In this time of pandemic, dealers are of course, wiping down cars before and after a car audio installation.
But sanitizing the car and protecting customers from disease, may go beyond a simple courtesy cleaning.
Tint World just announced it has partnered with BioPledge to offer customers a spray-on treatment for their vehicles. Tint World applies the BioPledge disinfectant, which it calls an EPA-registered, hospital-grade, antimicrobial agent. It “instantly kills viruses, bacteria, mold, mildew, algae, and yeast” after a single treatment, which delays the growth of microbes and prevents odors for up to 30 days after it is applied, said Tint World. Different franchises charge different prices for the spray-on service so Tint World asked us not to print a price, but from what we understand, it is not terribly expensive.
Oracle Lighting is taking the UV light disinfecting route and has developed prototypes of an automotive dome light with UV LEDs that neutralize microbes including viruses. Oracle may offer the product to its car audio dealers as early as June.
At that time, it will also deliver new UV masks that are worn under a cloth or N95 mask. The UV masks have embedded LEDs that both sanitize the top mask and add to its filtering capability. So with an N95 mask that protects against 95 percent of particles, the Oracle mask, worn underneath, protects against the remaining 5 percent, said Oracle. Plus it sanitizes the outside of the N95 mask so it can be worn again.
Oracle’s mask is called the Antimicrobial Irradiation Respirator (AIR device). It is patent-pending and is expected to sell at about a $100 suggested retail price.
These masks will be offered to Oracle’s car audio dealers as well as through other outlets. They can be sold at the counter for customers who may be at risk due to diabetes or asthma or other factors, said Oracle.
The AIR masks use short-wave ultraviolet light exposure UV LEDs. They produce light that includes the 200-300 nanometer spectrum, which has the most germicidal effects. This is because the wavelength of UV-C irradiation uses photons to inactivate the virus which prevents the cell from replicating and infecting the body if inhaled, said Oracle.
A small rechargeable battery pack powers the mask and can be manually turned on and off by the user.
The dome light, version, when used in the car, also has a deoderizing effect, as the UV rays kill bacteria, said Oracle Director of Product Development, Justin Hartenstein.
Oracle began developing its UV technology several years ago to offer it to businesses for sanitizing desks and workplaces. There wasn’t much demand at the time, but since the COVID-19 outbreak, Oracle has updated the technology for use in masks and cars, said Hartenstein.
Update:
Hartenstein added the following on product safety:
“For years, hospitals and labs have used UV light for disinfection and medical sanitation against viruses. While UV is part of the normal spectrum of sunlight, it can cause sunburn with direct skin exposure. This was taken into account during the AIR development. The device utilized FAR UV-C which is far less damaging to humans and is intentionally directed away from the user, preventing any direct skin exposure.”
Source: https://www.ceoutlook.com/2020/05/15/is-virus-protection-a-new-12v-category/
