Drinking bottle with USB connection kills bacteria with UV light

Five hours after drinking bottled water, the number of microorganisms in the bottle exceeds 100CFU/ml, the limit for drinking water, a Taiwanese nonprofit claims. To keep the water clean, the institute developed a drinking bottle with a built-in ‘UV cleaner’.

Reusable bottles are a danger, according to the Industrial Technology Research Institute, because you transfer bacteria with your mouth to the water in the bottle. The micro-organisms that end up in the water then multiply and before you know it, your bottle is full of unhealthy critters. On the Computex, the company shows the solution to that problem.

The research institute is tackling the critters with the Pure-Water Cup, which has three UV LEDs in the inside of the lid. A push of a button on the top of the Pure-Water Cup activates the LEDs, which then kill 99.99 percent of bacteria in 90 seconds with UVC light. The LEDs consume less than 0.9 watts and get their energy from the battery in the cover. After one hundred to one hundred and fifty cleaning cycles, you can recharge the empty battery via the micro-USB connection.

But, Taiwan wouldn’t be Taiwan if there wasn’t also a solution for the most important eating tool: the chopsticks. According to the ITRI, water and soap do not kill all bacteria, which is why the company has devised a 95 gramme and 12.5 centimeters long tube, which, like the Pure-Water Cup, cleans the sticks with the help of UV light. The tube can be rinsed with water if necessary and the built-in battery is also charged via micro-usb. Enjoy your meal!