SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs are not ready to have fans at their games just yet, but the organization is taking steps to ensure that, when they do, they’ll have the cleanest, safest arena in the NBA. The home of the San Antonio Spurs is now home to a new resident with a bright disposition: The LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot.
“We spent a lot of time reviewing hundreds of different technologies, and when we came across the LightStrike robot and the UV technology it deploys, we knew we had to have that here because of its effectiveness in killing the coronavirus and creating the safest, cleanest environment possible,” said Casey Heverling, vice president and general manager of the AT&T Center.
The LightStrike robot was developed right here in San Antonio by Xenex Disinfection Services. It uses xenon lamps to disinfect large areas at a time.
“When you pulse that lamp, it puts out high-intensity broad-spectrum ultraviolet light that disables the molecular structure of a cell, preventing it from replicating or ever infecting somebody again,” said Morris Miller, CEO of Xenex Disinfection Services.
The LightStrike’s effectiveness at neutralizing the coronavirus was tested at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and documented in the Journal of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
“There are thousands of LightStrike robots being used to kill SARS-CoV-2 and other dangerous pathogens at hospitals all over the world,” Miller said.
Now it’s being put to work in the AT&T Center.
“We’re going to be deploying the LightStrike robot in the locker rooms, the restrooms, the different dressing rooms for the entertainers, our conference rooms, our office spaces, the restrooms for our fans, the different concession stands, concourses,” Heverling said.
Although they are taking these steps to increase the safety of their arena, the Spurs organization says it will not be comfortable hosting fans again until the coronavirus numbers in San Antonio improve. On Friday, local leaders reported the second-highest tally of new cases in the county since the pandemic began.
“It’s a tremendous responsibility to bring thousands of people together to enjoy these moments on the court, to create memories with their families," Heverling said. "And we take that responsibility very seriously."