Touch Screens, Keyboards and Cross-Contamination Issues

As with touch screens, industry has provided a number of answers to keyboard contamination, including keyboards that are washable as well as keyboards imbued with antimicrobial properties.

The Medigenic keyboard and mouse addresses the growing concern of cross-contamination through its unique ability to monitor cleaning status. An indicator will flash at defined intervals to promote good infection control practices; cleaning the keyboard turns off the indicator. Excellent keyboard tactile feedback allows for high-speed data entry while the flat design enables quick cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants. The moisture-resistant surface is comprised of a pliant silicone-based material that is designed to make it impervious to spray or liquid cleaning products.

iKey’s SlimKey-MD is a fully-sealed, easy to disinfect keyboard that is designed to improve compliance with infection control principles and practices. The SlimKey-MD keypads feature sealed, low-profile surfaces that are fast and easy to clean. Additionally, the units are engineered to be extremely compact, making them an excellent space saving solution. Since iKey’s keyboards are completely waterproof, they are able to be disinfected without ever unplugging them from the computer. Their silicone rubber keypads have no crevices where harmful bacteria can grow. A study conducted at Ball State University tested iKey’s SlimKey-MD keyboards for bacterial growth. A number of contaminates, ranging from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to hepatitis C and E. coli, were applied to the keyboards. The keyboards were then disinfected with normal hospital cleaning agents. In the study, a 10 percent bleach solution was applied with a cotton swab and allowed to sit for 10 minutes. The results showed that, once wiped, the bleach had removed all bacteria from the keyboards.

Unotron’s GermStopper SpillSeal Washable Corded Keyboard S6000K features antibacterial protection incorporated into the plastic. Unotron’s SpillSeal protection allows keyboards to become fully submerged in water or antibacterial solutions for easy disinfection. “Incorporated into the plastic of our new keyboards is an inorganic silver-based biocide which allows silver ions to counteract the molecular process of microorganisms,” says Joseph Carabello, director of Unotron. “This causes the harmful organisms to die, lose their ability to infect, and prevent reproduction.”

Seal Shield Corporation has introduced its Seal Shield Medical Grade Washable Keyboard and Mouse, which are designed to be fully submersible. The products are part of a new line of infection control solutions developed specifically for the healthcare market.