Mayo Health Clinic utilizing disinfecting robots to destroy deadly germs


LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) — Concerns over spreading germs or viruses like the flu have hit an all time high in health care buildings.

Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse depends on two robots to clean and disinfect their rooms. Mayo’s environmental services team began testing the machines in 2018. They’ve been tweaking the location of the robots within rooms to attain higher and faster results of cleaning.

“Sometimes, we have to adjust the machine three or four times, so over the last year, we’ve been trying to find the right spot in most typical rooms, so we can go right to it,” said Daniel Bagniewski, Director of Environmental Services at Mayo Health Clinic System-Southwest Wisconsin Region.

The health care provider showcased these remote controlled machines which use UV lights to disinfect areas that humans might miss. Sensors detect where germs live within the room. The robots are aiming to kill specific, deadly germs like Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and MRSA.

“When my environmental services staff do a discharge, we’re under pressure to get that room cleaned, disinfected, and get to the next patient, so when we’re doing a possible C. diff room, there could be that extra anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour,” said Bagniewski.

It takes the robots anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes to disinfect a room. These machines have performed 5,700 cycles for Mayo Health in La Crosse.



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