(Reporter Hsuan-che Chang / Taichung) As the novel coronavirus pandemic spreads, preventive measures have been taken in countries around the world. Four months ago, Tung’s Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital introduced the country's only "UVD Robot" from Denmark to conduct clinical tests. The germ extermination efficiency of the "Autonomous Mobile Disinfection Program," which was developed by human-machine collaboration, has been tested and found that the cultured bacteria detection rate in operating rooms and intensive care units can be reduced by more than 70% after their being disinfected by the robot. In addition, 99.99% of coronavirus is killed. In the period of pandemic controls, it has received much attention. Other hospitals are already interested in following in Tung's footsteps.

In the past, in addition to manual wiping and disinfection, hospitals would use "stationary UV disinfection machines" to disinfect through the accumulation of UV light to destroy the genetic bonds in germs and inhibit their activity. Chao-hsin Wu, vice president of Tung’s Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital, said that the energy accumulation effectiveness of stationary UV disinfection machines could easily be affected by the increase of distance. Tung’s Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital has been cooperating with Unison Healthcare Group after learning of their introduction of a $4.5 million intelligent driving UV disinfection robot. Through the human-machine planning of the path, it can move independently, addressing the weakness of stationary disinfection (the ineffective coverage of UV energy). A 4-month clinical trial was conducted in the operating room and intensive care unit of the hospital.

Chih-chuan Kao, the director of the Infectious Disease Division of Tung’s Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital said that the hospital placed energy patches on the anaesthetic machine, electrosurgical instrument, and the head and tail of the hospital bed in the operating room, and exposed them to 14 minutes of autonomous moving ultraviolet light. It was found that the accumulation of UV rays could reach 1000 (J/m2), which could destroy the gene bonds of germs. For example, Candida albicans (920J/m2) and coronaviruses (84J/m2) were all disinfected with a 99.99% effectiveness. The bacterial culture detection rate was reduced by 77%, and the disinfection detection rate in the ICU was also reduced by 83.5% after the same amount of time.

The research results of the clinical collaboration with Tung’s Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital are really encouraging at a time when the pandemic is on the verge of entering an intense phase in various countries," said Unison Healthcare Group. In the face of the high infectivity of this year's COVID-19, the "UVD Robot" is, first of all, "highly efficient and mobile", and it is currently the only self-driving mobile robot on the market. The built-in lithium battery, that can be charged, makes it easier to move about. One charge can last for a 120-minute disinfection trip can disinfect eight to-ten wards. The yield of its UV lamp equipment is five times higher than that of those on the market. Secondly, the "custom path planning through human-machine collaboration" allows the disinfection robot to move and stay dynamically by path setting. In addition to effectively removing the limitations of stationary machines, the dynamic light source can maximize the UVC exposure coverage and achieve disinfection purposes effectively.

Source: Liberty Times UV disinfection robot "drives itself around" and kills 99.99% of viruses in 14 minutes