https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Hospital-s-robot-cleaner-zaps-away-germs-12568222.php
Hospital's robot cleaner 'zaps' away germs
Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree, smcdaniel@civitasmedia.com
Published 4:53 am CDT, Thursday, March 31, 2016
Passavant Area Hospital has new technology that will kill 99.9 percent of germs in its hospital rooms.
A robot has joined its cleaning staff and uses ultra-violet rays to kill germs left after the human cleaning staff has finished its work.
The hospital has had the Tru-D Smart UVC Disinfection Robot for about a month.
Because of equipment and furniture in the room, it is impossible to clean every surface or crack that has germs, said Justin Falardeau, Tru-D Smart UVC regional sales manager.
"We are attacking any pathogens using [ultra-violet] rays," he said. "You are not only looking at tops of surfaces, but shadows as well."
The rays bounce around the room, hitting the bottoms of furniture, cracks and other places that are not usually addressed in a routine cleaning.
"It's like a bouncy ball. You throw it and it'll bounce around, hitting the bottom and backs of things," he said.
Ultra-violet rays are among the most deadly of light rays, but Falardeau said they do not penetrate glass, making it safe as long as there is no one inside the room.
Falardeau said this type of technology is often used to treat water systems.
Kerri Barton, manager of environmental services at Passavant, said the robot helps ensure patients do not pick up germs left by a previous patients.
"It adds another layer of protection," she said.
The robot has been used to counteract the Ebola virus and helps decrease the likelihood of a viral epidemic.
The last time Passavant had to be quarantined was four years ago.
Anne Beck, the infection control manager, said the hospital did not have that kind of technology then and had to rely on harsh cleaners to disinfect the rooms.
"We had to use bleach to clean all the rooms," Beck said. "This allows us to clean with a different cleaner throughout the house."
The robot stores data of which rooms are done, how long it takes to sterilize a room and it will shut off when done sterilizing the room.
The robot takes on average 20 to 25 minutes to sterilize a room. Falardeau said the time it takes varies by the size of the room and the amount of furniture.
The robot costs about $114,000, although Falardeau said an outbreak would cost more to handle.
"It is reducing hospital-related infections," Falardeau said.
Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha.