St. Cloud Surgical Center 1st ASC with Xenex germ-zap robot — 5 things to know

Laura Dyrda -

St. Cloud Surgical Center is the first ambulatory surgery center in the United States to use the Xenex germ-zapping robot to disinfect operating rooms.

"We decided to use the Xenex robot because we want to provide patients with the highest level of safety and environmental cleanliness during Dr Nessler and robotsurgical procedures at St. Cloud Surgical Center," said Joseph P. Nessler, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and partner at the center.

Here are five quick facts on the technology:

1. Xenex is designed for portability to use in surgical suites daily after terminal operating room cleaning.

2. The robot takes five to 10 minutes to disinfect the rooms before and after total joint procedures, as well as other procedures involving patients who have had a dangerous infection.

3. Xenex is designed to pulse xenon, an inert gas, at high intensity in a xenon ultraviolet flashmap. The technology produces a broad spectrum ultraviolet C, which penetrates microorganism cell walls. Then the DNA is fused so the cells are unable to reproduce or mutate, which kills them on the surface and in the air without chemicals or contact.

4. St. Cloud is now using Xenex's full-spectrum UV disinfection system.

5. The system is scientifically proven to reduce major microorganism classes, including Clostridium difficile, noroirus, influenza and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

"We clean the rooms with traditional cleaning methods, but there are always nooks and crannies that are hard to reach," said OR Team Leader at St. Cloud Surgical Center Julie Tonsager. "And, the germs are getting tougher and so it was important for us to take the battle against infections to the next level to ensure our patients receive the best care, and the Xenex robot allows us to do just that."

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