SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A new device the size of your cell-phone is making it easier for businesses to test if their surfaces are clean, as Governor Gavin Newsom starts to relax Stay Home Orders.
The device, EnSURE Touch, came out in August 2019 and demand surged in March.
CEO of Hygeina, Steven Nason, said they're up in sales by 30%.
The demand comes as more businesses want to bring back the public's confidence in them, whether they're in the travel industry or food service, Nason said.
"Think of it as a way to determine whether or not there is anything on the surface, bacteria, residues, mucus, anything like that," Nason said.
Here's how it works: You take a swab, that looks much like a Q-tip, and wipe it across a surface. Nason said then activate the test and put it in a 'reader' which in this case is the EnSURE Touch.
Within 10 seconds you'll have your result clearly labeled on the touch screen.
The device uses chemicals to create a reaction, producing light, similar to fireflies or our bioluminescent waves.
"All living things contain ATP, that ATP is what powers that luminescence," Food Scientist and Professor at Rutgers University, Dr. Don Schaffner said.
ATP is a chemical compound taught in grade school that supplies the body with energy.
He said the test is accurate to test for food or organic particles. He and Nason acknowledged the EnSURE Touch does not directly test for COVID-19.
Nason said it ensures businesses are cleaning properly.
A 2014journal article published in the US National Library of Medicine, titled, "How Reliable Are ATP Bioluminescence Meters in Assessing Decontamination of Environmental Surfaces in Healthcare Settings?" included the older version of the device, EnSURE Hygiene Meter.
It concluded some meters could have false readings due to a reaction with disinfectants.
To that, Nason said, "if you're using the sanitizer to the right concentration, then it shouldn't affect the swabs."
The device costs $1,800 and swabs are $2 each.
Nason says this could help businesses rebound.
"I think this is just another tool they can use to give confidence to the general public," he said.
Nason said the device was designed 20 years ago.
