Hospital Study Demonstrates Efficacy of Germicidal Ultraviolet Light

VIGILAIR Systems, a manufacturer of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology, was instrumental in a newly published hospital study that demonstrated a dramatic reduction in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) with the application of VIGILAIR® air cleaning technology in a neonatal intensive care Unit (NICU).

The paper, 'Effect of enhanced ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in the heating ventilation and air conditioning system on ventilator associated pneumonia in a neonatal intensive care unit,' appears in the April 2011 online edition of Journal of Perinatology. The study was conducted by attending physicians in the NICU of Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, a university-affiliated regional perinatal center. This work was supported in part by a grant from the NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology in Biomedical and Bioengineering by the Department of Pediatrics SUNY at Buffalo.

Results demonstrated a reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by 50 percent in the most high-risk population; NICU surface contamination reduction greater than 99.99 percent; tracheal microbial colonization reduction by 45 percent; antibiotic usage reduction by 62 percent; and an estimated annual clinical savings of greater than $500,000.

The air purification equipment, referred to as Enhanced Ultra Violet Germicidal Irradiation (e-UVGI), also known as a Pathogen Control System (PCS), was supplied by VIGILAIR Systems.

"This is, to our knowledge, the first published study of its kind," says Peter Bjorkman, president of VIGILAIR Systems, Inc. "The results show clearly how important the HVAC system is as a contamination source in sensitive environments like hospitals. The findings in this study correspond well with other studies VIGILAIR has been involved in at other hospitals."

The company's PCS equipment is designed and manufactured for installation within existing hospital heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units. The PCS integrates standard UVGI emitters with MERV15 air filters in such a manner as to predictably destroy harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi at a pre-determined efficiency within a given HVAC's air-stream.

VIGILAIR Systems provides UVGI technology for HVAC surface and air disinfection, as well as sanitization systems for packaging material to the food and beverage industry.

The Department of Homeland Security has listed VIGILAIR's Biodefense (BD) System as Qualified Anti-terrorism Technology (QATT).