St. David's South first in Austin to use germ zapping robot

The Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot disinfects and eliminates hard-to-kill superbugs in hard-to-clean places and St. David’s South Austin Medical Center has become the first hospital in Austin to use it.

According to a press release, the system works by pulsing xenon, an inert gas, at a high intensity in a xenon ultraviolet flashlamp. This produces UVC light which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores. Their DNA is instantly fused so that they are unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces without contact or chemicals.

The portable Xenex system can disinfect a typical patient or procedure room in five to ten minutes. It can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.

St. David’s South says the robot is used after standard cleaning procedures.

MD Anderson in Houston along with several other hospitals across the country also have the Xenex robot