Startup Creates Self-Cleaning Keyboard
A Washington State startup is looking to keep people healthy by zapping germs off computer keyboards, starting with local hospitals.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate up to 99,000 people die each year from hospital-acquired infections. The makers of the Vioguard keyboard hope to cut that number by a quarter with their product, though that number is a point of contention among health professionals.
It’s designed to be a keyboard, with a touchpad, that slides into a steel box after it’s used. Germicidal UV lamps inside the box then flood the keyboard for a user-set duration. An infrared sensor allows people to bring the keyboard back out without touching the box.
“In as little as 10 seconds, we’re killing 99.9 percent of MRSA that’s on there,” said Vioguard co-founder Ken Sullivan.
Photo by Vioguard.
Angela Shupe on March 26th, 2009 11:00 am
That’s pretty cool idea. I wonder how many hospitals will take to it?
Now, if someone wouldn’t mind coming up with a self-cleaning keyboard that gets rid of dust and other stuff that ends up between the keys, I would appreciate it. ;) I hate those cans of “air”.
M!hai @ Freshome.com on March 27th, 2009 1:28 am
For those of you who want to know how dirty a keyboard can be …take a look at this – http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/keyboard
Jaclyn on March 27th, 2009 8:07 am
That’s an awesome invention/idea! Key boards get used so much by so many different people throughout the day, and they do carry so many germs on them that it’s next to impossible NOT to catch something from touching them. Especially in hospital’s where they already are said to be one of the easiest places to catch an infectious disease, they could definitely use some help in that department.
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