A new, emerging technology has Duke University partnered with Vital Vio, Inc., a healthcare technology company located in Troy, NY. Vital Vio specializes in lighting for disinfection and infection control. Duke is the first college athletic program to incorporate this lighting technology in their indoor athletic facilities (weight rooms, locker rooms, gymnasiums, etc.) to constantly kill germs and protect college communities from sicknesses.
Protecting student-athletes and athletic personnel from infections and bacteria is a tough challenge, as athletics is a field where contact between multiple people is frequent and intentional. Areas such as locker rooms, gymnasiums, fitness centers, and other athletic facilities are constantly filled with people introducing germs to community surfaces. Even when those areas have been cleaned, germs continue to build throughout the day and night.
“Our company focused primarily in the healthcare space, developing new tools to address the pervasive and costly issue of infections in healthcare facilities,” said Colleen Costello, Vital Vio CEO and co-founder. “Over time, we noticed a rise in community acquired infections where germs are causing issues outside of healthcare, particularly athletics. There have been a number of stories of professional athletes struggling with infections due to different environments that they’ve been in.”
Vital Vio’s product is White Light Disinfection™ LED technology, which illuminates the room while also killing bacteria, making it safer for people. This multi-task lighting is the only one of its kind on the market. While UV light has proven to kill bacteria, it is not safe for human exposure.
White light disinfection can be a solution for athletic directors and departments trying to make their athletic programs safer. Vital Vio’s product may be the only one like it, but it may be worth a look if it can reduce risk of sickness or infection due to germs.
“We have a range of products with different features and are looking into implementing them in anything from local YMCA centers to professional sport venues.” said Costello. Since the Duke partnership, Vital Vio has received inquires from other sports organizations.