Corning’s new germ killing glass will become a mobile phone standard

Fact: Mobile devices are some of the most germ-infested objects we regularly come in contact with. Corning, the creator of the Gorilla Glass, strives to rectify this situation with ionic silver infused Gorilla Glass that kills all microbes on its surface. The new form of glass, just unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, inhibits the growth of bacteria, algae, fungi, mildew and mold, according to Corning senior vice president and general manager, Jim Steiner.

Ionic silver glass is deemed safe for human handling after being thoroughly by the EPA for over a year, and unlike antibacterial sprays and wipes, the ionic silver’s antibacterial properties do not wear off within seconds.

Germs, germs, everywhere
Keeping mobile devices in pockets and pursues promotes conditions that are ideal for microorganism growth, which often thrive in warm climates ― coupled with body heat and the devices’ own heat signature, and you now have a portable germ incubator within close proximity.

It should come as no surprise that mobile phones are so contaminated. We carry the devices everywhere, fumbling with the screen between while simultaneously latching on to public transportation rails, using the bathroom, touching gym equipment, etc. According to a 2009 study published in journal, Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials , researchers found that 94.5 percent of 200 hospital staff members’ phones were contaminated with bacteria, often the kind resistant to antibiotics.

Testing the participants’ hands further revealed that 30% of the bacteria transferred onto their hands.

Ionic silver
Ionic silver is a water soluble substance, toxic to bacteria, that’s spawned after removing an electron from a molecule of silver. The chemical eradicates the microorganisms by either increasing their permeability, and thus susceptibility to antibiotics, or directly destroying them without the use of antibiotics. It’s clearly powerful stuff; according to Dr. Robert Petersen, Associate Professor of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University, Gorilla Glass is “taking silver out of the realm of alternative medicine with anecdotal evidence and places it squarely in the realm of legitimate, respected science.”

Antimicrobial glass
The silver additive preserves Gorilla Glass’ standard level of scratch resistance and can be installed on any number of electrical device already using Gorilla Glass: smart phones, tablets, and other display panel. Incorporating the glass into public touch screens such as the kind used in the transportation and healthcare industry, should prove exceptionally useful. Samples of the antimicrobial Corning glass are available for viewing at Steelcase’s booth during the 2014 CES.

Via Corning