Michelle Wilson designed the Shellicone Finger Protector after the pandemic. Her ingenious creation features a multifaceted LED light that helps protect people from germs on various surfaces when using keypads, ATM buttons, self-serve kiosk touchscreens, and other devices.
Wilson, whose family has a long history of invention and pioneering, came up with the concept during the pandemic while waiting in line at a bank during her lunch break.
She recounted, “There was one teller and ten people ahead of me and I saw them passing the keyboard to each customer. No one including the teller had taken precautions like wearing gloves or wiping down the keyboard after each interaction to help keep germs from spreading.”
“My germaphobia OCD kicked in and after my transaction was over, that is when I heard God say to me, ‘Why don’t you create a device for people like you who hate touching germy public touch surfaces like keypads and touchscreens?” she said, according to a release to Black News.
After 2 1/2 years and 22 designs, she birthed the Shellicone Finger Protector, having to work multiple jobs to fund the prototype. One of her goals was to provide a better life for herself and her mother, whom she was caring for.
The term “Shellicone,” she said, is a mix of the material it is composed of—flexible silicone that forms a convenient “shell” of protection that fits around one’s finger.
Wilson said what makes her finger protector unique is the LED illumination feature, which is a ground-breaking tool for daily usage. It adds extra illumination in low light conditions and provides excellent protection against bacteria and germs.
Its built-in USB port plugs into a laptop and other USB sources and receives up to 500 charges with over 1-hour of continuous illumination before charging again, Wilson said in the statement to Black News.
To keep impurities out, each Shellicone Finger Protector has a cover cap. It also easily fastens to one’s belt loop, backpack, and keychain. Additionally, the product’s silicone material is soft and lightweight, making it suitable for extended wear. It is also practical for outdoor pursuits including riding, hiking, and camping.
Wilson believes her patent-pending invention will help patients with OCD who are anxious about touching germs in public by reducing their “germ phobia.”
Sadly, before the first batch of Shellicone products came, Wilson’s mother, Bobbie, who assisted with marketing, died following 17-month medical trips.
Wilson expressed, “Everything I did with creating Shellicone was to make my mother proud. It is bittersweet that my mother is no longer living, however, I move on knowing that my mom is cheering me on from heaven where she is in no pain or suffering.”
Wilson, who had intended to use the money she earned from the sale of her Shellicone products to support her mother in pursuing her business goals of opening a bakery coffee shop and selling her homemade biscuits in major U.S. stores, will carry on with those endeavors in her memory.
