EUREKA Robotics Centre deliver Robot to support infection, prevention and control measures
EUREKA Robotics Centre deliver Robot to support infection, prevention and control measures
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre has become the first hospital setting in the UK to accept delivery of a UV Disinfectant Robot from Cardiff School of Technologies at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
The UV Disinfectant Robot, that has been developed by EUREKA Robotics Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, has been designed to help healthcare environments benefit from robotics equipment by ensuring they deliver a service that enhances the work conducted by housekeeping teams.
As the only adult centre in Wales, the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre at University Hospital Llandough provides specialist Cystic Fibrosis care to patients across Wales and the borders.
Due to the vulnerability of the patients who utilise this service, it is of paramount importance that the environment in which they receive both in-patient and out-patient services are safe.
As a pilot project funded by Welsh Government to The EUREKA Robotics Centre, the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis team at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has become the first in the UK to introduce Healthcare Robotics as a Service into their setting. Forming the foundation of a long-term partnership with EUERKA Robotics Centre, the project will identify the ways in which robotics equipment can help the Centre enhance the work undertaken by valuable housekeeping teams to ensure maximum efficiency against infection, prevention and control measures for patients.
Dr Jamie Duckers, Consultant Physician/Project Lead and Lorraine Speight, Cystic Fibrosis Service Manager at All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, explained: “Patients with Cystic Fibrosis are particularly susceptible to infection and avoiding cross-infection and illnesses that may cause lung infections is extremely important. With this in mind, infection, prevention and control measures within our Centre are of maximum importance and our dedicated in-house housekeeping team deliver a fantastic service to offer patients reassurance.
“However, to continue to provide the most effective service possible, we have embarked on a partnership with EUREKA Robotics Centre to identify the ways in which their Healthcare Robotics as a Service (HRaaS) equipment can support the centre to do all it can to ensure patient safety and confidence.”
The UV disinfection robot has precise navigation using world-leading remote deployment technology, it has multi-machine co-ordination ability with automatic obstacle avoidance and can automatically navigate to designated locations indoors. Thus far, seven members of staff within the Cystic Fibrosis multidisciplinary team have received training in the use of the UV robot within the Cystic Fibrosis Centre.
Dr Esyin Chew, Director of the EUREKA Robotics Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: “At EUREKA, it is our vision to change perceptions of robots and show how robots can be used as a service enhancer. Our robots have not been designed to replace members of staff, but to enhance the work they are already doing in the space. The UV Disinfectant Robot will do this at the Cystic Fibrosis Centre by enabling healthcare staff to clean down rooms quickly and more efficiently to deliver maximum efficacy.”
The UV Disinfectant Robot is the first of two that the centre will expect to trial over the next few months.