In
March of 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the biggest Ebola
outbreak ever which is currently happening in Central Africa. The symptoms of
Ebola, such as fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches, begin two to
three weeks after infection. Soon enough, the virus will cause the liver and
the kidneys to lose function and the infected person to bleed internally and
externally. Although having an r naught value, a number indicating the amount
of people that a typical infected person will spread the infection to, of one
to two, which is lower than many other diseases such as measles, rubella,
mumps, and HIV/Aids, Ebola has managed to spread through Africa. As of October
10th 2014, there have been 8,376 suspected cases and 4,024 deaths
reported. This outbreak has sparked fear in Americans and led to a petition to
ban flights to and from the United States. In addition, although the demand for
a vaccine is high, there is no vaccine currently available. Thus, another
proposed solution has been made to combat the disease, the Xenex robots.
The ‘Xenex Germ-Zapping Robots’, developed by Xenex, help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as Ebola, MRSA and C.diff, in hospital rooms. Resembling compact refrigerators with cylindrical glass casings on top, the robots flash UV light to kill viruses and bacteria. To operate the robot, hospital workers put the machine in an empty hospital room, bring any additional bedding or equipment in need of disinfection into the room, program the machine to run through a cycle and leave the room for five to ten minutes. Within the first two minutes, the robot destroys the Ebola virus on the surfaces of the hospital equipment. Unlike other methods of UV light disinfection, such as the mercury vapor lamps, the Xenex robots use a broader range of the light spectrum which allow them to kill pathogens in four different ways, which are photohydration, pulling water molecules into the DNA to prevent its folding, photosplitting, breaking the backbone of the DNA, photodimerization, DNA damage that prevents replication, and photo crosslinking, cellular wall damage that causes cells to lyse, in other words die. In studies, the Xenex robots have seen a 30% to 62% reduction in MRSA and other bacterial contaminations at various hospitals. These trials have proven the Xenex robots to be highly effective in halting the spread of Ebola and other viruses.
While the Xenex robot is highly effective in term of getting rid of viruses and bacteria, there might be some problems or concerns in terms of the ethical use of the robots and their availability. Some may be concerned about whether the machines are harmful to humans if they were exposed to them while in use. The simple answer is yes, however the Xenex robots have sensors which can pick up on movement and body heat so that the robot doesn’t fire the pulses on humans. Whether those sensors may malfunction is another question entirely. Secondly, the price of the robots may make it difficult to combat diseases in poor countries. The Xenex robots currently cost about $100,000 to $110,000 which is a steep price tag. However, to combat Ebola in Africa, Xenex has offered a discount on the Xenex robots to African charities. As continuing efforts are made in terms of safety and availability, the robots could save hundreds or thousands of lives around the world.
The ‘Xenex Germ-Zapping Robots’, developed by Xenex, help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as Ebola, MRSA and C.diff, in hospital rooms. Resembling compact refrigerators with cylindrical glass casings on top, the robots flash UV light to kill viruses and bacteria. To operate the robot, hospital workers put the machine in an empty hospital room, bring any additional bedding or equipment in need of disinfection into the room, program the machine to run through a cycle and leave the room for five to ten minutes. Within the first two minutes, the robot destroys the Ebola virus on the surfaces of the hospital equipment. Unlike other methods of UV light disinfection, such as the mercury vapor lamps, the Xenex robots use a broader range of the light spectrum which allow them to kill pathogens in four different ways, which are photohydration, pulling water molecules into the DNA to prevent its folding, photosplitting, breaking the backbone of the DNA, photodimerization, DNA damage that prevents replication, and photo crosslinking, cellular wall damage that causes cells to lyse, in other words die. In studies, the Xenex robots have seen a 30% to 62% reduction in MRSA and other bacterial contaminations at various hospitals. These trials have proven the Xenex robots to be highly effective in halting the spread of Ebola and other viruses.
While the Xenex robot is highly effective in term of getting rid of viruses and bacteria, there might be some problems or concerns in terms of the ethical use of the robots and their availability. Some may be concerned about whether the machines are harmful to humans if they were exposed to them while in use. The simple answer is yes, however the Xenex robots have sensors which can pick up on movement and body heat so that the robot doesn’t fire the pulses on humans. Whether those sensors may malfunction is another question entirely. Secondly, the price of the robots may make it difficult to combat diseases in poor countries. The Xenex robots currently cost about $100,000 to $110,000 which is a steep price tag. However, to combat Ebola in Africa, Xenex has offered a discount on the Xenex robots to African charities. As continuing efforts are made in terms of safety and availability, the robots could save hundreds or thousands of lives around the world.
Sources:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/191619-ebola-killing-robots-now-being-used-in-us-hospitals
http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/this-entrepreneur-has-found-one-way-to-stop-ebola-in-its-tracks.html
http://www.xenex.com/how-pulsed-uv-light-disinfection-works/
http://www.intellihub.com/ultraviolet-light-robot-kills-ebola-two-minutes-doesnt-every-hospital-one/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease#2014_outbreak
http://www.xenex.com/how-pulsed-uv-light-disinfection-works/
http://www.intellihub.com/ultraviolet-light-robot-kills-ebola-two-minutes-doesnt-every-hospital-one/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease#2014_outbreak
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