Photo courtesy Xenex Disinfection Services

Rose Medical Center recently became the first hospital in Colorado to install the Xenex Disenfection System – a germ-zapping robot that finds and kills bugs in hard-to-clean places.

The Xenex disinfection device uses xenon ultraviolet (UV-C) light to destroy harmful bacteria, fungi and bacterial spores. It disinfects rooms by pulsing light over the services where germs reside. This technique can destroy all major classes of microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections.

The machine operates on its own once it's been set up. As a precaution against its intense lights, its motion sensor shuts off the machine if someone enters the room it's in.

"There is a lot we can do with hospital-grade germicides and bleach to sterilize surfaces, but there are always nooks and crannies that are hard to reach," said Lynne Wagner, Chief Nursing Officer at Rose Medical Center. "Some bugs like C. diff are even showing resistance to chemical disinfectants. That's why it was crucial for us to take this battle against hospital-acquired infections to the next level."