Rooms that are free of pathogens are vital for a hospital and the patients who stay there. Disinfecting patient and operating rooms is hard work. This was emphasized even more during the corona pandemic. During that period, the development of other solutions, such as the disinfection robot, also received more attention.
Besides the fact that cleaning is a labour-intensive job – pathogens can literally hide in every nook and cranny – it is also risky work. It is precisely the cleaners who run the risk of becoming ill themselves more quickly.
Disinfection robot SAM
From this month on, a new colleague will accompany the cleaners at the CWZ, or rather drive. Disinfection robot SAM has the task of disinfecting patient rooms. The robot will not replace the existing cleaners, but will support them by taking the heavy work off your hands.
From now on, the cleaners in the patient rooms only have to remove the dust and dirt. Then robot SAM drives in. First to map the room by means of a scan so that he knows exactly what needs to be disinfected. SAM then disinfects the room fully automatically. Strong UV-C light is used for this. The robot needs about 15 minutes per room.
UV-C light destroys germs
UV-C light destroys the hereditary material, called DNA/RNA, of micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses. That means that the harmful material cannot multiply. This also reduces the chance of an outbreak of an infection.
“Working with the robot is not only important in the fight against hospital infections, but also makes the work for the cleaning staff more attractive and less stressful. With SAM as a colleague, they no longer have to work with very strong chemical agents, which is healthier for people and the environment,” says John Verberne, facility manager.
The disinfection robot was developed by the Dutch Loop Robots, a spin-off of a Delft robotics company founded in 2020. In that initial period, the goal was to combine a robot with UVC radiation to help hospitals in the fight against Covid-19.
The startup managed to secure an initial investment of two million dollars last year. This has accelerated the development and practical testing of SAM.
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