As the popularity of interactive smart boards in the classrooms soar, educators and health officials have been purchasing displays with an integrated anti-microbial coating on the surface to keep germs from spreading in the classroom. What do you need to know about this technology and decide whether one model better than another?  Here are the three most popular questions on anti-microbial displays for the classroom.

• What is an anti-microbial interactive display?
• Do all smart boards have anti-microbial screens?
• What are the differences between different anti-microbial smartboards?

Hospitals have been aware of the challenge of protecting doctors and patients from germs on touch-enabled equipment for years. This has led to the development of medical-grade anti-microbial materials, such as nano-ionic silver. Many items found in a surgical theater have integrated anti-microbial protection such as surgical lighting, touch panels, and other devices that are handled frequently to avoid cross-contamination.

In 2017, the first education smart board with anti-microbial coating was released by BenQ in response to school requests to help reduce the risk of transmitting germs with children and teachers writing on the board.  In 2024, there are now over 50,000 classrooms are using anti-microbial smart boards to help keep everyone in the classroom safer.

No.  In fact, some of the leading brands used by schools don’t offer any models with an anti-microbial coating. Without an anti-microbial coating, cleaning a smart board requires mixing a diluted bleach solution, and using multiple cloths to clean a single board.  If not mixed correctly, you may damage the anti-glare coating on the board.

Manufacturing a safe and durable anti-microbial glass for the classroom is a challenge. The third generation anti-microbial glass from BenQ coats the glass with silver ion nanotechnology using a special manufacturing process that delivers a non-toxic proprietary recipe onto the glass.  The glass is then cured at very high temperatures to create a permanent fusion to the display. Once the glass is cured, special handling equipment is used to ensure the coating is not scratched as it is incorporated into the interactive display.

In the last five years, there have been many improvements in anti-microbial technology in interactive displays.  Here are the top three criteria schools use when evaluating antimicrobial interactive displays.

Some germs are tougher than others, so school health officials typically demand certifications on different types of bacteria by third party testing agencies such as TUV.  Some technologies, such as silver nanoparticles, are highly effective on a wide variety of germs, and are commonly used in other medical devices such as surgical masks.  Other antimicrobial screens may be limited to only a few types of germs, or may not even have certifications. 

Many countries, such as Japan, are also worried about the use of potentially toxic chemicals in classrooms.   Therefore, the SIAA certification not only tests antimicrobial screens for effectiveness against germs, but also the risk of unhealthy chemicals or toxins being absorbed by oral contact, skin irritation with long-term contact, allergic reactions, and whether there is a risk of DNA Mutagenicity.  These are important considerations given the amount of time students and teachers interact with these devices over a school year.

Besides the glass screen, some smart boards have anti-microbial coating on the pens used by students and teachers, the remote used by teachers, and even the plastic on the outside of the screen that is commonly touched by students.  These will be disclosed in the specification sheet on whatever model you are considering.

Here is a comparison of the popular classroom displays commonly used in classrooms around the world and how they stack up for both effectiveness and safety.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting schools around the world, administrators are more sensitive than ever to improve the health and safety needs of students and teachers.  An interactive display in the classroom with a certified anti-microbial coating can help a classroom be safer for both teachers and students using the board.