Changing the way UV-C disinfection technology is used in healthcare

Published: 2-Sep-2016

As pressure on hospital budgets increases, cost effective ways of combatting HAIs have never been more important. UK distributor, Surfacide UK, argues that its UVC disinfection system is best positioned to help to reduce those costs

The costs for treating patients with Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) within the National Health Service (NHS) is on the rise; a typical MRSA infection costs several thousands of pounds per patient to treat.

For example, patients infected with MRSA spend more days hospitalised on wards or in intensive care units, and require more tests and services. This is before adding any imposed fines by hospital regulators and the cost of negative press to the Trust.

The NHS, alongside its facilities and estates teams, needs to look for ways to reduce these costs, and with several new technologies on the market, there has never been a better time to invest in them for the long term benefits for all, especially when such actions could be saving lives in the process.

One of the new technologies available to the UK market is the Surfacide UV-C disinfection system. Surfacide provides an evidence-based1, automatic UV-C room disinfection system that eradicates multi-drug resistant organisms including Clostridium difficile (C. diff), MRSA, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE), Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and Acinetobacter.

With a worldwide patented triple-emitter system, the Surfacide Helios solution puts multiple emitters into the patient environment enabling all areas of a patient room, bathroom, ward or operating theatre to be disinfected, with complete disinfection time taking from as little as 10 minutes.

With many unique features, the system allows rooms to be turned around quickly and efficiently, while giving the staff the peace of mind that the surfaces in the rooms have been disinfected.

Its particular benefits are that:

  • the multiple emitters do not require repositioning once set up in the room
  • the laser validation accurately calculates the amount of time needed to disinfect the current space
  • and it includes a ‘scrub feature’ that allows set points within a room to be disinfected without the risk of UVC being delivered outside of this area.

The automatic process of the system and the quicker turnaround times free up more time for nurses to spend on nursing rather than cleaning, and allows facilities management staff to achieve more in a shorter amount of time. This has a beneficial effect right down the rest of the patient pathway; not only due to the reduced direct and indirect costs of HAIs across the NHS, but also through the opportunity for greater efficiency afforded to all the staff involved.

When it comes to improving efficiency, saving money and lives; prevention is most certainly more cost effective than the cure.

Breaking down DNA bonds

The use of UVC in the disinfection arena is relatively new and provides an innovative way to disinfect. The UVC radiation works by breaking down the bonds in the DNA of the bacteria so that they cannot reproduce, and therefore eradicating the bacteria in what is sometimes described as a ‘hard kill’.


Three Surfacide emitters treat the entire space in only one disinfection cycle

Three Surfacide emitters treat the entire space in only one disinfection cycle


While there are many UVC disinfection systems on the market, Surfacide’s approach and innovative design and features are different.

Surfacide is the only continuous 254nm UV-C disinfection system designed for use with three UV-C emitters for total room coverage, eliminating shadows while maximising proximity to all surfaces, all simultaneously controlled remotely by a single control tablet for disinfection of a single room or space.

Its system of multiple UV-C emitters incorporate a parabolic UV-C concentrator for increased energy dosage and intensity. The system also employs automated laser measurement and validation of room size to determine the dose and ensures that an effective dose of energy has been delivered to all surfaces in the least amount of time.

It is the only system of its kind to validate energy output by incorporating a Fluency Meter to ensure proper UV-C intensity and operation is achieved during each disinfection cycle.

The system has also been designed to be deployed and used for ‘targeted’ and ‘limited’ range disinfection with safe continuous disinfection delivered unilaterally in a single direction from multiple emitters over an adjustable and programmable range, while ensuring that no UV-C radiation is delivered outside the chosen disinfection area.

Surfacide offers the flexibility to use from one to five emitters depending on the room size. The disinfection tool incorporates an intuitive user interface that allows remote tablet control of multiple emitters making it a safer option when compared with systems that require the operator to start a system from within the room.

The system can provide unattended and automated total room disinfection in a single, uninterrupted cycle without the need for repositioning or movement of a single emitter.

It also allows for use of multiple motion sensors within a single room with multiple entry/exit points. This advanced safety feature incorporates a dual motion sensor with passive infrared motion detection and movement detection by an accelerometer or gravimeter.

The system, although comprised of multiple emitters, can be moved throughout a facility as one single system through the use of interlocking joining pieces that play a dual role as the caution sentries holding the motion detectors.

The device uses both bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity allowing Cloud connectivity to reporting archives and remotely accessible reporting. The patented hard surface disinfection system and method meets CE standards and currently has more than 50 users throughout the world.

Reference

1. J.P. Haas, J.Menz, S. Dusza, M.A. Montecalvo, American Journal of Infection Control 42 (2014) 586-90.

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