RI-MUHC tests first UV-Disinfection robot in Canada

MONTREAL – The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is proud to announce it will complete the first evaluation of a UV-Disinfection robot in Canada. While UV-C is already known to kill microorganisms on surfaces and in the air, the novelty of this technology is the robotics, which allows it to be fully autonomous and mobile. The robot could potentially reduce healthcare-associated infections and their consequences, including health complications, deaths and extra costs.

“We ordered this robot as the COVID-19 pandemic was emerging in China and Europe, with the objective to be first to evaluate this technology in Canada. An automated system can potentially improve patient safety, as well as protect hospital personnel,” says Dr. Bruce Mazer (pictured), executive director and chief scientific officer (CSO) of the RI-MUHC (Interim). “The robot was delivered at the RI-MUHC on Monday April 27, and will be tested in one patient room and one operating room at the RI-MUHC Centre for Innovative Medicine at the Glen site. We will also take this opportunity to assess if it can be used to disinfect stretchers and N-95 masks.”

Gaining popularity in the world as the current COVID-19 pandemic develops, the robot is programmed to emit concentrated UV-C ultraviolet light onto infectious hotspots. According to the Danish manufacturer UVD Robots, the robot aims to prevent and reduce the spread of infectious diseases, vira, bacteria, and other types of harmful organic microorganisms in the environment by breaking down their DNA-structure.

“It is not new to disinfect with UV-C, but the combination of ultraviolet light and robotics makes this technology very interesting. The UV-Disinfection robot can autonomously drive around and position itself optimally in a relation to infection hotspots in any hospital setup. It can apparently achieve higher disinfection efficiency in less time compared to existing solutions. It’s definitely worth evaluating,” explained Rami Tohme, director of infrastructure and biomedical engineering at the RI-MUHC.

The technology assessment will determine the potential value of the UVD robot technology compared to existing technologies using safety, efficacy, and effectiveness criteria. It will also include a user interface and automation test to assess the mapping function, path planning and the autonomous capabilities of the robot at the MUHC Glen site.

According to the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, about 8,000 Canadians die from hospital-acquired infections each year; 220,000 others get infected. Healthcare-associated infections also result in significant extra costs for hospitals due to additional days of hospitalization and readmissions. Now, with the novel coronavirus situation, there is an increased interest in this technology. More than 40 hospitals purchased it worldwide.

About the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. The Institute, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) – an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, with a mandate to focus on complex care within its community. The RI-MUHC supports over 460 researchers and close to 1,300 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital sites of the MUHC. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at improving the health of individual patients across their lifespan. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS). Please visit rimuhc.ca.