Vancouver General Hospital is adding a lean, mean germ killing machine to its housekeeping team.
The facility will be the first in Canada to use a superbug-slaying robot, dubbed Tru-D SmartUVC, or “Trudi,” to sweep surfaces for deadly bacteria using UV light.
The pilot project, which is slated to run for the next few months, costs $52,000.
The 5’5-tall machines uses measured doses of ultraviolet (UV) light to kill germs and viruses, such as norovirus, influenza, C. difficile and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Microbiologist Dr. Elizabeth Bryce says the facility is always looking for new and improved ways to keep its patients safe from superbugs.
“This is shaping up to be a worse than average season for norovirus and the flu, and using UV light disinfection devices could allow us to help contain outbreaks in our facilities.”
A second UV light disinfectant machine, PulseRx, will also be piloted. If either machine is deemed to be successful in reducing the spread of infection at VGH, the hospital will consider how best to implement the robots.
