There’s a new product from Hammacher Schlemmer that claims to disinfect any surface in 10 seconds using ultraviolet light and “nanotechnology.” Here’s a clip from Hammacher’s website:
This cell phone-sized disinfectant light is the first to use UV-C light and nanotechnology (the science of manipulating matter smaller than 1/10,000 of a millimeter) to eliminate 99.99% of E-Coli, staphylococcus, salmonella, and germs that cause the flu and the common cold.
The “nanotechnology” involved is most likely UVC emitting LEDs, which are very small diodes. Not as exciting as the Nobel-prize winning carbon nanotubes we all fondly think of when the buzzword “nanotechnology” is so carelessly dropped.
You can buy a plug-in germicidal UV lamp for about $15. We would rather build our own lamp than give away $80 to Hammacher. Not to mention that UVC light can cause serious damage to one’s cornea, so try not to disinfect your friends’ eyeballs.
The actual name for the product is “The Handheld Germ-Eliminating Light,” but doesn’t “The Germicidal Wand” sound so much better?
Read about the product here…
(Hat tip: Engadget)