LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As hospitals around the world look for new and innovative ways to battle deadly pathogens and kill multi-drug resistant organisms that can cause Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI), Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare (SHC - VC) has taken a leap into the future with the installation of two LightStrike® Germ-Zapping Robots™ that destroy hard-to-kill bugs in hard-to-clean places.
The two Xenex robots, named Violet and Ray, use pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C.diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
UV has been used for disinfection for decades. The Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot is a new technology that utilizes pulsed xenon (not mercury bulbs) to create germicidal UV light. Pulsed xenon emits high intensity UVC light which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces.
“We are very excited to be able to add the Xenex UV disinfection system as an adjunct to our cleaning processes. All employees at Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare are actively engaged in preventing Hospital Acquired Infections, and over the past two years have achieved substantial decreases in hospital acquired Clostridium difficile infections and Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections,” said Gail Sonnenberg, Lead Infection Control Practitioner, SHC - VC.
The portable Xenex system disinfects a typical patient or procedure room in five-minute cycles without warm-up or cool-down times. Operated by the hospital environmental services team, it can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility, including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, contact precaution areas, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.
“We continue to identify opportunities to improve processes that will enhance our ability to provide safe patient care. Xenex is one of the many tools utilized to help assure that we provide the safest possible environment for our patients,” said Tracey Lewis-Taylor, COO, SHC – VC.
Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare
ValleyCare Health System has provided high quality, not-for-profit health care to the Tri-Valley and surrounding communities since 1961. In 2015, ValleyCare and Stanford Health Care partnered to become Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare. Through highly skilled physicians, nurses and staff, and state-of-the-art technology, Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare offers a wide range of health care services at its Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin medical facilities. Visit www.valleycare.com.
Xenex Disinfection Services
Xenex's patented Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex’s mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. Visit www.xenex.com.
