St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Ga., is using three disinfection robots to go beyond regular cleaning, according to an article on the Ledger-Enquirer website.
The robots use pulsed xenon ultraviolet light 25,000 times more powerful than the sun to destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores.
Currently, the portable robots — that stand about 4 feet tall and sell for $60,000 or more each — are used primarily in the operating suite, cardiac catheter lab, intensive care, endoscopy unit and all isolation rooms. Eventually the hospital plans to use them in all rooms.
The robot supplements other cleaning services and focuses on high-touch areas most likely to be a source of contamination, such as bed rails and telephones, giving those an extra strong dosage of the ultraviolet light.
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