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FDA Clears Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard for Use in Healthcare Settings

13 Jan 2012
Sonia Nicholas
Managing Editor and Clinical Lead

Product news

Vioguard, LLC., has announced that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its first product, the Vioguard self-sanitizing computer keyboard, for use in healthcare settings. The keyboard has been developed to address the need for continual disinfection efforts in the medical workplace.

The Vioguard keyboard uses the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV-C) at 254 nm wavelength to automatically clean its surfaces. UV-C at this wavelength contains just the right amount of energy to break down organic molecular bonds in microbes, and it is proven to kill flu and MRSA as well as other harmful viruses and germs.

The keyboard is stored in a mechanized enclosure which can double as a monitor stand when not in use. Whilst in this enclosure, the keyboard is safely flooded with germicidal ultraviolet light. When a user sits down at the workstation and activates the infrared motion sensor with the wave of a hand, the keyboard automatically extends into working position.

When the user has finished, the keyboard automatically retracts into the enclosure where it is once again bathed in ultraviolet light. LED indicators are used to let the user know when the keyboard has been sanitized and is ready for use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) impact over 1.7 million patients in the U.S. each year. Similar infections are also on the rise in community settings: a CDC prospective study in 2003 suggested that 12% of clinical MRSA infections are community-associated.

"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," said Larry Ranta, president and CEO of Vioguard. "Conventional computer keyboards have been identified as a key point of transmission of viruses and bacteria, especially within the medical setting. The Vioguard keyboard takes the guesswork out of sanitization efforts, reduces labor costs, and helps fight the spread of harmful and often deadly superbugs."

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