Snap, Crackle, Pop zapping germs at Edward Hospital

Edward Hospital is using Xenex germ-zapping robots to kill deadly bacteria and superbugs before they make patients sick.  Snap, Crackle and Pop, as named by Edward employees, are being used in patient rooms (including Critical Care, Cardiac ICU, Medical Oncology, Orthopedics, Medical-Surgical and NICU), operating rooms and support areas.  The portable robots, about the size of R2D2, take about 10 minutes to disinfect a patient room, and about 15 minutes to disinfect an OR.

The Xenex robots kill the MERS virus, as well as C. diff, MRSA and other germs, by pulsing ultraviolet C (UVC) light.  The UVC light penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungus, effectively killing them on surfaces and in the air without contact or chemicals.

No one can be in the room while the Xenex device is being operated because the bright light has the potential to irritate human eyes.  It is safe to watch the device pulsing through a glass window.  If someone does walk in, the robot has a motion sensor which immediately turns off the device when movement is detected.

The Xenex robots have been shown in numerous published studies to dramatically reduce hospital infection rates, even C. diff, which is particularly hard to eliminate.  The robots are used in conjunction with the normal cleaning routine – all visible dirt/fluids wiped away, trash emptied and linens removed.  Afterward, the robot is brought in to destroy the deadly germs that can’t be seen.

For more information patient safety and infection control at Edward Hospital, visit http://www.edward.org/patientsafety.