Understanding Warts and Moles: Differences, Types, and Common Locations
White paper disinfection of mobile devices
1. DISINFECTING MOBILE DEVICES FOR
USE IN A HEALTHCARE SETTING
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DECEMBER 2015
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White Paper:
By: Alyssa J. Liu
8th
December 2015
DISINFECTING MOBILE DEVICES
FOR USE IN A HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
Strategic Initiatives for Reducing Healthcare-Associated
Infections through mobile devices
Abstract
The use of mobile technology is expected to have a profound impact on how care is delivered, the
quality of patient experience and the cost of healthcare in general. Therefore, the quantity of
mobile devices being used in healthcare environments is expanding significantly every year. Use
of smartphones and tablets in the healthcare settings is rapidly expanding and contributing to
improved healthcare and reduced costs around the globe. But this introduction of new technology
into clinically sensitive areas creates the risk of passing along bacterial contamination throughout
a hospital.
The present study was aimed to design a simple model to test efficacy of germicidal Ultraviolet
light (UV-C) used inside ChargeMax as a charging cabinet designed for smartphones and tablets
and made by Cetrix Technologies.
The challenge:
Healthcare-acquired infections are among leading causes of death in the USA and around the
world. These infections affect more than 25 percent of admitted patients in developing countries.
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There are an estimated 35 million admissions to acute care facilities annually, (1)
with 1.7 million
patients being affected by a secondary healthcare-associated infection, (2)
and 99,000 associated
deaths.(2)
Thirty-two percent of the infections originate from the urinary tract; 22% of the
infections are a result of surgery; 15% of the infections are pneumonia; and 14% are bloodstream
infections (fig. 1)
(2)
HAI medical costs range from $28.4 to $45 billion dollars annually; infection
prevention interventions can result in savings of $5.7 to $31.5 billion dollars annually.(3)
Fig. 1: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) reported at acute care facilities annually.2
The potential to spread deadly pathogens through cross-contamination is increasing as the advent
of electronic medical records requires greater use of tablets and mobile technology. Using mobile
devices in clinically sensitive areas may bring along the risk of transmitting microorganisms to
immunocompromised patients.
The surface of these mobile devices is one of the top vectors for cross-contamination and the
combination of constant handling and the heat generated by these devices create a prime breeding
ground for all sorts of microorganisms.
However, disinfection of these devices has always been a challenge and infection control
practitioners have failed to create protocols to address practical procedures for disinfecting tablets
and smartphones; because not only exposing these mobile devices to bleach, hydrogen peroxide,
and quaternary ammonium will potentially damage the devices and void the manufacturer
warranty, but furthermore some research has shown that bacteria do have some capacity to resist
an attack by bleach and regular use of disinfectants has prompted some speculation on the
development of microbial resistance. (4)
Unlike their resilient response to chemical disinfectants, microorganisms are unable to develop
UV-C resistance.
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The Solution:
ChargeMax series has been designed not only to charge tablets and smartphones but also to
disinfect them. ChargeMax is equipped with the germicidal properties of Ultraviolet light (UV-C)
to automatically disinfect devices inside its charging cabinet. The dividers inside the cabinet are
designed to allow maximum exposure of UV-C light to all surfaces inside the cabinet. The
duration of UV-C light can be setup between 1-5 minutes with the digital timer for optimum
effectiveness. Furthermore, this digital timer allows user to setup the start time and duration of
charging for costs and energy saving and to prolong the lifecycle of batteries.
The smart combination of controlled charging and UV-C disinfection technology in ChargeMax
permits the infection control practitioners in hospitals to record and systematically monitor
disinfection schedules of all devices within the premises by ensuring devices would be charged in
certain locations and with ChargeMax only while they are disinfected regularly.
Therefore, ChargeMax is the solution to the disinfection problem of mobile devices in a clinical
environment.
How does it work?
The short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) penetrates effectively the cell walls of
microorganisms and disrupts their DNA structure, causing irreversible damage. After the DNA
chain is effectively disrupted by UV-C light the microbes can't reproduce, and die. UV-C leaves
no traces on the actual disinfected objects, so it is a completely safe, ecological and an efficient
mean of disinfection.
With UV-C technology it is possible to destroy a majority of pathogens within seconds, without
addition of chemicals, without harmful side effects. UV-C has proven to be highly efficient and
absolutely reliable. Absence of any residual effect is the greatest advantage of UV-C disinfection.
Fig. 2: The UV-C radiation inactivates microbes by damaging their DNA.
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Efficacy:
The medical sector was the first to endorse germicidal effect of UV-C lights (5)
and it has been
used traditionally to disinfect operation theaters in hospitals. (6, 7)
In studies, Ultraviolet germicidal light (UV-C) has been shown to kill more than 300 different
germs, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungi, and yeast.
UV-C light eliminates E.coli, MRSA, H1N1, SARS, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and many other
pathogenic microorganisms that can be found all around and in most common places.
Methods:
To evaluate the efficacy of UV-C disinfection inside ChargeMax, a simple experimental model
was designed and conducted. This test was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of direct and
indirect UV-C light exposure on bacterial contaminated surfaces of Tablet PCs placed inside
ChargeMax cabinet.
The procedure was followed as below:
i. 4 Tablet PCs were selected and labeled No. 1 to 4.
ii. The Tablets were contaminated with bacterial sampling taken from 5 different locations
including door handle, computer keyboard, shelf, wheelchair handle, and area around
bathroom sink. The Tablets were contaminated in sequence (No. 1 to 4) to ensure the first
devices would be more effected by bacterial contamination.
iii. Then the first 3 Tablets (No. 1, 2 and 3) were placed inside the ChargeMax (Model CT-
30B) and the fourth Tablet (No. 4) was kept outside in normal condition.
iv. The UV-C light was activated for 1 minute to sterilize the 3 Tablets inside the
ChargeMax.
v. Then separate sample swabbing was collected from surfaces of each of the 4 Tablets and
introduced to 4 separate petri dishes prepared with a layer of Tryptic Soy Agar and labeled
(No. 1 to 4) to represent each of the 4 Tablets.
vi. The 4 petri dishes were kept in a warm and dark place for 48 hours to allow bacterial
growth.
vii. The results found after this period was that the bacterial growth was only visible in petri
dish No. 4 representing Tablet No. 4 which was not disinfected by the ChargeMax; while
there was no trace of bacteria on petri dishes No. 1, 2 and 3 related to the 3 Tablets that
were disinfected inside the ChargeMax.
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Fig. 3: The bacterial growth is visible only in petri dish No. 4 which was kept out of the ChargeMax.
Conclusions:
The ChargeMax with its UV-C light is a novel, automated, and efficient disinfection technology
that significantly reduces the risk of bacterial contamination and proven to be very efficient in
killing bacteria that can be found on commonly touched surfaces in hospitals, schools, offices,
restaurants, hotels and home.
REFERENCES
1. Sexton JD, Tanner BH, Maxwell SL, et al. Reduction in the microbial load on high-touch surfaces in
hospital rooms by treatment with a portable saturated steam vapor disinfection system. Am J Infect Control
2011;39:655-62.
2. Klevens RM, Edwards JR, Richards C, et al. Estimating Health Care-Associated Infections and Deaths in
U.S. Hospitals, 2002. Public Health Rep 2007;122:160-166
3. Scott RD. The direct medical costs of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and the benefits of
prevention. www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/hai/Scott_CostPaper.pdf
4. Gerald McDonnell and A. Denver Russell. Antiseptics and Disinfectants: Activity, Action, and Resistance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88911/
5. CPM. Acceptance of ultraviolet lamps for disinfection: Present status report of council on physical
medicine. JAMA 1948; 137:1600-3.
6. Hart D. Bactericidal ultraviolet radiation in operating room. JAMA 1960a; 172:1019-28.
7. Hart D. Operating Room Infections, Editorial: Bactericidal ultraviolet Radiation in the operating room.
JAMA 1960b; 172:1046-7.