Xenex, a mobile robotic device developed by the US based epidemiologists is said to combat germs in hospitals with blasts of UV light. It is claimed to disinfect hospital rooms in five to 10 minutes. Xenex uses xenon lamps to sterilise hospital surfaces with ultra-violet light. The technology is said to have a higher microbicidal effect than mercury lamps and is claimed to be safer, since xenon gas is inert and harmless whereas mercury gas is highly toxic. Xenex’s technology is currently being used in more than 20 hospitals in the US. It is used on high-touch surfaces such as tray tables, telephones and bedrails.
