By Healthcare Facilities Today

Wesley Medical Center in Wichita has a new robot who's job is to help the hospital kill infectious spores and bacteria – such as Clostridium difficile, also known as C. diff, and it’s the first of its kind in the Wichita area, according to hospital officials.

The robot does not replace routine cleaning methods at the hospital, but will be an added layer in preventing the spread of infections, which has become more of a focus in recent years, said Valerie Creswell, Wesley’s infectious disease medical director, in an article on The Wichita Eagle's website.

The mobile machine uses a pulsating purple ultraviolet C light to disinfect the hospital rooms of patients with known infections as well as on a regular basis in operating rooms and other rooms throughout the hospital.

“UV A, B and C are produced by the sun, but UVC is reflected by the ozone layer and is screened out, so bacteria and viruses don’t have any defense against it. What we’re doing is artificially making that UVC inside the room,” said Rachael Sparks, technical director for Xenex, the robort's manufacturer.

Wesley Medical Center also plans to conduct a study on its C. diff rates now that it has the new machine, Creswell said in the article. She hopes results will be available in about a year.

In Kansas, hospital-acquired infections are not required to be reported to state or federal officials, according to the article. However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires hospital to report their infection rates for certain conditions in order to receive federal reimbursement dollars.

Read the article.