ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A self-cleaning keyboard could be a boon for the healthcare sector when it goes into large-scale production.

Made by technology company Vioguard, the keyboard comes in its own case which is slightly larger than the keyboard itself. It can be sent into its case at the touch of a button where 99.99 per cent of all bacteria and pathogens are killed withIn the space of 90 seconds.

The product uses UV-C - a type of ultraviolet light - to eliminate germs. And the keyboard can even sense when it has not been in use for a few minutes and will automatically enter the case to begin the disinfection process.

Vioguard has been developing the technology for years but is poised to begin selling its self-cleaning keyboards this summer. Eventually the company hopes to expand its business into offices and homes. And Vioguard also believes the technology has potential for use in shoes, pens, clipboards - in fact anything that carries bacteria.

Several attempts have been made to develop germ-busting computer keyboards over the years. In 2015, materials scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta came up with a product featuring tiny nanowires on the keys that were said to repel water, oils and dirt.

And washable keyboards for healthcare have been around for some time including options such as the LinkSmart. This has an onboard cleaning button that disengages the keyboard from the computer to enable it to be scrubbed, wiped and sprayed without inputting any errant data. An on-screen keyboard diagram shows the keys being cleaned individually and once the disinfection process is complete, a message pops up on the screen that the keyboard is ready for use.