Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Porter Adventist Hospital unveils robots that zap dangerous germs
Porter Adventist Hospital, of Denver, the US, issued a press release yesterday to say that it is using robots to destroy potentially lethal germs and bacteria that can pose a risk to patient and employee safety.
The release explains that the technology uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, mould and other pathogens and cites studies showing that the robots are consistently 20 times more effective than standard chemical cleaning practices.
"Although Porter offers one of the safest environments to receive care in the nation, we are committed to investments that build on that solid track record," said Porter Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Thomas Drake, MD. "One hospital acquired infection is one too many, so we are excited to begin using this new system to help us achieve our goal of zero infections. This investment is important and underscores our commitment to patient care and the communities we serve."
While UV light has been used for disinfection for decades, this robot utilises a newish technology that includes pulsed xenon to create germicidal UV light. Pulsed xenon emits high intensity UVC light, which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces without contact or chemicals. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C.diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
The portable system can disinfect a typical patient or procedure room in four or five minute cycles (depending on the robot model) without warm-up or cool-down times. It can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility, including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, contact precaution areas, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.
More than 350 hospitals, Veterans Affairs and Dept of Defence facilities in the US, Canada, Africa, the UK and continental Europe are using these robots and the pulsed xenon UV disinfection system has been credited by these facilities for helping them reduce their infection rates significantly. Several hospitals have published their C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site infection rate reduction studies in peer-reviewed journals - showing infection rate reductions of more than 70%.
20th October 2016