hand held UV disinfection scanner

[craigwatanabe]

I saw this and was totally amazed: UV disinfection scanner (http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4144710)

Think of all the places you could use this: public bathrooms, shopping cart hand grips, telephone handsets. Anyplace you'd use Lysol to disinfect, you can use this electronic UV scanner instead. Kills 99.9% of bacterial and viral DNA with a 10-second scan. And it operates on 2-AAA batteries!

[cynsaligia]

sixty bucks for that??!! i prefer the low-tech technique of washing hands often with soap and water for as long as it takes to say the pledge of allegiance, and making sure not to touch my mouth, eyes, or nose after touching any "questionable" surfaces.

that disinfection scanner ranks right up there, for me, as a toothbrush sanitizer. (http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72478.asp?promo=personalcare)

*mumbles about pouring listerine into a cup and letting toofbrush soak for a couple minutes...voila...sanitized toofbrush. or, just change the dang brush every few months or after you're sick...sheeeeeeeesh!*

boy, sometimes you would think i was the crotchety, anti-new-fangled-gizmomabobber geezer, wouldn't you?

[shaveice]

sounds fantastic but a bit hard to believe. i wonder why this product hasn't made a big splash in the media?

[Hellbent]

you can scan a public toilet seat with that thing all you want, but im still going to wipe the toilet seat.

i bet you could use it to detect funny money too. and light up velvet paintings.

[1stwahine]

I called "Honey, Honey look at this!" I told PK.:D

"What...a can of Lysol and down on your knees scrubbing with Ajax is better!" He answered in da back of me!:rolleyes:

So cruel early in da morning...he still neba forgive me from looking at the Craig's link (wooooo) last night!:p

Auntie Lynn

[acousticlady]

:eek: no side effects?! The ad doesn't say what wavelength it is emitting. But regardless, knowing what I do about UV, I'd rather take my chances on going in the sun without sunscreen. Should have the same effect. And if they're using UV-B, I'd rather have an X-ray.

[Leo Lakio]

The ad doesn't say what wavelength it is emitting.It's UV-C: "Using the same 253.7nm wavelength ultraviolet radiation that hospitals and water treatment plants use as a germicide"

[acousticlady]

It's UV-C: "Using the same 253.7nm wavelength ultraviolet radiation that hospitals and water treatment plants use as a germicide"

Well, that doesn't ease my concerns any. 253.7 nm is way down there on the spectrum. The UV rays everyone is so concerned with are in the 400 - 350 nm range. Anything lower cannot get through our atmosphere. UV light that is 200 nm cannot penetrate through the air. Electro-magnetic exposure is cumulative (as in X-rays) so if one continiously uses a device like that on a regular basis........ not to mention that if the device is killing the DNA of the organisms, what is it doing to skin cells and tissue?

[acousticlady]

I do want to point out though that I'd rather be exposed to the UV rays than ultra-sound. The same wavelengths they use for unborn babies are being used in research to make weapons and produce cold fusion.

[Leo Lakio]

Well, that doesn't ease my concerns any. 253.7 nm is way down there on the spectrum. The UV rays everyone is so concerned with are in the 400 - 350 nm range. Anything lower cannot get through our atmosphere. UV light that is 200 nm cannot penetrate through the air. Electro-magnetic exposure is cumulative (as in X-rays) so if one continiously uses a device like that on a regular basis........ not to mention that if the device is killing the DNA of the organisms, what is it doing to skin cells and tissue?Ummm...you don't point it at your own skin. You use it on inanimate objects, like a telephone or a keyboard. It is designed to kill the bacteria on those objects. After you turn it off, it's not as if there's UV radiation "lingering" on the object when you then touch it.

To borrow a more detailed explanation from a patent document:
Generally, UV light, and in particular, UV-C light is "germicidal," i.e., it deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens and thus destroys their ability to multiply and cause disease, effectively resulting in sterilization of the microorganisms. Specifically, UV "C" light causes damage to the nucleic acid of microorganisms by forming covalent bonds between certain adjacent bases in the DNA. The formation of these bonds prevents the DNA from being "unzipped" for replication, and the organism is unable to reproduce. In fact, when the organism tries to replicate, it dies. UV light with a wavelength of approximately between about 250 to about 260 nm provides the highest germicidal effectiveness. While susceptibility to UV light varies, exposure to UV energy for about 20 milliwatt-seconds/cm.sup.2 is adequate to deactivate 99 percent of the pathogens.

253.7 nanometers is the industry standard for germicidal sterilization in the medical profession. It has been used safely for over 50 years - but I don't know what else you would like to know. You might find something helpful here (http://www.iapairhawk.com/uvfacts.html).

[craigwatanabe]

ummm well I thought it was a great idea. Can't carry a can of Lysol onto a plane and this wand directs UV light at the object being scanned, not in all directions. You can disinfect without the need of a paper towel or aerosol. It's dry and you don't come in contact with the surface while disinfecting.

I'm interested in it because how many of us have little children who have a hard time (if not never) using those sanitary toilet seat liners when they go into a public bathroom. This is quick and offers a better solution to just using the paper rings alone.

If we're all concerned about errant UV radiation, we need to stop using Halogen bulbs in our cars, outdoor lighting, retail display and home lighting as these bulbs emit UV radiation as well. Oh and that includes projection TV sets as well.

I see the practical purpose for them and since most disinfecting wipes you can buy cannot be flushed down the toilet as they don't break down like toilet paper.

[shaveice]

i think we should add that this product would be dangerous if left around curious and unsupervised infants...

[craigwatanabe]

i think we should add that this product would be dangerous if left around curious and unsupervised infants...

I don't think any infant should be unsupervised for any reason.;)

[acousticlady]

[quote=Leo Lakio;146415]Ummm...you don't point it at your own skin. You use it on inanimate objects, like a telephone or a keyboard.

Ummmm....:o guess that's me being slightly ADD - didn't look close enough:o

[Leo Lakio]

Ummmm....:o guess that's me being slightly ADD - didn't look close enough:o"Do not stare into laser with remaining eye.":p

[Hellbent]

**disclaimer: This product does not replace showers. Please use soap.**
:)

[shaveice]

I don't think any infant should be unsupervised for any reason.;)

of course, but you do know that UV will damage eyes - cause blindness - with too much exposure, right? so it's like having a loaded gun in one's home. not a problem for adults but uninformed/young kids could lose their vision!

[SusieMisajon]

It's all too much!

My kids go outside and play in the dirt and maybe almost never think to wash their hands or think about what they touch or put into their mouths...and they are the healthiest kids in the whole town.

[craigwatanabe]

of course, but you do know that UV will damage eyes - cause blindness - with too much exposure, right? so it's like having a loaded gun in one's home. not a problem for adults but uninformed/young kids could lose their vision!

It's not as bad as those psychadelic black light bulbs, and quite frankly there's a lot more dangerous items around a house that can cause blindness around unattended children like Ginzu knives or pencils. If you start to distrust things because of their potential for harm, then you have to weigh in virtually everything else that can cause more immediate harm.

Remember these are the same UV lights you see over trash recepticles at fast food places, bug zappers, and Spencer Novelty stores. My goodness even laser pointers can do more immediate harm than a UV light.

[WindwardOahuRN]

It's all too much!

My kids go outside and play in the dirt and maybe almost never think to wash their hands or think about what they touch or put into their mouths...and they are the healthiest kids in the whole town.

My kids were always out hunting bugs, putting baby birds back in their nests, turning over rocks to find worms and potato bugs. I used to drag them out to the mud flats and marshes for fun. I also hauled them on trains and subways into the city for more fun. No, they didn't always wash their hands before eating and they sometimes ate stuff that the FDA would not have approved of (pisswater NY street vendor hotdogs, for one). They lived.

I ate about a cupful of dirt on a dare when I was six years old. I also fell two stories from the side of a building which I scaled on a dare. I lived.

I regularly work with microbes that, given a rotten immune system, would probably kill me. Perhaps someday they will---present theories say that healthcare workers are colonized with muchos bugs that are just waiting for the right conditions to go forth and prosper and kill their host(ess).

I personally hate the "Boy in a Bubble" approach to life. A bit of diarrhea, vomiting, and perhaps a rash or two is good for the soul, IMHO. Builds character. :D

[Kungpao]

I plan on buying on when my child is born. When the infant becomes a child that can go out and play in the dirt, i'll bury the thing somewhere the kid can't get to it or throw it out (if it even lasts that long) It's not my home I'm worried about. It's the diaper changing station at the airport or the one at Wal-mart that I'd use it for.

OR... for the sickly people here at my office. It's difficult to wash a keyboard.