Germ-Killing Robot to Tackle Hospital Superbugs

It may look like a futuristic gadget from a science fiction movie, but this germ-killing robot is a new, efficient method of tackling hospital superbugs. As reported in the Daily Mail, the device kills hospital superbugs faster than before, and could save the NHS $325 million a year if adopted nationwide.

The remote-controlled Tru-D SmartUVC device uses a measured dose of UVC germicidal light to kill 99.9 percent of infectious room-surface pathogens in a fraction of the time now required for cleaning.

According to hospital administrators, vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) is currently used to sterilize wards, with deep-clean taking six hours followed by a wait of up to 24 hours before the room can be used. The VHP method poses significant health risks if not carried out carefully.

Hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and C.diff cost the NHS about $1.6 billion a year. Tru-D SmartUVC, already in daily use at more than 100 hospitals in the US, has been tested by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which is hoping to adopt the method permanently. Nottingham University Hospitals' record of reducing healthcare-associated infections rates among the best in the UK.

"Judging by the results that I have witnessed, it is clear that new and more sustainable alternatives such as Tru-D represent the future of hygiene in hospitals," says Dr. Tim Boswell , consultant microbiologist at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Tru-D SmartUVC generates a specific dose of ultraviolet-C energy to eliminate surface contamination. "Tru-D's advanced, environmentally friendly germicidal disinfection system has moved disinfection of rooms and equipment to a much higher level than can be achieved through manual, chemical cleaning alone," said Tru-D spokesman Chuck Dunn .

Tru-D was presented at the annual conference of the Federation of Infection Societies in Liverpool last month. Six other NHS hospitals have since begun trialing the device.

A report published in October by the Patients' Association in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing and the Infection Prevention Society called for a renewed focus on infection prevention and control across the NHS.

Tru-D is an automated total room UVC disinfection system that uses SmartUVC(TM) technology to accurately measure and deliver the lethal UV dose required to break the DNA of bacteria, virus and spores to render them harmless. Clinical research has shown more than a 99.9 percent reduction of C.diff spores using Tru-D's Sensor360(TM) technology. The automated system is engineered to silently disinfect shadowed and line-of-sight surfaces from a single placement within a room, overcoming human error such as missed and difficult-to-reach surfaces, improper chemical applications, incorrect placement, and unreliable "blind-dose guessing" associated with lesser advanced and disruptive strobe light offerings.

Tru-D SmartUVC™ is the only automated UVC technology supported by multiple, independent peer-reviewed studies that provide confidence in advanced, automated environmental disinfection. Tru-D with SmartUVC™ provides ongoing improvement in patient outcomes, safety and quality of care.