Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Vioguard to launch self-sanitising UV keyboard this year
Vioguard says that its self-sanitising UV keyboard and track pad, which has US Food & Drug Administration clearance, is to be launched towards the end of the year.
Using the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to automatically disinfect the keyboard and track pad after every use, the system is 99.99% effective in killing harmful microorganisms within seconds, eliminating the need for manual disinfection and disposal of biohazard waste.
Critically, the Vioguard system does not require human intervention. The sanitisation process engages automatically and confirms that the surfaces have been properly sanitised, ensuring consistent and reliable disinfection.
The system can easily be integrated into medical carts, workstations, wall-mounted computer systems and other custom configurations and disinfection takes 90 seconds (average, based on default UV dosage setting). Aulti-colour LED indicates disinfection status.
Healthcare Acquired Infections are a leading cause of death in around the world. Our own hands are often infection vectors for the microbes that make us sick. The potential to spread deadly pathogens through cross-contamination is increasing as the advent of electronic medical records requires greater use of shared workstations. Computer keyboards and mice are two of the top vectors for cross-contamination.
Preventing deadly diseases such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium dificile and norovirus is a top priority for hospitals. However, many organisations struggle with the challenge of manually disinfecting shared surfaces in busy environments. Frequent hand washing and other existing interventions are time-consuming and break down due to lack of human compliance. For instance, effective hand washing requires up to two hours per day and has approximately 20-30% adherence amongst clinicians.
"Conventional computer keyboards have been identified as a key point of transmission
for viruses and bacteria, especially within the medical setting," notes Larry Ranta,
president and CEO of Vioguard.
"The Vioguard keyboard takes the guesswork out of sanitisation efforts, reduces labour costs and improves compliance.
"Since the early 20th century, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation has been used as an effective disinfectant in HVAC, water treatment facilities and hospital environments.
"Hospital-borne pathogens can be killed or rendered harmless with the use of UV-C in appropriate dosages by effectively disrupting microorganisms' DNA and RNA while preventing colonisation. Unlike their resilient response to chemical disinfectants, microorganisms are unable to develop UV-C resistance.
"Widespread use of antibiotics and disinfectants continue to create chemical and drug-resistant 'superbugs', which the CDC lists as a top threat for 2014. The Vioguard solution kills these superbugs and will not create new, resistant microorganisms."
T: 1-425-318-7900
W: www.vioguard.com
11th May 2017