Germ-Slaying Robots Join Bon Secours Virginia Health System

Bon Secours Virginia Health System is one of only a few hospital systems in the state to add TRU-D SmartUVC™, a germ-eliminating UV disinfection robot, to its arsenal of preventive practices aimed at protecting patients from serious healthcare-associated infections. Six of the five-foot robots are now in use at several Bon Secours hospitals in Richmond, including three at St. Mary's Hospital, one at St. Francis Medical Center and one at Memorial Regional Medical Center, as well as one at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, Va.

TRU-D SmartUVC™ – short for Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfection – is the only portable UV disinfection system on the market that precisely measures reflected UVC emissions with Sensor360 to automatically calculate the pathogen-lethal UV dose required for properly disinfecting healthcare environments. It works by generating UV light energy that modifies the DNA structure of an infectious cell so that it cannot reproduce, and a cell that cannot reproduce cannot colonize and harm patients.

"The acquisition of this technology is simply another way that we're working to protect the integrity of our healthcare environment, and ultimately safeguard the well-being of every single patient who walks through our doors," says Khiet N. Trinh, MD, chief medical officer at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital. "TRU-D offers an important added line of defense that will ensure enhanced patient outcomes."

TRU-D allows hospitals to confidently clean and disinfect their patient environments, killing pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff.), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Studies have shown that traditional disinfection methods are only 50 percent effective, leaving pathogens behind to lurk. TRU-D eliminates the possibility of human error and makes the hospital safer for patients and employees.

"With rising issues around healthcare-associated infections, hospitals that provide an extra level of care for patients by disinfecting rooms with TRU-D are not only protecting patients' well-being, but also ensuring that patients aren't being held financially responsible for things like preventable hospital-acquired infections," says Chuck Dunn, president of TRU-D LLC. "TRU-D can achieve 99.99 percent disinfection of all viruses and bacteria. It takes the guesswork out of previous protocols and ensures confidence in clinicians and patients alike."

Here's how it works: After a hospital staff member cleans the room using traditional methods, TRU-D is rolled into the room to "finish the job." The robot is operated remotely and features iTRU-D, an application that tracks infection control data and simultaneously uploads the information to the hospital's web portal. Setup is quick and easy and does not require input of room measurements or covering of windows and vents. The system can disinfect an entire room – including shadowed spaces – from one location, eliminating the need to move it to multiple places in the room. Its patented Sensor360 technology analyzes the unique variables of the room and floods the space (both line-of-site and shadowed spaces) with the proper dose of UV light energy. TRU-D spends whatever time is necessary to eliminate infectious germs from contaminated surfaces before shutting down and audibly notifying the operator that disinfection is complete.

"The addition of TRU-D to our infection prevention team allows us to not only make sure our hospitals are germ-free for our patients, but also for our dedicated health care personnel who work daily in these settings," says Trinh. "We are committed to creating and maintaining a safe healthcare environment, and we are investing in the most progressive infection prevention technologies to do so."

Source: TRU-D LLC