Prof. Vijaydeep Siddharth1, Dr Hitender Gautam2, Dr Mohammad Kausar1, Dr Vamsi Krishna Reddy4, Dr Kanika Jain1, Dr Abdul Hakim Choudhary1, Dr Tej Prakash Sinha3, Dr Sanjeev Bhoi3
1Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, 2Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India, 3Department of Emergency Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, India, 4Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, Mangalagiri, India
Biography:
A physician and hospital administrator with 17 years’ experience, he serves as faculty at AIIMS, New Delhi, and IIM Jammu. A Fellow of ISQua, he specializes in healthcare quality, infection control, and capacity building, and has authored 44 publications while leading multiple national and international research and training initiatives.
Abstract:
Introduction
Healthcare-associated infections remain a significant challenge with hospital floors often acting as reservoirs for microbial contamination. Robotic cleaning technologies emerged as tools, offering consistent and effective disinfection while minimizing reliance on manual methods.
Methods
This study evaluated the efficacy of robotic cleaning systems compared to manual cleaning methods in the inpatient wards of a tertiary care hospital. Three cleaning methods were assessed: manual cleaning with soap and water, manual cleaning with sodium hypochlorite, and robotic cleaning using Milagrow iMap 9 models. Cleaning efficacy was measured using ATP luminometer readings (Relative Light Units, RLUs), microbiological surface sampling (colony-forming units, CFU/cm²), and air surveillance (CFU/m³). Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and paired t-tests, were used to compare the methods.
Results
Robotic cleaning demonstrated the highest reduction in bacterial loads, with an average decrease of 2679 RLUs, compared to 2312 RLUs for manual cleaning with soap and water and 1636 RLUs for manual cleaning with sodium hypochlorite. Air quality improvement was also superior with robotic cleaning, achieving an average reduction of 30 CFU/m³, compared to 22 CFU/m³ and 3.5 CFU/m³ for the manual methods. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences, highlighting the advantages of robotic systems in ensuring consistent and effective disinfection while reducing healthcare workers' exposure to harmful disinfectants.
Conclusion
Robotic cleaning technologies provide an effective and scalable solution for enhancing infection control in healthcare environments. By integrating advanced features such as ionization and autonomous navigation, these systems address the limitations of manual cleaning while aligning with modern demands for efficiency and safety.