Silver Cross in New Lenox 1st in U.S. to install revolutionary disinfection system

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recently became the first hospital in the U.S. to install state-of-the-art disinfection devices in its sterile processing department.

The PURO Protect 222 system uses filtered far-UVC technology “to provide continuous disinfection of the air and surfaces 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering an extra layer of protection against harmful pathogens, effectively and safely, even in occupied spaces,” according to a news release from Silver Cross.

This benefits patient care and staff safety by providing “a perpetually disinfected environment,” according to the release.

The system doesn’t replace manual decontamination procedures; it simply adds another layer of disinfection.

Jim Tyrell, manager of Silver Cross’ sterile processing department, said that PURO Protect 222 system representatives approached him and asked whether they could demonstrate the new disinfection technology.

Tyrell said in the release that he was impressed with the PURO Protect 222 system’s consistently increased level of disinfecting to targeted high-touch areas. He said he’d like to expand its use to additional areas of the sterile processing department.

PURO UV Disinfection Lighting’s system is appropriate for the following high-touch, high-traffic areas: bathrooms, emergency departments, equipment closets, intensive care units, nurses stations, operating rooms, pharmacies, procedure rooms, sinks, waiting rooms and work areas, according to its website.

The sterile processing department disinfects about 1 million instruments a year.

This includes “the smallest instruments to the complex da Vinci robotic surgery instruments,” according to the release.

“Since adopting the PURO Protect 222 system, we have given tours with the company to show others how it works,” Tyrell said in the release. “It has spurred a lot of interest from other hospitals and surgical centers.”