Innovative UV Device Fights Drug-Resistant Bacteria

An innovative Ultraviolet C band (UV-C) cleaning device can kill 31 pathogens, including C. difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in just five minutes.

The Optimum-UV Enlight system can induce a 4-log reduction of C. difficile spores, and a greater than 5-log reduction of other pathogens such as MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), when operated at a distance of up to two meters. The system is designed to supplement manual disinfection using bleach germicides or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) products. The combined manual surface disinfection with UV technology ensures thorough coverage, especially on areas missed during manual cleaning.


A smart data reporting system tracks device usage across rooms, locations, and operators, and provides automated reporting that is accessible in real time. The system also provides diagnostic data, with automated alerts to inform users about maintenance needs and to help identify areas that require targeted staff training. An enhanced interface features data storage capabilities and a large, easy-to-use color touchscreen enables users to manage disinfection reporting analytics.

The device includes an accompanying iOS and Android apps app that allows users to remotely check on UV cycle status, as well as start or stop the device. The app uses Bluetooth technology to upload the data via a cellular/Wi-Fi link for cloud-based reporting. The system also monitors infection rates and outbreaks, allowing healthcare professionals to pinpoint problems sooner. The Optimum-UV Enlight system is a product of Clorox Healthcare (Grapevine, TX, USA).

“We know that environmental services and infection control professionals are looking for more efficient and easy-to-use ways to implement UV devices and track infection rates across their facilities, which can be a time-intensive process,” said Katherine Velez, of Clorox Healthcare. “The Optimum-UV Enlight System's smart data capabilities help do the heavy lifting to improve infection control processes and minimize workflow challenges so that UV can be seamlessly integrated into larger environmental infection control practices.”

UV-C light is a UV wavelength of 254 nm that induces the formation of pyrimidine dimmers from thymine and cytosine; these dimers in turn cause disruptions in microbial DNA, making genetic replication impossible, thus destroying the organisms or rendering them unable to reproduce. The efficacy of the UV-C irradiation is a function of many different parameters, such as intensity, exposure time, lamp placement, and air movement patterns.

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Clorox Healthcare