21.10.2024
Jana Unterrainer
Researchers have developed a device that uses special light beams to independently disinfect floors in risk areas
Robots now vacuum and mop in many offices and homes. Things are different at the moment hospitals: Although robots would be practical there too, cleaning operating rooms and intensive care units is more demanding. “In the hospital you see teams traveling around with carts and cloths, cleaning and disinfecting,” explains the food and biotechnologist Gabriele Ettenberger-Bornberg.
Proper disinfection is crucial in healthcare facilities – otherwise dangerous microorganisms and viruses spread quickly. In the worst case scenario, this can be fatal. As a rule, highly effective disinfectants are used.
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Small robot for hospital disinfection
Researchers at the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology (OFI)an institute of the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR), have now developed a new type of robot that disinfects floors in healthcare facilities just as thoroughly as human cleaners. Similar devices have been around for some time. However, these often work together UV lightwhich is produced by a large mercury lamp. These robots are big and bulky.
“We, on the other hand, work together UV-LED and can therefore also drive our device under beds,” explains Ettenberger-Bornberg, who led the “RobiDES” project and who was recently awarded the ACR’s Woman Award. In contrast to ordinary UV lamps, UV LED lamps can be miniaturized.
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Germs in the hospital
There are a large number of germs in medical facilities that pose a risk of infection. These include bacteria such as MRSA, E. coli and enterococci. This also includes noroviruses and coronaviruses. Mold and yeast such as Candida albicans, a fungus that often affects people’s mouths, genitals and skin, are also dangerous.
4.500-5.000 Tote
occurs every year in Austria due to bacterial infections with hospital germs. Many deaths could be prevented through better hygiene measures. A total of 95,000 people in this country become infected with dangerous pathogens every year.
UV-LED (ultraviolet light-emitting diodes)
Such light sources emit UV light below the visible light spectrum. In contrast to standard UV lamps, it is a semiconductor technology that uses electrical voltage instead of gas.
UV LED penetrates the DNA
Another advantage of these lamps, in addition to their smaller size, is that they Light rays with different wavelengths can emit and thus have a broader spectrum of effectiveness. “UV LED can penetrate the DNA and, for example, render bacteria harmless through the energy input,” says the researcher.
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Apart from the lamp, the robot can also work with conventional ones disinfectants be filled. The robot spreads this chemistry on the floor with a cloth and uses it to specifically combat germs.
It works autonomously on its disinfection trips. Like a vacuum cleaner robot, it can save floor plans of rooms and move through them in precise paths. It uses sensors to detect obstacles and avoid them. The device comes with a Battery operated and charges itself in a charging station. Chemical agents currently have to be refilled manually, but we are working on automatic filling. In UV LED mode, however, no agent needs to be refilled.
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Field test in a nursing home
“Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. When working with UV LEDs, the robot moves very slowly so that sufficient energy is generated. It’s faster with disinfectant, but you have to refill it,” said the researcher. A field test in a nursing home showed that the device disinfects as thoroughly as a human cleaner. In addition, a program allows you to see exactly where the robot has disinfected. This is an advantage in the healthcare sector because the documentation is easy Quality assurance helps.
The OFI researchers worked on the disinfection robot for a long time.
The robot not only does annoying work, but can also be used in dangerous conditions. The idea for this came about during the Corona-Pandemic: “That’s when everyone is Cleaning teams ran away because they were afraid to go into the rooms. We therefore thought about how we could support them,” explains the researcher. She sees robots as a possible upgrade of the cleaning profession. “It’s hard work, many complain about back pain. Instead, they could look after the devices,” she says.
The project, funded by the research funding agency FFG with funds from the Ministry of Economics BMAW, will be completed at the end of October. Partners should Prototypes then develop it further to market maturity.
* This series is published editorially independently with financial support from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs.
Large disinfection robot from Xenex.
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In recent years, a lot has happened not only in robotic household helpers, but also in hospitals, laboratories and doctor’s offices. When it comes to disinfection devices, manufacturers use different functions. There are devices that use light beams to kill germs, while others spray chemical agents onto surfaces and devices.
The US manufacturer Xenex, for example, uses so-called pulsed xenon UV light for its LightStrike robot, which uses light to combat germs such as C. difficile, which cause diarrhea, particularly efficiently. Ocean Robotics’ Danish UVD robot kills organisms with UV-C light. In addition to medical facilities, it has also been spotted at airports and shopping centers.
The German Fraunhofer Institute has, in turn, developed a modular robot that can switch between different types of disinfection. He wipes, sprays and irradiates with UV light. Using sensors, the device can even detect how dirty something is and adjust the cleaning performance accordingly.
Robots for disinfection are currently used primarily in the USA and Asian countries such as South Korea and China. But they can also be found sporadically in this country – for example in the St. Vinzenz Hospital in the Tyrolean town of Zams, where a UV-C robot disinfects rooms.
