Interesting article in CNN Money, "Hospital battles infections with robots". Nice video attached, too.
"At any given time, 1 in 20 hospital patients is battling an infection that they got on site, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hospitals now pay greater attention to hand hygiene -- Purell dispensers have become ubiquitous -- but their main infection control methods haven't changed much for decades. Most rooms are still disinfected by housekeepers armed with chemical cleaners."
The "robot" showcased is a portable ultraviolet pulse generator, for use in patient rooms, bathrooms, and so on. UV light kills pathogens. After the anthrax scare a few years back, for instance, the Post Office explored treating mail with UV lights to kill such things as, well, anthrax. Might have worked except for the long exposure time each side of every letter would have required (mail delivery is slow enough as it is). UV lights are also what air conditioning firms use in AC ductwork to kill airborne germs as they blow by.
In janitorial, we mostly use chemicals to kill germs - a hydrogen peroxide product for touch-point sanitation, and a quat disinfectant for restrooms and lunchrooms. We also use microfiber technology to remove most germs - dead or alive - from surfaces. Where damp cleaning is not practical - think computer keyboards - we have available an inexpensive UV light that, when passed slowly over an item, kills the pathogens.
Which brings up the cost of the UV robot - about $80,000.00. Reasonable for a hospital - think what a single hospital acquired infection costs to treat - but a bit less affordable for a janitorial firm. Looking ahead, though, given that most technological innovations drop rapidly in price as they propegate, something similar could well be in our future.
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