Although it’s intended mainly for use in hospitals and other areas of the health care industries, the health conscious and environmentally-sensitive among us might take note of the new Silver Seal Keyboard, a new computer keyboard which is not only fully washable—in a dishwasher, even!—but is coated with a special antibacterial silver-embedded material.
As most computer users know, keyboards can be pretty disgusting things, filled with skin particles, bits of food, dust, pet dander, and other substances. Who knows what could be growing inside them—and that’s not considering the oils, germs, bacteria, and other dubious substances left on the keyboard from users’ hands…and most people don’t really want to think about where those have been. The problem is particularly acute in hospitals and other areas of the health care industry, where doctors, nurses, and other workers have to be particularly careful not to spread contagions between patients, or inadvertently spread infections—included nasties like antibiotic resistant infections.
“We know the dangers associated with shared input devices,” said Seal Shield CEO Bradley Whitchurch, in a statement. “Studies have shown that computer keyboards and mice are among the primary cross contamination points for the spread of viruses and bacterial infections.”
The Silver Seal keyboard takes a unique approach towards combatting the spread of bacterial and microorganisms via the keybaord. Instead of using a chemical coating (which wears off, and isn’t too good for either users or the environment), the Silver Shield keyboard embeds silver ions in the plastic; when exposed to moisture in the air, the silver ions form a natural antimicrobial shield which resists bacteria.
Silver Shield plans to begin shipping the keyboards in November, but hasn’t released any information on pricing.
