Based on figures of the WHO, something like 1.4 million human beings at any time suffer from a potentially life-threatening infection which they have contracted in the course of medical treatment. Particularly at risk are patients in undeveloped countries and crisis regions where there is a lack of resources – equipment, clean water and energy – for sterilisation to be reliably carried out. The start-up company SteriLux is responding to this problem. The system, which was developed by scientists and designers working closely together, is technically based on an innovative sterilisation method relying on ultraviolet light and ozone. It consists of just two elements – a plastic box, in which the instruments are not only sterilised but can also be transported and stored for up to six months, and a kind of battery-powered mother station which triggers, monitors and documents the sterilisation process. In comparison with traditional sterilisation methods, SteriLux offers considerable advantages: significantly reduced energy consumption, minimal non-distilled water requirements, mobility and user-friendly operation.