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Introduction The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) techniques in disinfection of ICU rooms contaminated with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) after patient discharge. Secondary objectives included comparison of the efficiency of a vaporizator (HPV, Bioquell®) and an aerosolizer using H 2 O 2 , and peracetic acid (aHPP, Anios®) in MDRO environmental disinfection, and assessment of toxicity of these techniques. Methods This prospective cross-over study was conducted in five medical and surgical ICUs located in one University hospital, during a 12-week period. Routine terminal cleaning was followed by H 2 O 2 disinfection. A total of 24 environmental bacteriological samplings were collected per room, from eight frequently touched surfaces, at three time-points: after patient discharge (T0), after terminal cleaning (T1) and after H 2 O 2 disinfection (T2). Results In total 182 rooms were studied, including 89 (49%) disinfected with aHPP and 93 (51%) with HPV. At T0, 15/182 (8%) rooms were contaminated with at least 1 MDRO (extended spectrum β–lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacilli 50%, imipenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii 29%, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 17%, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to ceftazidime or imipenem 4%). Routine terminal cleaning reduced environmental bacterial load ( P <0.001) without efficiency on MDRO (15/182 (8%) rooms at T0 versus 11/182 (6%) at T1; P  = 0.371). H 2 O 2 technologies were efficient for environmental MDRO decontamination (6% of rooms contaminated with MDRO at T1 versus 0.5% at T2, P  = 0.004). Patient characteristics were similar in aHPP and HPV groups. No significant difference was found between aHPP and HPV regarding the rate of rooms contaminated with MDRO at T2 ( P  = 0.313). 42% of room occupants were MDRO carriers. The highest rate of rooms contaminated with MDRO was found in rooms where patients stayed for a longer period of time, and where a patient with MDRO was hospitalized. The residual concentration of H 2 O 2 appears to be higher using aHPP, compared with HPV. Conclusions H 2 O 2 treatment is efficient in reducing MDRO contaminated rooms in the ICU. No significant difference was found between aHPP and HPV regarding their disinfection efficiency.

Air-transmitted pathogens may cause severe epidemics showing huge threats to public health. Microbial inactivation in the air is essential, whereas the feasibility of existing air disinfection technologies meets challenges including only achieving physical separation but no inactivation, obvious pressure drops, and energy intensiveness. Here we report a rapid disinfection method toward air-transmitted bacteria and viruses using the nanowire-enhanced localized electric field to damage the outer structures of microbes. This air disinfection system is driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator that converts mechanical vibration to electricity effectively and achieves self-powered. Assisted by a rational design for the accelerated charging and trapping of microbes, this air disinfection system promotes microbial transport and achieves high performance: >99.99% microbial inactivation within 0.025 s in a fast airflow (2 m/s) while only causing low pressure drops (<24 Pa). This rapid, self-powered air disinfection method may fill the urgent need for air-transmitted microbial inactivation to protect public health. Air-transmitted pathogens are a recognized threat to public health. Here, the authors develop a self-powered, rapid disinfection method toward air-transmitted microbes using the localized electric field to damage the outer structures of microbes driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator.

The role of mobile robots for cleaning and sanitation purposes is increasing worldwide. Disinfection and hygiene are two integral parts of any safe indoor environment, and these factors become more critical in COVID-19-like pandemic situations. Door handles are highly sensitive contact points that are prone to be contamination. Automation of the door-handle cleaning task is not only important for ensuring safety, but also to improve efficiency. This work proposes an AI-enabled framework for automating cleaning tasks through a Human Support Robot (HSR). The overall cleaning process involves mobile base motion, door-handle detection, and control of the HSR manipulator for the completion of the cleaning tasks. The detection part exploits a deep-learning technique to classify the image space, and provides a set of coordinates for the robot. The cooperative control between the spraying and wiping is developed in the Robotic Operating System. The control module uses the information obtained from the detection module to generate a task/operational space for the robot, along with evaluating the desired position to actuate the manipulators. The complete strategy is validated through numerical simulations, and experiments on a Toyota HSR platform.

Prolonged survival of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on environmental surfaces and personal protective equipment may lead to these surfaces transmitting this pathogen to others. We sought to determine the effectiveness of a pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection system in reducing the load of SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces and N95 respirators. Chamber slides and N95 respirator material were directly inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 and were exposed to different durations of PX-UV. For hard surfaces, disinfection for 1, 2, and 5 minutes resulted in 3.53 log10, >4.54 log10, and >4.12 log10 reductions in viral load, respectively. For N95 respirators, disinfection for 5 minutes resulted in >4.79 log10 reduction in viral load. PX-UV significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces and N95 respirators. With the potential to rapidly disinfectant environmental surfaces and N95 respirators, PX-UV devices are a promising technology to reduce environmental and personal protective equipment bioburden and to enhance both healthcare worker and patient safety by reducing the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

The aim of this study was to establish the persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on inanimate surfaces such as plastic, stainless steel, and glass during UV-C irradiation which is a physical means commonly utilized in sanitization procedures. The viral inactivation rate, virus half-life, and percentage of titer reduction after UV-C irradiation were assessed. Infectivity was maintained on plastic and glass until 120 h and on stainless steel until 72 h. The virus half-life was 5.3, 4.4, and 4.2 h on plastic, stainless steel, and glass, respectively. In all cases, titer decay was >99% after drop drying. UV-C irradiation efficiently reduced virus titer (99.99%), with doses ranging from 10.25 to 23.71 mJ/cm2. Plastic and stainless steel needed higher doses to achieve target reduction. The total inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on glass was obtained with the lower dose applied. SARS-CoV-2 survival can be long lasting on inanimate surfaces. It is worth recommending efficient disinfection protocols as a measure of prevention of viral spread. UV-C can provide rapid, efficient and sustainable sanitization procedures of different materials and surfaces. The dosages and mode of irradiation are important parameters to consider in their implementation as an important means to fight the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Cleaning indicators are widely used to evaluate the efficacy of cleaning processes in automated washer-disinfectors (AWDs) in healthcare settings. In this study, we systematically analyzed the performance of commercial indicators across multiple simulated cleaning protocols to guide the correct selection of suitable cleaning indicators in Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSD). Eleven commercially available cleaning indicators were tested in five cleaning simulations, P0 to P4, where P1 represented the standard cleaning process in CSSD, while P2-P4 incorporated induced-error cleaning processes to mimic real-world errors. All indicators were uniformly positioned at the top level of the cleaning rack to ensure comparable exposure. Key parameters, including indicator response dynamics (e.g., wash-off sequence) and final residue results, were documented throughout the cleaning cycles. The final wash-off results given by the indicators under P0, in which no detergent was injected, were much worse than those of the other four processes. Under different simulations, the final results of the indicators and their wash-off sequences changed substantially. In conclusion, an effective indicator must be selected experimentally. The last indicator to be washed off during the normal cleaning process that can simultaneously clearly show the presence of dirt residue under induced error conditions is the optimal indicator for monitoring cleaning processes.

Medical devices that contact non-intact skin or mucous membranes are considered semi-critical devices and must undergo high-level disinfection (HLD) before use. Studies have identified several potential limitations of UV-C for HLD of semi-critical medical devices, including a lack of data demonstrating that UV-C irradiance can be uniformly applied to complex surfaces that contain grooves, notches and imperfections. This study focused on ultrasound probes as commonly used medical devices to show the distribution of irradiance on these surfaces. An endocavity bi-plane probe and curved array surface probe with typical surface topology were 3D scanned and modelled and an array of UV-C light-emitting diodes (LEDs) irradiating the probe surfaces was simulated (simulated wavelength: 275nm [peak], power output: 50mW). The simulated chamber wall material was equivalent to highly reflective polished aluminum with a defined reflectance of 79% at 275nm. To calculate the cycle time required to achieve HLD on probe surfaces, a minimum effective dosage of 1500mJ/cm 2 based on published research was used. The simulated irradiance distribution showed a large difference between the points of highest and lowest irradiance (maximum/minimum ratio: 14.70 for the surface probe and 12.74 for the endocavity probe). In addition, the presence of shadowing effects adjacent to notches or grooves was evident. By applying an effective UV-C dose from the literature, cycle times of up to 25 minutes would be required to achieve HLD in the minimally irradiated areas of the probes used in the simulation. These findings highlight the need to demonstrate the efficacy of UV-C radiation against worst case organisms in the areas of lowest irradiance on medical devices to provide assurance these devices are reliably high level disinfected.

Soil steam disinfection offers a chemical-free solution to soil-borne pathogens and continuous cropping obstacles; however, its adoption in facility agriculture is severely limited by the lack of mobile and efficient steam generation systems. Conventional electric or coal-powered boilers are too bulky and immobile for practical field application. To bridge this technological gap, this study developed an optimized gasoline-powered steam boiler utilizing an innovative Helmholtz-type pulse combustion system. Key components, including a dual-carburetor Y-shaped throat and a helical tailpipe configuration, were designed to enhance compactness and thermal efficiency-achieving a 67.11% reduction in length and 204% increase in heat transfer area compared to a straight pipe equivalent. Computational fluid dynamics simulations systematically optimized the spatial arrangement of four pulse combustors, revealing layout as a critical performance factor. The optimal configuration reduced water heating time to 407.1 s, 15.52 s faster than the average across 12 designs. Field validation demonstrated that a double-layer steam injection needle significantly improved thermal retention, maintaining soil temperatures ≥80°C for 63.84 minutes-27.02% longer than a single-layer design following 6 minutes of steam injection. These findings confirm the system's efficacy in delivering lethal thermal dosage to soil pathogens. This work not only provides a practical mobile soil steam disinfection solution but also advances fundamental insights into the design of efficient thermal fluid systems for agricultural applications.

Although research has shown that the COVID-19 disease is most likely caused by airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, disinfection of potentially contaminated surfaces is also recommended to limit the spread of the disease. Use of electrostatic sprayers (ESS) and foggers to rapidly apply disinfectants over large areas or to complex surfaces has emerged with the COVID-19 pandemic. ESSs are designed to impart an electrostatic charge to the spray droplets with the goal of increasing deposition of the droplets onto surfaces, thereby promoting more efficient use of the disinfectant. The purpose of this research was to evaluate several spray parameters for different types of sprayers and foggers, as they relate to the application of disinfectants. Some of the parameters evaluated included the spray droplet size distribution, the electrostatic charge, the ability of the spray to wrap around objects, and the loss of disinfectant chemical active ingredient due to the spray process. The results show that most of the devices evaluated for droplet size distribution had an average volume median diameter ≥ 40 microns, and that four out of the six ESS tested for charge/mass produced sprays of at least 0.1 mC/kg. A minimal wrap-around effect of the spray deposition onto a cylindrical object was observed. The loss of disinfectant active ingredient to the air due to spraying was minimal for the two disinfectants tested, and concurrently, the active ingredient concentrations of the liquid disinfectants sprayed and collected 3 feet (1 meter) away from the spray nozzle do not decrease.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected more than two million people of the world, and far social distancing and segregated lifestyle have to be adopted as a common solution in recent years. To solve the problem of sanitation control and epidemic prevention in public places, in this paper, an intelligent disinfection control system based on the STM32 single-chip microprocessor was designed to realize intelligent closed-loop disinfection in local public places such as public toilets. The proposed system comprises seven modules: image acquisition, spraying control, disinfectant liquid level control, access control, voice broadcast, system display, and data storage. The STM32 microcontroller is the main control chip and collects the disinfectant liquid level information and crowd density by using flow sensors, pressure and image. Single chip microcomputer enabling composite control of disinfectant concentration and liquid level through proportion integration differentiation (PID) control and logical increase/decrease ratio control. The use of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm aids in improving the accuracy of human target recognition, dynamically obtaining the crowd density, and regulating the spraying strategy. A comparison of the dynamic changes in crowd density with the user-defined crowd density threshold is performed to optimize the access control time and model parameters and obtain the optimal access control time limit. This approach enables dynamic optimization and intelligent control of the proposed full-cycle, closed-loop disinfection model for public toilets, effectively reducing the risk of virus transmission.