Germ-Zapping Keyboard Approved for Hospitals

Seattle-area startup Vioguard has come up with a germ-killing keyboard.

Image: Vioguard

The FDA has given the nod to Kirkland, Washington, startup Viogard LLC to market its germ-repelling keyboard for hospitals and health clinics. The keyboard, developed by Microsoft veterans, is bathed in ultraviolet light to kill bugs from the MRSA bacteria to the flu.

As the Puget Sound Business Journal's TechFlash reports today:

Computers are becoming more common in hospitals because of electronic medical records, and shared keyboards are one of the major ways that disease can spread.

The Ultraviolet “Class C” light used by the Vioguard keyboard is a well-known germicide. Vioguard cites outside lab tests showing the effectiveness of its system in ridding highly contaminated keyboards of bacteria related to the deadly MRSA infection and other diseases in time spans as short as 10 seconds.

“We’re very pleased with the FDA clearance, which substantiates our medical claims and allows hospitals and clinics to make use of this new tool,” Larry Ranta, president and CEO of Vioguard, said in a statement Tuesday. "The Vioguard keyboard takes the guesswork out of sanitization efforts, reduces labor costs, and helps fight the spread of harmful and often deadly superbugs.”

To read the full report, check out TechFlash.