Ideco Biometrics is using ultraviolet technologies to destroy most known viruses and bacteria for disinfecting biometric sensors.

The company has introduced Steri-C, an ultraviolet disinfection device to ensure the safe use of touch-based fingerprint readers.

Steri-C is easily mountable on existing fingerprint readers and has no adverse impact on the normal operations or accuracy of the fingerprint reader. It offers fast and effective UV irradiation for optimal destruction of all known microorganisms, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19.

The use of UV-C (200 – 225 nm) as a disinfectant is supported by decades of scientific research and has been used for disinfection with applications in water treatment, air systems and surfaces. UV light is able to achieve thorough disinfection far quicker than the other traditional methods, it is highly effective in destroying viruses, bacteria and fungal spores.

Netcare also recently introduced Xenex Pulsed Xenon UV disinfection robot, a germ-zapping robot to take the war on ‘superbugs’ to a new level. The robot emits UV-C spectrum light, which destroys the DNA of bacteria, viruses and fungi to neutralise them and prevent them from replicating.

Ideco CEO Marius Coetzee says Steri-C is ideal to make biometric readers Covid-19 safe and maintain normal biometric operations during high risk periods. “It is the perfect solution for improving hygiene and to limit contamination. Steri-C has been designed for fast and effective operations, ready to be integrated into your existing fingerprint readers.”

Steri-C is based on Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) recommendation for medical sanitisation practice according to the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and the FDA. The specific UVC used by Steri-C was proven effective against the Coronavirus by Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories.

When viruses are exposed to UVC, its effects on the molecular structures destroys the structural bonds in the DNA, with a resultant rendering of the virus harmless and stopping its spread.

The device can be retrofitted to most fingerprint readers available on the market. Disinfection is triggered immediately after every use of the fingerprint reader. It boasts built-in intelligence to automatically detect when the biometric terminal has been used.

Coetzee says regulations around occupation health and safety requires organisations to keep surfaces clean and safe to use. “Clients don’t have to disable their existing biometric equipment or purchase costly touch-free biometric readers.”

“Steri-C can be pre-installed as a standard feature on biometric terminals purchased from Ideco,” he concludes.