Ultraviolet lights have long been used by hospitals to disinfect patient rooms, but UV light is not always the most convenient disinfection technology, as some types must be on for a long time to be effective, and humans can't handle being exposed to UV light since it can destroy cells.
To solve this issue, a new company, Vital Vio, developed a technology that continuously disinfects its surroundings using white light emitted from blue-violet LEDs. The light emitted is harmless to humans, but effectively kills germs like Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
New York City-based Mount Sinai Hospital is testing Vital Vio lights currently. Fran Wallach, an infectious disease specialist at the hospital, told CNBC he is excited about the technology. "I don't want to put a completely positive spin on things until we actually know what the data shows [but] we have the assumption and the hope and initial view that there is a pretty good effect," he said. Mount Sinai plans to publish results from the trial of Vital Vio in the spring.
The company — co-founded by two engineers when they were still in college — just started selling lights this fall.