LIGHTSTRIKE

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio International Airport has become the first airport in the world to deploy a Xenex LightStrike robot — an R2-D2-like mechanism that disinfects surfaces from SARS-CoV-2. Airport officials on Wednesday announced it purchased the “only ultraviolet room disinfection technology proven to deactivate” the virus that causes COVID-19 to protect employees and travelers. The LightStrike sends bursts of UV light to kill viruses and bacteria on common surfaces and hard-to-reach spaces, a news release stated. 222 new COVID-19 cases; School risk level now at ‘moderate’LightStrike — created by San Antonio-based Xenex — was tested at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, airport officials said. Research found the robot destroyed SARS-CoV-2 in two minutes, according to airport officials.

Xenex is an evidence-based company; were focused on our claims being backed by scientific research, Xenex spokeswoman Melinda Hart said. But as one of many disinfecting robots on the market, Xenex needed to set itself apart from the group. Dr. Ricardo Carrion and his team of six scientists have been leading the research on the novel coronavirus and they were the ones who tested the LightStrike robots efficacy against it. After each interval, the researchers tested the number of viral particles remaining on surfaces, Texas Biomed President and CEO Dr. Larry Schlesinger said. A LightStrike robot costs about $100,000, Hart said, and Xenex also provides leasing options for customers.