Sterilizing cover for touchscreens comprising UV emitting source

1 . A touchscreen cover, comprising: a top side facing the user of a touchscreen; a bottom side facing the touchscreen; and

at least one material for emitting energy having a wavelength ranging from 100-400 nm, that is in optical communication with the top side,

wherein the touchscreen cover is substantially transparent and adapted to substantially cover the touchscreen, the touchscreen cover having a thickness that allows user inputs to be transmitted to said touchscreen,

wherein the at least one material for emitting energy having a wavelength ranging from 100-400 nm comprises a glass or plastic resin and at least one phosphor which is embedded in, or coated on the glass or plastic resin,

wherein said at least one phosphor is configured to convert an initial electromagnetic energy (A) that is emitted from the touchscreen itself to a different electromagnetic energy (B), said different electromagnetic energy (B) comprising UVB, UVC, or combinations thereof.

2 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein said at least one phosphor is chosen from sodium yttrium fluoride (NaYF4), lanthanum fluoride (LaF3), lanthanum oxysulfide (La2O2S), yttrium oxysulfide (Y2O2S), yttrium fluoride (YF3), yttrium gallate, yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), gadolinium fluoride (GdF3), barium yttrium fluoride (BaYF5, BaY2F8), gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S), calcium tungstate (CaWO4), yttrium oxide:terbium (Yt2O3Tb), gadolinium oxysulphide:europium (Gd2O2S:Eu); lanthanum oxysulphide:europium (La2O2S:Eu); and gadolinium oxysulphide:promethium, cerium, fluorine (Gd2O2S:Pr,Ce,F); YPO4:Nd; LaPO4:Pr; (Ca,Mg)SO4:Pb; YBO3:Pr; Y2SiO5:Pr; Y2Si2O7:Pr; SrLi2SiO4:Pr,Na; and CaLi2SiO4:Pr.

3 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein said composition having at least one phosphor comprises a host lattice represented by the formula (Y1-x-y-z,Lux,Scy,Az)PO4, wherein 0≤x<1 and 0<y≤1 and 0≤z<0.05 and A is an activator.

4 . The touchscreen cover of claim 3 , wherein the activator comprises ytterbium, bismuth, praseodymium and neodymium.

5 . The touchscreen cover of claim 4 , wherein said activator comprises ytterbium and is chosen from ytterbium/erbium, ytterbium/thulium, ytterbium/terbium, and ytterbium/holmium.

6 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein the initial electromagnetic radiation (A) comprises infrared radiation or visible light.

7 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein said at least one phosphor has an average particle size ranging from 5 nm to 1000 nm.

8 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein said at least one phosphor is present in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 60% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.

9 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein said plastic resin comprises a polymer or co-polymer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), olefin, styrene, nylon, and acetal.

10 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , further comprising an optically clear adhesive material attached to the bottom side of the touchscreen cover for attaching the touchscreen cover to the touchscreen.

11 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen cover is configured to couple to a smart phone, tablet, personal computer, point-of-sale (POS) system, kiosks, digital appliance, automated teller machines (ATMs).

12 . The touchscreen cover of claim 1 , further comprising an outer layer that is transparent or translucent to said initial electromagnetic energy (A).

13 . The touchscreen cover of claim 12 , wherein the outer layer comprises at least one coating on at least one surface that is transparent or translucent to an initial energy but that prevents UV radiation from exiting the touchscreen cover.

14 . The touchscreen cover of claim 13 , wherein said at least one coating comprises a metal or oxide chosen from MgO, TiO2, SiO2 and Al2O3.