Robots zapping germs at St. Cloud Surgical Center

MINNESOTA, USA: Xenex Disinfection Services announced that St. Cloud Surgical Center is the first ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in the U.S. to utilize a Xenex germ-zapping robot to enhance patient safety by destroying the deadly pathogens that can cause healthcare associated infections (HAI).

St. Cloud Surgical Center is using Xenex’s full-spectrum UV disinfection system to disinfect its surgical suites daily. “We decided to use the Xenex robot because we want to provide patients with the highest level of safety and environmental cleanliness during surgical procedures at St. Cloud Surgical Center,” said Dr. Joseph P. Nessler, orthopedic surgeon and St. Cloud Surgical Center physician partner.

The Xenex pulsed xenon UV disinfection system is explained as a scientifically proven to reduce all major classes of microorganisms, including Clostridium difficile (C. diff), norovirus, influenza and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). At St. Cloud Surgical Center, the announcement informs, the easily portable robot is used in the surgical suites daily after terminal cleaning of the operating room (OR) has taken place. Taking only 5-10 minutes, the robot is utilized to disinfect rooms before and after total joint procedures, as well as after any procedure involving a patient known to have a dangerous infection, as explained.

“Patient safety is our top priority,” said Julie Tonsager, OR Team Leader at St. Cloud Surgical Center. “We clean the rooms with traditional cleaning methods, but there are always nooks and crannies that are hard to reach. And, the germs are getting tougher and so it was important for us to take the battle against infections to the next level to ensure our patients receive the best care -- and the Xenex robot allows us to do just that. We evaluated many different options for room disinfection and after careful analysis we chose the Xenex robot because of its proven results.”

Explaining the concept, the company states that the Xenex germ-zapping robot works by pulsing xenon, an inert gas, at high intensity in a xenon ultraviolet flashlamp. This produces broad spectrum ultraviolet C (UVC), which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms. Their DNA is instantly fused so that they are unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces and in the air without contact or chemicals.