Touch technology meets hygiene innovation

Why we disinfect Touchscreens

Whether in a restaurant, at a train station, or in a bank, public touchscreen terminals have become an integral part of our everyday lives. What is often overlooked, however, is that every touch carries the risk of transmitting pathogens that we all carry on our fingers. Touchscreens that are shared by many people therefore contribute to the uncontrolled spread of infectious diseases within the population. At the latest with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this problem became apparent to the wider public. Experts, however, have been observing hygiene deficiencies in public touchscreen systems for much longer. To address this challenge, we have developed an antimicrobial touchscreen unit. This innovative solution aims to interrupt chains of infection in public spaces and thus contribute to improving infection safety.

The idea did not originate in a neighbor’s garage; rather, it has its roots at the Institute of Medical Engineering at Ulm University of Applied Sciences. As part of a government-funded research project, numerous relevant academic papers on this topic have been published in recent years.