Cherry Launches Disinfectable Mouse and Keyboard Set for Hygiene-Sensitive Areas

[btarunr]

Computers and technical devices with interactive touchpoints have long been part of basic hospital equipment. These high-touch items are considered one of the biggest sources of the spread of multi-resistant germs. This is further confirmed by a study conducted by the University of Seattle which reveals 14 percent of the 2,800 tablets, keyboards and computer mice tested were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Active Key, the Cherry Group's specialist provider of hygienic keyboards and mice, is introducing a new desktop set that meets the hygiene recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute - a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention.

The easy-to-wipe and disinfect keyboard complete with abrasion-resistant writing and a flat profile so that no liquid residue remains from disinfection, whilst the two computer mice with a 3-button scroll and scroll sensor are waterproof and easy to clean with their crevice-free design. Thanks to the blue light sensor, they can also be used on any shiny surface. The new hygiene desktop is ideal for extensive entry in hospitals, doctors' surgeries, laboratories, other healthcare facilities, where disinfecting devices is mandatory. When cleaning standard office keyboards, (even when internally sealed) contaminated cleaning fluids can potentially leak out of the gaps. It is also possible the functionality could be impaired if liquids seep into the keyboard housing. Conventional hygiene keyboards also tend to have the key profile raised in such a way that contaminated cleaning fluid collects in the gaps between the keys. Any germs that survive in the fluid can in turn be spread by staff on their hands.



"The new hygiene desktop ensures fast and convenient data entry thanks to its ergonomic design and keystroke. It also helps users to keep their equipment sanitary and clean - this is something that products from other brands have not yet been able to offer with optimal usability", says Reinhard Fischer, Director Product Management at Active Key GmbH.

In addition to the new hygiene desktop, Cherry has also expanded its existing protected peripheral line to offer a wider range of layouts and configurations to meet the diverse needs of its customers. This expansion includes color options and layouts including Spanish, French Canadian and French.

Available at authorized distributors with prices starting from $64.99.

Product details:
The Hygiene Desktop 2 is an individually configurable set consisting of the AK-C8112 hygiene keyboard and the AK-PMH3 3-Button Scroll and AK-PMH3 Scroll Sensor hygienic mice.

The AK-C8112 hygienic keypad:

• The AK-C8112 is the optimized version of its predecessor, the AK-C8100, and has significantly better cleanability due to its flat key profile.
• The AK-C8112 has a replaceable silicone membrane or a fully sealed IP68 protection class and is waterproof in both versions.
• It has a particularly flat button profile, which makes it easy to disinfect with a wipe. The keypad can also be switched off for cleaning.
• It is a standard office PC layout keyboard with 104/105 keys.
• It features a light keystroke and excellent sensory feedback. Keystroke/actuating force: approx. 2.5+/-0.5 mm / 60 g - comparable to notebook keyboards.
• The keyboard can be connected flexibly, either wired (approx. 1.80 m cable length) or as a wireless keyboard.
• System requirements: All operating systems that support a standard USB keyboard.
• Approvals, certificates: CE, RoHS, FCC, CAN/ISED, EN-60601-1-2:2015 IEC 4th Edition. Not a medical device according to MDR 2017/745 EU

System requirements: All operating systems that support a standard USB keyboard.
Approvals, certificates: CE, RoHS, FCC, CAN/ISED, EN-60601-1-2:2015 IEC 4th Edition. Not a medical device according to MDR 2017/745 E

The AK-PMH3 hygiene mice in two versions:

• The AK-PMH3 hygienic mice in the 3-button scroll and scroll sensor versions meet the highest ergonomic standards and are suitable for use on shiny surfaces in the medical sector, for example, thanks to the blue light sensor.
• The computer mice have a fully sealed protective membrane for protection class IP68 and a gap-free design for waterproof wipe disinfection.
• The mice have a flat design height with bevelled sides for the best ergonomics. They are suitable for both right-handed and left-handed users.
• The mice are available as wired or wireless versions.
• The computer mice reactivate the computer from sleep mode by movement.
• The AK-PMH3 Medical Mouse enables precise scrolling with the 3-button scroll control and intuitive scrolling via the familiar finger movement as with a scroll wheel with the scroll sensor.

System requirements: All operating systems that support a standard USB mouse.
Approvals, certificates: CE, RoHS, FCC, CAN/ISED, EN-60601-1-2:2015 IEC 4th Edition. Not a medical device according to MDR 2017/745 EU.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Vayra86]

Can I have a clean, sterilized facepalm here pls

Bacteria don't generally make you sick. The lack of bacteria does because then you can't train on them. Its called a catch 22, so don't bother.

 

[Dr. Dro]

This would be a smash hit 4 years ago, when everyone was panicking wild over Covid. Nowadays we're back to ye olde shared HP/Dell library keyboard, a place where i'm pretty sure you'll find alien life if you look hard enough

 

[Shihab]

A tad bit late to capitalize on the covid scare, no?

Fortunately, the chemicals industry has already fanned the hypochondria flame to its peak. So I wouldn't expect this would worsen the autoimmune crisis much...

 

[Chomiq]

Guys I think this isn't specifically made for your average Joe but more for places like hospitals, biolabs etc.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Bacteria don't make you sick. The lack of bacteria does. Its called a catch 22, so don't bother.

Wtf?

Do you want to inject this syringe full of MSRA then?

 

[dgianstefani]

Guys I think this isn't specifically made for your average Joe but more for places like hospitals, biolabs etc.

It seems some lucky people have never personally encountered antibiotic resistant pathogens, of the specific type that thrive in hospitals, despite the extreme hygiene and sterilisation methods employed against them. Globally there are around five million deaths per year associated with antimicrobial resistance.

The clinical setting where you're often surrounded by immune compromised patients is a bit different from, say, the people obsessed with living in a bubble to protect against any and all germs.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious matter and huge funds are being poured into research to find new drugs that are effective, because at the moment we're losing the battle. Overprescribing isn't helping either of course, nor the people who don't complete a full course but stop when they feel better

 

[Dr. Dro]

Guys I think this isn't specifically made for your average Joe but more for places like hospitals, biolabs etc.

True, but the amount of dirty ol' keyboards I've come across in clinics still spooks me

Edit: removed meme before mods get mad

 

[AGlezB]

I don't know about "clean" environments but these would save a lot of cleaning in very dusty/dirty environments.
You'd be surprised how many places around the world would benefit from having this kind of KB+M just to keep the dust/smog+humidity from eating them away.

 

[dgianstefani]

True, but the amount of dirty ol' keyboards I've come across in clinics still spooks me

Man the filth in some of the GP surgeries I saw while doing my placements...

The medical staff didn't have time to clean, so it was the receptionists job, who of course weren't properly trained in hygienic or clinical protocols.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Man the filth in some of the GP surgeries I saw while doing my placements...

The medical staff didn't have time to clean, so it was the receptionists job, who of course weren't properly trained in hygienic or clinical protocols.

Since I was little my father (my parents are both MDs) always did everything within his power to prevent me and my brother from being in any hospital setting if it could be helped. He says that it's the "last stop before the grave", mostly because the likelihood of you getting in sick and getting out dead because you caught one of those resistant pests is actually pretty high.

It's something that stuck to me from an early age. Hadn't thought of it until you mentioned the lack of training, though.

 

[dgianstefani]

Since I was little my father (my parents are both MDs) always did everything within his power to prevent me and my brother from being in any hospital setting if it could be helped. He says that it's the "last stop before the grave", mostly because the likelihood of you getting in sick and getting out dead because you caught one of those resistant pests is actually pretty high.

It's something that stuck to me from an early age. Hadn't thought of it until you mentioned the lack of training, though.

It's often a place where I question my academic choices semi-seriously, I know I'd personally prefer to avoid hospitals too at this point but alas they're part of the deal, at least as a student/junior. It's really not just the non-clinical staff too, nurses and even doctors, who should really know better, don't properly wash their hands even, partly because the time factor is a constant stress, and if you do follow all of the guidelines, you basically ruin the skin of your hands. Catch 22.

My mum's a nurse but I'll be the first MD in my family for a few generations.

I wouldn't mind some nice new equipment like these keyboards for instance, or even *not two decades outdated second hand mismatching equipment* in the NHS comedy/tragedy we work in these days. Though I'm not going to count on it.

 

[AsRock]

Guys I think this isn't specifically made for your average Joe but more for places like hospitals, biolabs etc.

But don't they just buy DELL and such haha, basically pre-built.

 

[ymbaja]

20+ years ago I used to do desktop support for a very large government organization. As part of my job, I would vist hundreds of workstations a month. The grim encountered on some of the keyboards and phones has left me with a lifelong appreciation of just how “personal” (to put it nicely) these devices become. We could do a lot worse than sanitizing them occasionally…

 

[Gmr_Chick]

It seems some lucky people have never personally encountered antibiotic resistant pathogens, of the specific type that thrive in hospitals, despite the extreme hygiene and sterilisation methods employed against them. Globally there are around five million deaths per year associated with antimicrobial resistance.

The clinical setting where you're often surrounded by immune compromised patients is a bit different from, say, the people obsessed with living in a bubble to protect against any and all germs.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious matter and huge funds are being poured into research to find new drugs that are effective, because at the moment we're losing the battle. Overprescribing isn't helping either of course, nor the people who don't complete a full course but stop when they feel better

View attachment 338452

Just to add to this, but also the people who don't know the difference between a viral illness and a bacterial one, and what helps to treat them -- antibiotics are useless against viral illnesses (the common cold, for example) yet people use them anyway and then wonder why they aren't starting to feel better. I think that's another reason for all these drug-resistant "Super Bugs" floating around.

 

[Double-Click]

Guys I think this isn't specifically made for your average Joe but more for places like hospitals, biolabs etc.

This, though I'm sure many a hypochondriac have fist pumped vigorously about it.

Just to add to this, but also the people who don't know the difference between a viral illness and a bacterial one, and what helps to treat them -- antibiotics are useless against viral illnesses (the common cold, for example) yet people use them anyway and then wonder why they aren't starting to feel better. I think that's another reason for all these drug-resistant "Super Bugs" floating around.

Well yea, but antibiotics also need to be prescribed by doctors (who should know better).
Misdiagnosis is one thing, but if they treat Z-Packs like band-aids it's time for a new doctor.

 

[AGlezB]

Well yea, but antibiotics also need to be prescribed by doctors (who should know better).
Misdiagnosis is one thing, but if they treat Z-Packs like band-aids it's time for a new doctor.

The Snake Oil Cure-All industry is alive and well thanks to patients looking for a "second opinion" on social networks so MDs regularly have to treat Z-Packs like band-aids because patients will dangerously self-medicate if they don't.

Well, if you get your medical advice from TikTok you're screwed either way.