Ultraviolet System Provides Rapid Room Disinfection

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 18 Oct 2012
An ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system precisely measures reflected UV emissions to automatically calculate the pathogen-lethal UVC dose needed to kill pathogens.

The TRU-D SmartUVC portable disinfection system uses the most germicidal part of UV spectrum, designated UVC, to achieve high efficiency targeting of the narrow band DNA-disrupting wavelength that stops pathogens. The system automatically calculates the UVC light emission required for each room, dynamically compensating for room size, shape, and other dose-altering variables such as the position of contents, windows, blinds, and doors.

Image: The TRU-D SmartUVC portable disinfection system (Photo courtesy of TRU-D).

Among the features of the system are dose assurance delivered to direct and shadowed high touch surfaces; consistent and predictable touchless UVC room disinfection, rapid room disinfection that is compatible with demanding room turnover timing, and environmental safety, since UVC light is not transmitted through glass windows. The system achieves 3-4 log surface disinfection of pathogens in any space, while treating airborne pathogens to prevent recolonization on disinfected surfaces and reduce cross-contamination of pathogens. The TRU-D SmartUVC portable disinfection system is a product of TRU-D (Memphis, TN, USA).

“TRU-D device was able to decontaminate all surfaces in 40 hospital rooms, including hard-to-clean surfaces such as the undersides of tables; 18% of sites under the edges of bedside tables were still contaminated with MRSA after routine hospital cleaning, versus 0% after TRU-D use,” concluded Michelle Nerandzic, BS, and Curtis Donskey, MD, of the Cleveland VA Medical Center (OH, USA). “Application of TRU-D using the ‘spore’ setting consistently reduced recovery of C. difficile spores and MRSA by more than 2-3 logs. Similar VRE reduction was achieved in about half the time [...].”

Increased evidence confirms that Clostridium difficile, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE, Acinetobacter baumannii), and influenza are transmitted via environmental surfaces and that only 50% of these surfaces in a typical operating room or patient room may be effectively disinfected. The current patient’s risk of contracting a hospital-acquired infection (HAI) from contaminated surfaces increases 100% when the previous room occupant had been diagnosed with an infection.

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