Encourages, Enables, Ensures
Healthcare Associated Infections annually cost NHS Scotland £183 million. "With at least 1/3 of these infections preventable" (1), effective hand hygiene is a crucial element of infection control. To apply anti-bacterial liquid effectively health workers have to follow a complicated and lengthy 6-step process. It is easy to miss areas, and there is no method of checking if the gel has been applied correctly.
Pressure Clean is a hand decontamination unit for hospital use. It provides a quicker and easier method which ensures the correct application of anti-bacterial liquid every time. Located around the hospital, Pressure Clean can be easily used by both staff and patients.
Applying an even spray of anti-bacterial fluid at high pressure eliminates the need for the 6-step method and ensures complete coverage of the hand. A UV-sensitive solution is applied prior to the application of the antibacterial fluid, and any remaining solution is highlighted when held under UV black-light. If a predetermined fluorescence threshold is exceeded the process is automatically repeated.
(1)Pittet D. (2001), "Improving Adherence to Hand Hygiene Practice: A Multidisciplinary Approach" Emerging Infectious Diseases 7:2 236
1.User inserts their hands into the unit and a UV-sensitive spray is applied before cleaning
2.Anti-basterial fluid is then sprayed onto the hands at a high pressure, eradicating both the bacteria and the UV-sensitive spray
3.To test if any areas have been missed, UV lights are turned on causing any remaining UV-sensitive fluid to glow.
