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Brass Antimicrobial "Hygiene Hand," Designed So You Don't Have to Touch Things, is Killing it on Kickstarter

By Rain Noe - March 26

StatGear's Hygiene Hand, a small handheld object made of brass for its antimicrobial properties, was designed so the user can avoid touching potentially germy surfaces. It's currently killing it on Kickstarter ($60,000 pledged on a $5,000 goal at press time).

As you can see by the original gun-like shape below, it was initially designed to be credit-card flat and to end in a sharp point. That's because the retired NYC paramedic who designed it wanted to create it as an anti-germ stylus for signing credit card readers with resistive screens (a problem that I've imperfectly tackled with a stylus).

But the shape, thickness and functionality of the object changed after testing:

We first tried designing the Hygiene hand to be credit card thin for keeping in a wallet but in trials with our brass prototypes we found that the thickness of the stylus tip was not thick enough to register on all retail credit card signing pads we tried. After further research we found that the tip must be thick enough to mimic the point of a finger and found that the .25" diameter to work perfectly. Since we were already thickening the design up past the comfortable size to be kept in a wallet we decided to add the functionality of a handle puller.

Looking more closely at the finished shape, I'm guessing that these nest together in a "69" configuration when they're cut out of the sheet, to minimize waste.

You might be wondering how Brooklyn-based StatGear could possibly hold a Kickstarter now, amidst NYC's lockdown. "Although NY City currently has a work-at-home order in effect," the company writes, "our warehouse is exempt as we supply rescue tools and medical supplies to first responders and other government agencies so we do not expect any fulfillment issues for this campaign." They expect to start shipping in May.

My one design criticism is that I'm not sure this should live in the user's pocket, where it might co-mingle with other objects; perhaps some kind of holster? I'd like some easy way I could disinfect the whole rig when I got home.

If you're in the market, there are still 27 days left to pledge .

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Brass Antimicrobial "Hygiene Hand," Designed So You Don't Have to Touch Things, is Killing it on Kickstarter

Michael DiTullo

3 months ago

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this is really nice. I want this...

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Lance Maine

3 months ago

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Leaving the finger hole open for 1cm or so next to the shaft of the hook would allow it to hang from a beltloop. Also, putting a chamfer on the outside edges would make it a lot more ergonomic and save a lot of wear on pockets/door handle finishes - probably worth the extra manufacturing process.

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- . JC
  
  Lance Maine
  
  3 months ago
  
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  I'm using a lighter with a curtain hook attached to push buttons.
  Flicking on the lighter after for a few secs for sterilisation the metal part in contact.
  For most other things i have an uncapped hand sanitiser attached externally to my bag that i can operate one handed, just use one hand to operate stuff and the other to spray sanitiser after use.
  
  While i get the idea, this isn't a good implementation as the virus don't die immediately upon contact with brass and hence leaving ample opportunities for the device to cross contaminate other places.
  
  Some additions to the design would have been better.
  - A full hook carabiner like hook to allow you to grip holding bars on public transport.
  - An additional spring clip would add the ability to pull out credit cards and receive them
  - some form of quick release sleeve so you can sheath the device after use to prevent cross contamination
  
  Never settle for "It is good enough" in sanitary products, it either works or doesn't.
  
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Rain Noe

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.