UVD Robots Joins Ecolab to Fight Hospital Acquired Infections

As new coronavirus variants continue to mutate and spread, the growth in demand for infection prevention solutions using UV-C light is projected to reach $18.94 billion by 2030, witnessing an annual growth rate of 59.7% from 2021 to 2030.

Further fueling the demand is the rise in hospital acquired infections (HAIs) that globally cause more fatalities due to the increase in antibiotic resistance from even simple infections. At least 20% of HAIs are considered avoidable through better infection prevention practices in healthcare settings.

Autonomous UV-C disinfection robots have emerged as a solution to supplement standard cleaning and disinfection practices to address both HAIs and heightened hygiene requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UVD Robot is a mobile, fully autonomous robot that uses UV-C light to kill viruses and bacteria, providing a supplemental infection control and prevention solution.

Ecolab has expanded it`s global portfolio - now including UVD Robots

As a global leader in infection prevention solutions and services, Ecolab is driven to help health systems and hospitals improve patient outcomes and realize clinical, operational and financial value through a programmatic approach to ensure staff and facility hygiene. Ecolab has expanded its global portfolio of infection prevention solutions to include UVD Robots, in its offerings for healthcare customers, including care hospitals, in-patient and out-patient clinics, ambulatory surgical facilities, and rehabilitation clinics and other care facilities.

Per Juul Nielsen, CEO at UVD Robots, sees the new collaboration with Ecolab as a tremendous validation of the efficiency of UVD Robots’ autonomous solution. “We are thrilled that this collaboration is now expanded to benefit healthcare facilities on a wider global scale,” he says, adding that, as an example, UVD Robots’ state-of-the-art germicidal UV-C disinfection technology can treat an operating theater, depending on area size, in about eight to fifteen minutes. 

Disinfecting hospitals with UV-C lights is not a new concept, however, existing solutions including UV ceiling lights and air purifiers may not reach shadowed or remote areas as well as the mobile platform offered by UVD Robots. Claus Risager, Chairman of the Board of UVD Robots and CEO at Blue Ocean Robotics, says that Ecolab further cements its industry lead by integrating the fully autonomous UVD Robots in the cleaning process for healthcare customers.

“The UVD Robot solves the challenges of repositioning and minimizes shadowing which have previously hindered the comprehensive application of UV-C disinfection, while providing 24/7 access to real-time compliance and efficacy reports of the disinfection procedures,” Risager says, adding that the UVD Robots are one-of-a-kind and truly unique UV-C disinfection robots when it comes to safety, ease-of-use workflow integration, autonomy features as well the intelligence of the system, enabling operators to fully control the quality and performance of the disinfection process.

The autonomous nature of the robots also reduces process time, freeing up hospital personnel from physically having to move the system around, turning it on and off in between new positions compared to stationary technologies. In addition, the robot’s constant movements reduce the possibility of UV-C overdose which can lead to material degradation such as yellowing and cracking on equipment which also poses an additional infection risk.