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Germ Zapping Robots are Helping to Keep Patients Safe

Germ zapping robots are used at El Camino Health's hospitals to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses through the use of ultraviolet (UV) light technology.

How It Works

The robot is placed in designated patient rooms and uses an incredibly powerful UV light to kill bacteria and viruses (such as MRSA and C. diff) on surfaces in the patient room. The cleaning process takes about five minutes and can reduce the risk of bacteria remaining on hard to clean surfaces such as the telephone and TV remote.

Why is it being used?

This cleaning process provides an extra layer of cleanliness to patient rooms to reduce bacteria and viruses from being spread.

Is it safe?

Yes. The UV light cannot penetrate doors, glass or plastic, so the light is contained in the room it is cleaning.

This is just one of the many ways we are working to keep our patients and community safe. Learn more about patient safety at our hospitals.

Updated March 2020. This article first appeared in the October 2015 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.

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