Xenex Disinfection Services’ LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots have been proven to quickly destroy the germs and bacteria in ORs that can cause infections using pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light. Hundreds of hospitals use LightStrike robots to disinfect their ORs after the day’s procedures are complete and two hospitals have published peer-reviewed studies showing 46 to 100 percent reductions in their SSI rates when the LightStrike robot was used to disinfect ORs after terminal cleaning.
In an attempt to reduce contamination in the OR between surgeries, researchers evaluated the LightStrike robot in the OR and found that it can effectively disinfect high touch surfaces in just two minutes.
According to the new study “Evaluation of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection system to decrease bacterial contamination in operating rooms” Haddad et al.; published in BMC Infectious Diseases, “this short cycle time may make between-case cleaning [with PX-UV] in the OR a viable option and something hospitals should consider operationalizing within their protocol.”
The study found that a 2-minute cycle of intense pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light disinfection eliminated 72 percent more pathogens on high-touch surface areas in the OR than manual cleaning alone. The authors noted that the short room turnover time is feasible, even for a busy OR, and could potentially reduce pathogen transmission to patients and reduce SSI rates.
Twenty-three peer-reviewed articles have been published about the LightStrike robot’s effectiveness, including nine crediting the intense pulsed xenon UV technology for contributing to a facility’s reduction in HAI rates.