PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A Valley inventor who was concerned for his daughter's safety has created a new way to help protect people using a cell phone cover.
It's no doubt that we are a plugged-in society and always on a smartphone.
"I watch my daughter on campus and I watch her go through parking garages, I watch her go to night classes and I am very concerned about her," said Spraytect CEO Scott McPherson.
With his motivation as a protective dad, McPherson's creation is upping the ante for what it means to always be carrying your phone.
"You put the canister on like this," he said as he showed us how the device works. "It's actually a cell phone case that has an integrated pepper spray canister on it," he said.
With just a few quick steps, you can go from texting to self-defense. He described that you take off a safety pin and then all you have to do is flip a switch and spray.
"Turn the phone, point it at whoever you want to shoot and push down to fire," he said.
"You can slip the canister on and off whenever," said his daughter, University of Arizona college sophomore Cole McPherson.
Scott McPherson also described how the spray does not affect the function of the phone. So, if you have time, you could actually video your attacker while you are spraying.
The pepper spray, Scott McPherson said, is made of the same blend used by the U.S. military, the FBI and police departments across the country.
"I really think this is more convenient because you can have it on hand and ready to go," said Cole McPherson.
Spraytect is available for $39.95 at Spraytect.com and comes in pink, turquoise, white and black.
McPherson said about 85 percent of the product is made in Arizona.
He said he developed the idea in July 2011 and started manufacturing it in late August 2012.
Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
