Skip to main content

Let there be light! Compact sterilizing pod uses UV light to kill bacteria

You can’t see bacteria, but they’re practically everywhere. They’re on your hands, on your food, in your bed, on your pets. Luckily, not all bacteria are bad for you — many are beneficial. But, when there’s a baby in the house, it’s better to err on the side of caution and keep potentially harmful bacteria at bay.

A new product called Ellie might make that task a bit easier for parents. The compact sterilizing pod, which uses ultraviolet light to eliminate harmful bacteria, was recently launched in an Indiegogo campaign. But the concept has been a long time coming.

Recommended Videos

“Applying technology to improve people’s lives has been a focus of mine for a long time,” Ellie creator Yitao Liao told Digital Trends. “I grew up in southwest China where I witnessed firsthand what the spread of bacteria and viruses can do. People lacked access to clean, drinkable water. I lived through the 2004 SARS outbreak — a terrible example of how quickly germs can spread and kill people.”

In college Liao worked with LED lights and studied how photonics could have a social impact. “An LED lightbulb went off,” Liao punned, “and I thought about how combining LED with UV can take an LED from a technology that enhances lighting and displays to a technology that can actually save people’s lives.”

UV lights are already used in hospitals to help disinfect equipment and patient rooms. Ellie is intended to bring that ease and reliability to the family home.

The pod uses a proprietary technology to kill 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria in just one minute, according to its creators. The disinfecting process even manages to eliminate antibiotic-resistant viruses called “superbugs.”

Back in the day parents boiled, steamed, or microwaved baby products to sanitize them. But Ellie’s creators insist their product is easier, safer, and be more versatile since it can sterilize anything that fits inside it, from toddlers’s toys to car keys, at the press of a button.

Ellie is currently available through Indiegogo perks for under $100.

Dyllan Furness
Former Contributor
Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…
Tineco’s docking vacuum has a special Prime Day price, but you can get it cheaper
A Tineco Pure One next to its charging base.

Vacuums feel like they're getting more and more expensive, and not just robot vacuum and mop combos, but ordinary hand vacs. You can go to Walmart and see bagged, corded vacuums that cost hundreds of dollars. It doesn't have to be that way. Tineco's Pure One vacuum brings power and convenience for the same price that other vacuums have, but with new features instead of going backwards into the world of cords and bags. Usually $459, it is down to $319 for Prime Day (that's a savings of $140 already) and we're happy to report you can get an extra 5% off with the code TIN25PDPR on Amazon. Tap the button below to see the vacuum yourself and snag this great deal, or keep reading for what makes this vacuum truly unique.

BUY NOW

Read more
This AI mower finally got a discount — grab it before it’s gone
m800 doing work on the lawn

If you’ve been holding off on getting a robot mower because you can’t stand the idea of burying boundary wires or babysitting your lawn from a clunky app, Prime Day is delivering for you once again. The Yardcare M800 Plus is one of the most intelligent, user-friendly smart mowers you can buy and now it's on sale. Pick-up the M800 Plus for $719.99, a savings of $180 (regular price $899.99).

A smarter way to mow

Read more
This Beatbot robotic pool cleaner gets all the leaves — 47% off for Prime Day
The Beatbot iSkim Ultra in the swimming pool.

Are you growing tired of gathering the leaves that are floating around in your swimming pool? Then you shouldn't miss this chance to get the Beatbot iSkim Ultra with a huge discount from Amazon's Prime Day. From $1,499 originally, it's on sale at 47% off for a lowered price of only $799. That $700 in savings are among the largest that you can get from the offers for Beatbot robotic pool cleaners during the shopping event -- act now and complete your purchase immediately to make sure that you get this device at nearly half-price.

BUY NOW

Read more