Kastus Announces Partnership with Touch International

Ireland-based Kastus Technologies, developers of antimicrobial coatings for touch screens, announces a partnership with Austin, Texas-based Touch International, makers of digital touchscreens and components, to integrate germ-free coatings into Touch’s next-generation touchscreen products.

The companies say that as touchscreens become more and more ubiquitous, there’s a market for products and technologies that can limit the number of germs spread through their use.

“When there are four times as many germs found on a self-service touchscreen than on a toilet seat-” the companies say, citing a study-“it’s no surprise that many consumers are concerned about engaging with surfaces and being exposed to infectious germs such as MRSA, E. coli and C. diff.”

Kastus has a patented coating that is applied to the glass manufacturing process, and it says that its coating has been scientifically proven to eliminate up to 99.99 percent of harmful bacteria-for the entire life of the screen.

Touch International’s screens are used in a wide variety of industries, including retail, transportation, the medical field and even aerospace.

“Partnering with Kastus to integrate their coating on our products will further enhance our touch display manufacturing capabilities, enabling us to bring more value to our customers and open new windows as we continue to push into the medical touch display market,” says Michael Woolstrum, Touch International CEO. “This will be a game changer for the medical industry, and our team is already identifying new opportunities to utilize the coating technology across all of the high-reliability vertical markets we serve.”

Kastus says that in a recent survey it commissioned, more than 70 percent of respondents stated they were worried about using public touchscreens. Bank ATMs caused the most concern among respondents, with doctor’s surgery and hospital check-in screens a close second.