The Inspiration Behind VidaShield

Mark Welker
Mark Welker

Sitting in a hospital room with his fiancé, Beverly, inventor Mark Welker’s mind started to wander. Here he was in a place filled with intelligent, very educated people, working diligently to ensure that Beverly was taken care of. They were surrounded by a vast array of high-tech equipment and cutting-edge technology to support their every need. And yet, somehow, Beverly still managed to acquire MRSA from a common breast biopsy.

As a lifelong inventor who holds multiple patents that range from hover board technology, lighting and HVAC products, Mark looked around the hospital and started thinking that maybe something was missing. Being an inventor, his brain immediately went to work designing.

His observations led him to note that an average of 28 people entered and exited Beverly’s hospital room at all hours of the day, some bringing along items from home and leaving behind a virtual footprint in their wake. Since Mark didn’t always witness the nurses washing their hands prior to entering the room, he felt the device he engineered should be free from human intervention, allowing it to operate 24/7.

Because a hospital room is such a small space, particularly when it is shared with others, it is important to use every available inch for critical items. With his experience in lighting and HVAC, Mark thought the ceiling would be an ideal location. The janitorial staff takes time to thoroughly clean, so if the surfaces are disinfected the one area that isn’t touched is the air – the invisible threat. Mark’s brainchild was a 24/7 UV-C engineering control that would purify the air.

Mark and Beverly Welker
Mark & Beverly Welker

5 operations, years of recovery and thousands of dollars later, Beverly and Mark are happily married. Beverly is now infection-free but the scars from her HAI still linger.

Thankfully, horrible life experiences can often inspire certain people to do great things. In this instance, a life experience galvanized Mark Welker to invent VidaShield. A fast, continuous UV-C air purification system designed to reduce bacteria and fungi from treated air and reduce the settling on surfaces around the room. If reducing the bioburden in a patient room can reduce the risk of even 1 patient getting sicker, isn’t it worth it?