A recent patent application from Ford describes a “disinfecting handle” that will keep your hands clean.
Originally filed on November 10, 2015, the patent application was published on May 11, 2017 and details a door handle constructed with a layer of disinfectant that activates when an LED shines ultraviolet light onto it.
The handle itself includes a “light-producing-assembly with a first light source and a second light source,” says the patent application. Both light sources are configured to emit light of different wavelengths. These light sources could be LEDs, with the disinfecting layer being activated based on light from at least one of the first and second LEDs.
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The patent details a disinfecting layer that could be configured “to disinfect or kill bacteria, fungi, viruses and/or pathogens capable of infecting human or animal hosts.” It could also breakdown organic compounds like oils and greases, dirt, grime and other substances typically present on human hands. Basically once the handle is activated, the disinfecting layer releases charged or uncharged hydroxyl radicals that may react with the substances on a human hand.
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