Using a Time-Kill Procedure"):

The experiment utilized 4 stainless steel bottles and one UV-C LED cap for testing provided by LARQ using deionized water, E.coli (ATCC 25922), with a starting solution of about 1.00 x 10^7 CFU/mL. Testing was performed in 3 replicates for 2-min tests, and 6 replicates for 1-min and 3-min tests. Inoculated volumes for each test run was 500mL, out of which 50mL was collected for LARQ internal purposes, and 450mL was tested in a stainless steel bottle with UV-C LED cap (provided by LARQ) for designated run-times. Pre and post treatment aliquots were plated in serial dilutions ranging from 10^-1 to 10^-9 on APC Media using a pour plate technique. Plates were incubated for 48 hours at 35°C.

Test 1: using 1-minute UV-C LED treatment against E. coli saw a 99.9775% reduction on average over 6 replicates averaging initial populations of 7.28E+06.

Test 2: using 2-minute UV-C LED treatment against E. coli saw a 99.9998% reduction on average over 3 replicates averaging initial populations of 4.77E+06.

Test 3: using 3-minute UV-C LED treatment against E. coli saw a 99.9999% reduction on average over 6 replicates averaging initial populations of 2.50E+07.

Conclusion - the 3-minute UV-C LED treatment produced the greatest log reduction and percent reduction against E.coli and is considered effective.

Safety
The shorter-wavelength, higher-energy UV radiation associated with the UVC category is strongly absorbed by most organic materials, making it effective in germicidal and disinfectant applications. UVC light is considered safe to use in controlled environments to treat water, food or air, but the light should not come in direct contact with human skin or eyes for extended periods of time. Direct contact with UV radiation from the sun or highly energized UV-C light can cause burns or skin cancer. The LARQ Bottle's UVC light is contained within the stainless steel structure and can only be turned on in complete darkness.

Awards
2019


 * Red Dot Award: Best of the Best 2019

2018


 * Men's Health Tech Guide 2018
 * Harper's Bazaar Editor's Choice 2018

Press
Due to LARQ's innovative technology, the LARQ Bottle has appeared in many media publications across the internet and in print magazines. It is known as the "World's first self-cleaning water bottle".

2019


 * "CES Innovation Awards: Sustainability and Eco-Design" - Harry Menear, Business Chief.
 * "5 Easy Ways to Jump-Start Your Fitness Goals in 2019" - Jenna Rennert, Vogue.
 * "LARQ Named CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree" - PRNewsWire.
 * "The 13 Best Valentine's Gifts for the Gym Rat" - Meg Lappe, Gear Patrol.
 * "6 Plastic-Free Ways to Travel With Safe Drinking Water" - Sunny Fitzgerald, National Geographic.
 * "San Francisco Startup's High-Tech Bottle Purifies Water With UV Light" - Betty Yu, CBS SF Bay Area.
 * "Gear Behind the Man: George Foreman III - George Foreman III's Go-To Fitness Gear In and Out of the Ring" - Dean Stattman.
 * "7 Wellness Products to Try for a Healthier You" - Sarah Mitroff, CNET.
 * "11 Gifts For People Who Have Everything" - Amanda Oleri, Forbes.

2018


 * "A Clean Take on a Smart Water Bottle" - F. Martin Ramin, The Wall Street Journal.
 * "Home Gift Ideas for Every Star Sign" - Michaela Bechler, Vogue.
 * "The 10 Smartest Sustainable Products of 2018" - Justin Worland, TIME Magazine.
 * "Holiday Gift Guide 2018: The 13 Best Travel Gadgets For Tech Lovers" - Christina Liao, Forbes.
 * "Men's Health 2018 Tech Guide - December 2018 Print Edition" - Men's Health.
 * "LARQ's New Self-Cleaning Water Bottle Comes In 5 color & Has An 'Extra Purification' Setting" - Ashley Kiely, The Zoe Report.
 * "Trends in Design and Home Furnishings" - The New York Times.