When I was a kid in the 60’s/70’s my uncle Ted was obsessed with the sun, he was a real sun worshipper and travelled annually to Italy, returning with an amazing deep-bronze complexion. I remember in the late 60’s when he discovered an advertisement in his newspaper for a UV/IR tanning and treatment lamp, he excitedly ordered one and used it frequently during winter months to top up his tan. Only on his face I might add as the lamp was no bigger than a portable TV of that era. So as not to give the wrong impression, my uncle was no Adonis, he was like a 20 stone Derek Trotter, replete with Gabicci sweater, sheepskin coat, and dripping with gold.
UV lamps and technologies have had their ups and downs over the years, particularly with their supposed link to skin cancer, but in recent times they are beginning to prove their effectiveness against the pathogens that linger on surfaces and in areas that are often difficult to clean. Which is why earlier this year one our engineers at Sumo Tech embarked on project to develop a UV autoclave, or sterilizer.
At Sumo Technologies we receive hundreds of tablets, PC’s and printers per month from various parts of the world that are in various states of repair and cleanliness. These devices requiring our attention can host a variety of microorganisms ranging from the harmless saprophytic or autotrophic (yeasts, moulds and bacteria), the tummy-bug inducing Noroviruses, through to the COVID-19 pathogen that continues to wreak havoc world-wide. Whilst our healthcare devices are anti-microbial – meaning that pathogens cannot live on their surface – most other devices are not.
As I have written about before, even the most rigorous of cleaning regimes does not remove all the nasty bugs from the surface, and particularly the crevices, of a device. The project was led by our Service Centre Supervisor, Darren McElwain, who this week installed and commission our UV sterilizer at our Service Centre in Malton, North Yorkshire. The device facilitates the cleaning of several tablet PC’s or Smartphones at a time so that Sumo can accommodate the UV cleaning of all devices that are received or sent out from our company whilst minimizing the impact on turnaround time.
Through an investment in time, capital, and expertise we are committed to infection prevention and to the fight against COVID-19. Our new UV Autoclave will allow us to eliminate the risk to our team and our customers from this and all the other harmful pathogens, lovely jubbly!!