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The common computer keyboard can be a filthy harbor for bacteria and germs—and a worry for hospitals seeking to curb deadly infections among patients. However a new keyboard, recently cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use in hospitals, literally sheds light on a possible solution.
The $900 keyboard from Vioguard, a start-up founded by former Microsft executives, uses an enclosure that bathes the computer input device in antibacterial ultra-violet (UV-C) light when it isn't being used by doctors and other hospital staffers. An infra-red sensor deploys the keyboard from the light box with a simple wave of the hand. After a preset amount of inactivity, the keyboard retreats back into the enclosure to begin another session under the UV-C radiation.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control last June found that such UV light-sanitizing solutions were "67% effective...in eliminating bacterial contamination."
Most computer users probably don't need that level of pricey protection against germs and bacteria. Still, if you're concerned about catching a cold or picking up any other illness from your PC, read how to keep your computer hardware germ-free.
First FDA cleared computer keyboard to use germicidal properties of ultraviolet light to destroy harmful viruses and bacteria [Vioguard press release via Business Wire]
Randomized double-blind crossover trial of ultraviolet light-sanitized keyboards in a pediatric hospital [American Journal of Infection Control]
Self sanitizing keyboard approved by FDA, ignored by bacterio-cognoscenti [IT World]
—Paul Eng
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