Oct 31 2014
Sonoma Valley Hospital is the first hospital in the North Bay to acquire Xenex Disinfection Services’ germ-zapping robot. This state-of-the-art disinfection device enhances patient safety through an environmentally friendly technology that uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, mold and other pathogens in patient areas throughout the hospital.
“This is another example of our commitment to the highest standards in patient safety and care,” said Kelly Mather, CEO of Sonoma Valley Hospital, noting that the hospital was named one of the 15 safest hospitals in the U.S. by Consumer Reports earlier this year. “We are adding another layer of protection for our patients with this UV disinfection technology, which has been shown to be 20 times more effective than manual cleaning with chemicals.”
Sonoma Valley Hospital’s robot, which has been affectionately named Lisa, employs Xenex’s proprietary pulsed xenon UV disinfection technology to quickly destroy dangerous microorganisms and reduce germ loads, a major continuing source of concern for every hospital. While not intended as a substitute for traditional cleaning procedures at the hospital, it is expected to reduce costs at the hospital and improve sanitation efficiency, Mather said.
The Xenex robot emits intense, full spectrum UV light that penetrates the pathogens’ cell walls, causing the DNA to fuse instantly, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate. Uniquely designed for ease of use and portability, a hospital’s environmental services staff can operate the Xenex device without disrupting hospital operations and without the use of expensive chemicals. The robot has been extensively tested on the most common, dangerous, and difficult-to-treat microorganisms using independent lab verification, with a resulting 99.9 percent reduction of organisms. Using UV light that is 25,000 times brighter than sunlight, Xenex robots are scientifically proven to be effective against the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Ebola virus, norovirus, influenza, and staph bacteria, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
The Xenex device has been tested at hospitals and medical centers throughout the U.S., with impressive infection reduction results reported after the disinfection of patient rooms, operating rooms, emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units (ICUs), among others. Several hospitals utilizing the Xenex robots have published their infection reduction success in peer-reviewed journals.
Sonoma Valley Hospital acquired the robot with a donation provided by Bill and Gerry Brinton, owners of Charles Creek Winery and committed supporters of the hospital. Bill Brinton heard a radio broadcast about Xenex and its hospital-oriented robot, and became interested. He was familiar with the disinfection properties of UV light technology, which he had used with great success at a fresh beverage company he formerly owned, and suggested the hospital evaluate the Xenex system.
About Sonoma Valley Hospital
Sonoma Valley Hospital is an 83-bed, full-service acute care district hospital located in Sonoma, California. In February of this year it opened a new wing housing a state-of-the-art Emergency Department and Surgery Center. www.svh.com
About Xenex Disinfection Services
Xenex's patented pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is a pesticidal device used for the advanced cleaning of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. The Xenex mission is to eliminate harmful bacteria, viruses and spores that can cause hospital acquired infections in the patient environment, and to become the new standard method for disinfection in healthcare facilities worldwide. For more information, visit www.xenex.com.