UVC Box: An Effective Way to Quickly Decontaminate Healthcare Facilities' Wheelchairs

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Infection control
• Applied physics

Background:

• Manual disinfection of hospital equipment like wheelchairs is labor-intensive and challenging due to complex structures.
• Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) offers a potential automated alternative for microbial decontamination.
• The efficacy of UVGI on complex objects requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antibacterial efficiency of a large-scale UVGI box for disinfecting wheelchairs.
• To assess the impact of treatment duration, spatial location, and material type on bacterial reduction.
• To provide recommendations for designing equipment for effective UVGI decontamination.

Main Methods:

• Wheelchairs were placed in a custom-built large UVGI box.
• Bacterial burden reduction was measured on various wheelchair parts using different support materials (steel, plastics, tissue) and treatment durations.
• UVGI flux and residual bacterial counts (e.g., *Escherichia coli*, *Staphylococcus epidermidis*) were quantified.

Main Results:

• A 5-minute UVGI treatment achieved a significant bacterial reduction (>3-log median) for *E. coli* and *S. epidermidis*.
• Bacterial reduction varied significantly with spatial location on the wheelchair.
• Material type critically influenced UVGI efficacy, with rigid materials (steel, plastics) showing lower residual bacteria than porous materials (tissue).

Conclusions:

• The tested UVGI box provides rapid and efficient decontamination for complex hospital equipment like wheelchairs.
• Equipment design is crucial; rigid, non-porous materials enhance UVGI effectiveness.
• Further research should explore material-specific UVGI responses and optimize decontamination protocols.