Spring Valley Hospital, part of The Valley Health System, recently unveiled its $1.8 million hybrid cardiac operating suite. The 930-square foot suite is used for advanced procedures like thoracic aneurysm repairs, minimally invasive heart surgeries and cardiac catheterizations. Within the suite, Indigo-Clean™ disinfectant light fixtures were installed to help proactively kill bacteria, thus reducing the risk of infections.

"We designed our new hybrid cardiac operating suite with our patients and community in mind," said Leonard Freehof, CEO/Managing Director, Spring Valley Hospital. "Providing high-quality patient care, while maintaining a safe, clean environment for our patients is our number one priority. Knowing Indigo-Clean™ is a proven disinfectant technology, we felt it was important to partner Indigo-Clean with our current cleaning protocols within our new hybrid cardiac suite."

Indigo-Clean fixtures use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to generate visible white light that also contains a narrow spectrum of indigo colored light. This indigo color uses a wavelength of 405 nanometers (nm) to automatically, safely and continuously disinfect the air, hard and soft surfaces. The 405nm light is absorbed by molecules within bacteria, producing a chemical reaction that kills the bacteria from the inside as if common household bleach has been released within the bacterial cells. When the OR is not being used, the lights can be switched to an Indigo-only mode, providing a higher degree of safe disinfection. 

Freehof also noted, "We appreciate the ease of use of Indigo-Clean. Because the system is automated, safe and continuous, it doesn't require a person to operate it which reduces risk of human error, and there is no room downtime which is important in a busy operating room."

"Other disinfecting technologies are currently available to hospitals and health systems, but are optimized for daily or on-demand applications," said Cliff Yahnke, Ph.D., Kenall's Director of Clinical Affairs for Indigo-Clean. "Hospital staff needs to be trained to operate the technology, increasing cost and creating potential compliance issues which can easily undermine their benefits. Indigo-Clean uses visible light to automatically, continuously, and safely disinfect the environment 24/7 without the need for additional training or staff."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, around 1 in every 25 U.S. hospital patients contracts an infection in a healthcare setting. A CDC survey estimates that 75,000 hospital patients with hospital-acquired infections died during their hospitalization in 2011, and nearly one fourth (157,500 patients) developed infections from surgeries. Increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is estimated to kill up to 99,000 Americans and infect another 1.7 million each year.

"Surgical Site Infections are the most costly form of healthcare-acquired infection and providers are placing a renewed focus on improving cleanliness in the OR as part of a comprehensive bundle," said Yahnke. "We are pleased The Valley Health System experienced the ease of use and the effectiveness of Indigo-Clean at the System's newest hospital, Henderson Hospital, and chose to invest in the innovative technology at Spring Valley Hospital. Their commitment to patient safety is commendable; Indigo-Clean is proud to be a partner in their efforts."