Xenex UV-Disinfection System

Clostridium difficile is one of the most persistent pathogens in hospital acquired infections. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are only slightly effective against this anaerobic “bug” that causes severe diarrhea.  About 5% of hospitalized patients contract C. difficile or the even more difficult antibiotic-resistant illness known as MRSA.  Among possible countermeasures to these hospital acquired infections are robots that sanitize rooms or surfaces using ultraviolet light or hydrogen peroxide.  This piece describes the Xenex robotic room sanitizer that sprays a hydrogen peroxide mist which cleans more effectively than other housekeeping techniques.  The Xenex robot costs $125,000; a single infection acquired in a hospital can cost well more than that. MORE

Image Credit: Xenex and RoboticTrends.com