Palos Community Hospital in Palos, Ill., has added a UV disinfection robot to its arsenal to improve patient safety and prevent infection, according to an article on the True Blue Tribune.

The hospital will be using the UV disinfection robot in patient rooms as well as surgical suites.

“The acquisition of this technology is simply another way we are working to protect the integrity of our health care environment, and ultimately, safeguard the well-being of every patient who walks through our doors at Palos,” Larry Trump, Palos housekeeping supervisor, said in the article.

The TRU-D has been shown to have a 99.9 percent disinfection rate of all viruses and bacteria, killing pathogens including Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the article said. The robot is used after a hospital staff member completes traditional disinfection routines.

The remotely operated robot works by generating UV light energy that modifies the DNA structure of an infectious cell so that it cannot reproduce — and a cell that cannot reproduce cannot colonize and harm patients, the article said.

Read the article.