A piece of medical technology developed by the Valencia-based UVDI that provides advanced ultraviolet air and surface disinfection for hospitals, airports, office buildings and public spaces has received recognition from the Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Established in 2002, WDGMC is a private teaching hospital. After a recent study, the hospital announced this month that for the first time, using the UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer, ultraviolet room decontamination technology paired with manual cleaning protocols decreased the transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales by 23% in a hospital setting. According to the hospital’s studies and 35 individual independent laboratory tests, UVDI’s room sanitizer has the ability to eliminate up to 99.99% of key microorganisms in just five minutes from 8 feet away, and SARS-CoV-2 from 12 feet away.
“Our team’s study indicated that enhanced environmental hygiene utilizing UV room decontamination technology in the hospital can help prevent the transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, an especially challenging set of multidrug-resistant organisms,” said WDGMC lead investigator Dr. Warren Lowman, a clinical microbiologist and infection prevention and control specialist.
According to a WDGMC report, UVDI’s UV room decontamination device was implemented in three usage scenarios, including terminal cleaning following patient discharge, terminal cleaning following patient transfer and, in a novel treatment, occupied rooms where the patient had an existing multidrug-resistant organism infection and was moved during device use. For each scenario, the report stated, the UV device was operated with five-minute treatment cycles, the number of which varied per room setting and size.
“This research underlines WDGMC’s steadfast commitment to patient and staff safety through the use of novel infection prevention protocols,” said Dr. Sue Tager, the hospital’s chief executive officer. “In the ongoing fight to prevent the transmission of superbugs, both in and beyond Africa, these results provide hope and concrete proof that effective solutions exist.”
According to Will Gerard, director of global marketing and product strategy for UVDI, Lowman’s is the 14th independent study that’s been conducted using the UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer. The independently achieved results — from design to the study publication — are a testament, Gerard said, to Lowman and the entire team at WDGMC for their commitment to enhanced environmental hygiene.
Independent proof, the statement continued, is part of the reason the UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer is trusted by more than 1,100 hospitals globally, including Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia.
The biotechnology company UVDI, an acronym for UltraViolet Devices Inc., set up shop in Valencia in 1992. According to the company’s website, however, UVDI’s roots go back to Lou Veloz, who worked as an engineer for the Westinghouse Electric Corp. In 1949, Veloz purchased a Westinghouse UV lamp dealership in Southern California. He’d go on to form Aquafine Corp. to focus on water disinfection. Veloz’s son, Thomas, joined the company in 1962, and it was Thomas who’s credited for creating UVDI.
For more information about UVDI and their UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer, go to the company’s website at UVDI.com.
