The new sanitisation feature that Apple is reportedly working on will be made possible thanks to a combination of heat and ultraviolet lights
Apple is reportedly working on a new built-in sanitisation measure for iPhones, Apple Watches, and other handheld Apple devices with the hope of creating a self-cleaning feature that will use heat and light in order to remove “unwanted organic compounds.”
According to a new patent application shared in an AppleInsider report, the California-based company is aiming to include various sensors in its new devices that will utilise an ultraviolet light system to clean and sanitise the devices.
“Many mobile electronic devices are equipped with sensors and transducers that enable the devices to perform far more functionalities than communications,” says one patent application. “Further, smart mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones and smartwatches) can be equipped with environmental sensors, such as pressure sensors, humidity sensors and gas sensors.”
It’s well known that handheld devices are prone to organic residue accumulation, including skin oils, dirt, body hair, and other particles, which often goes unnoticed or forgotten about—a common mistake that, especially during a global pandemic, needs to be remedied.
“Such accumulations can contaminate the device housing and/or the sensor packaging that can produce interference signals and result in increasing sensor errors over an extended period,” the application added.
Apple is reportedly looking into a system that will employ ultraviolet light to “initiate a photo-oxidation process, which results in decomposition of squalene,” adding that, “upon reaction with UV light, squalene, shown with its chemical formula, is decomposed into three byproducts… that may not be hazardous to environmental sensors.”
To learn more about Apple’s latest plan to utilise ultraviolet light to clean and sanitize its devices, be sure to keep an eye out for the latest iPhone release.
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