Corning Developing Glass Resitant to Germs, Sun Glare

The maker of Gorilla Glass — the really tough material used on a lot of phone and tablet screens — is developing glass technology that is anti-reflective and anti-microbial.

In June, Corning senior vice-president and operations chief of staff Jeffrey Evenson spoke at the MIT Technology Review Mobile Summit 2013, where he revealed the innovations that they're working on.

"Corning is working to invent a cover glass that can kill both drug-resistant bacteria and drug-resistant viruses," Evenson said on stage. He added that Corning started working on anti-microbial technology for the healthcare industry, but then realized the market for this type of glass is larger.

The image, below, shows Corning's demo of fluorescent-tagged E. coli bacteria on regular glass versus the company's special glass, which allegedly kills the germs over time.

Germ-fighting screens would be good news for any consumer, considering Mashable recently reported that cellphones have more germs than a toilet seat, kitchen counter, a pet's food dish, checkout screen and doorknob.

Evenson said Corning is also developing anti-reflective glass to battle screen-glare we experience when using devices outside. The hole in this demo image shown on stage is actually Corning's anti-reflective technology. No other details were provided about how these technologies actually work.

"It's going to make sunlight reading much, much easier," Evenson said.

While these glass innovations are fascinating, other hardy materials, such as sapphire, also have potential to be scratch- and crack-resistant solutions for phone displays.

What workarounds do you currently have when using your phone in the sun? Do phone germs freak you out? Share your tips and thoughts in the comments.

1. 

   1. Violight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer

   The Violight Cell Phone Sanitizer uses germicidal UV rays to get those nasty germs off your stuff. It cleans not only your phone but your iPod, earbuds, anything that will fit into the basket.

2. 

   2. Violight Countertop Toothbrush Sanitizer Battery Powered

   The Violight Toothbrush Sanitizer makes sure you're not getting those nasty flu germs from your partner's toothbrush when they snuggle in the cup at night. The sanitizer kills 99.9% of germs.

3. 

   3. Cleanwave Sanitizing Wand

   The CleanWave is great for use on desktops, computer keyboards, remote controls and phones. The UV-C light wand says it kills up to 99.9% of germs.

4. 

   4. Logitech Washable Keyboard

   Here's one way to get the germs off a keyboard, wash it with soap and hot water. Logitech's Washable Keyboard can go for a dunk to remove the gunk.

5. 

   5. Nano UV Disinfectant Scanner

   The handheld, battery-operated Nano Scanner says it can protect you from infectious diseases from common cold and flu viruses to more serious viruses such as Asian bird flu, SARS viruses and E. coli.

6. 

   6. Self Sanitizing Keyboard

   Vioguard's anti-bacterial keyboard works like a turtle. When not in use, it retracts into its housing where two germicidal 25-watt ultraviolet lights bake bacteria, viruses, and mold in seconds. The technology kills at least 99.99% of bugs like flu, MRSA, and other contagions.

7. 

   8. Pocket Purifier

   Purely Product's Pocket Purifier uses ultraviolet light to eliminate 99.9% of germs that cause colds and flu, mold, fungus and other germs. The UV light in the handheld device deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply. Small enough for moms to throw in a diaper bag to sanitize baby toys and changing surfaces.

8. 

   7. Healthy Night Light

   Purely's Healthy Night Light has a built-in ionizer so it freshens the air in the room while it provides light. It generates negative ions which remove dust and mold from the room.

Mashable composite thumbnail: phone image via iStockphoto, franckreporter; germs image via iStockphoto, Eraxion. Demo images courtesy of Corning via MIT Technology Review Mobile Summit 2013 video.