Vidant Edgecombe Hospital recently added a Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot™ to their work processes to destroy deadly pathogens and bacteria lurking on hospital surfaces that can cause hospital acquired infections. 

The Xenex robot uses Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly destroy harmful 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.

“We want to do everything within our means to provide a clean environment at our facility to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections,” said Wick Baker, President of Vidant Edgecombe Hospital. “One hospital acquired infection is one too many, so we are excited to begin using the Xenex system to help us achieve our goal of zero infections. This investment is important and underscores our commitment to patient care and the communities we serve.” 

The Xenex Full Spectrum™ UV room disinfection system works by pulsing xenon, an inert gas, at a high intensity in a xenon ultraviolet flashlamp. This produces intense ultraviolet C (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 without contact or chemicals.

Capable of disinfecting 30-60 rooms per day, the portable Xenex system can disinfect a typical patient or procedure room in four minute cycles without warm-up or cool-down times. Operated by a member of the hospital’s Environmental Services (EVS) team, the robot is wheeled into the room after it has been thoroughly cleaned. 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. Vidant Edgecombe has deployed “JoAnn” to disinfect its Operating Rooms, Intensive Care Units (ICU) and isolation discharges.

“Vidant Edgecombe Hospital acquiring this technology here as an extra step in our disinfection process speaks volumes to their commitment to patients and to the communities we serve,” said Chris Avant, Manager of Environmental Services at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital. “We are happy to have ‘JoAnn’ as a new member of our team.”

The Xenex system has been credited by multiple health care facilities across the U.S. for helping them reduce their infection rates significantly. Several hospitals have published their infection rate reduction studies in peer-reviewed journals - showing infection rate reductions in excess of 70 percent. More than 300 hospitals, Veterans Affairs and DoD facilities in the U.S., Canada, Africa and Europe are using Xenex robots, which are also in use in skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and long term acute care facilities.