First Hospital Light Fixture to Kill Bacteria Continuously Now Available in U.S. and Canada

Kenall Manufacturing introduces Indigo-Clean™, a light fixture that uses continuous environmental disinfection technology to continuously kill harmful bacteria linked to healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). The technology behind Indigo-Clean™ inactivates a wide range of micro-organisms that are known causes of HAIs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), C. difficile and cancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE).
 
Indigo-Clean™ is a light fixture manufactured through an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, which developed, proved and patented the technology. The light operates continuously and requires no operator, kills bacteria in the air and on all surfaces, and complies with all internationally recognized standards for patient safety. Indigo-Clean™ was unveiled just before the annual meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) in Nashville.
 
“Indigo-Clean™ represents a breakthrough in helping to reduce HAIs,” says Jim Hawkins, CEO of Kenall. “It bolsters current disinfection efforts by infection preventionists and environmental services professionals in the fight against HAIs.”

Indigo-Clean™ uses a narrow spectrum of visible indigo-colored light at an output of 405 nanometers (nm) on the light spectrum. This high-intensity narrow spectrum (HINS) light is absorbed by molecules within bacteria, producing a chemical reaction that kills the bacteria from the inside as if common household bleach had been released within the bacterial cells. Because the light is visible it is lethal to pathogens but is safe for use in the presence of patients and staff. 
 
“As part of Strathclyde’s clinical engagement in the U.K. over the last seven years, this technology has proven effective in killing bacteria in hospital settings. We are proud that the University of Strathclyde selected Kenall to commercialize this in the U.S.,” says Cliff Yahnke, PhD, Kenall’s director of clinical affairs. “Breaking the chain of infection, from an infected patient, to the environment, to new patient, is vitally important, and the ability of this technology to be in use and effective at all times, will make a huge difference.”
 
Strathclyde’s technology has been in use since 2008 at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, a large teaching hospital operated by NHS (National Health Service) Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The technology and its effectiveness have been the subject of more than 20 peer-reviewed academic publications and 30 conference presentations since 2008. The HINS-light project was voted UK Research Project of the Year in 2011 by Times Higher Education magazine. Strathclyde gained a U.S. patent on the technology last year and recently granted Kenall licensing rights for the North American healthcare market.
 
The team at Strathclyde is based within the Robertson Trust Laboratory for Electronic Sterilisation Technologies (ROLEST) and includes Scott MacGregor, PhD, John Anderson, PhD, and Michelle Maclean, PhD. 
 
“We have spent more than 13 years researching and developing HINS-light technology for the purpose of reducing the environmental transmission of pathogens and ultimately reducing HAI in the healthcare setting,” says MacGregor, ROLEST founder/co-director and Vice-Principal of Strathclyde. “Our partnership with Kenall in the United States is an exciting new chapter which will see this innovative technology become a commercially available product.  We chose Kenall because of its extensive experience in providing lighting for the most challenging healthcare environments where infection prevention is a key consideration.”
 
Yahnke says that while current methods of disinfecting the healthcare environment are effective, the methods are episodic and results are short-lived as bacteria immediately re-populate the space. The ability of Indigo-Clean™ to continuously treat the air as well as hard and soft surfaces, provides a significant boost to cleaning and disinfecting efforts. Unlike high-tech systems that clean only when they are activated by a trained operator, Indigo-Clean™ is automatic and continuous.
 
“As an innovator in healthcare lighting and a leader in LED lighting and controls, we can bring healthcare providers this effective, game-changing tool to ensure the safest and best environment for their patients,” says Hawkins.
 
Kenall, which completed a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility just north of Chicago in late 2014, is poised to start commercial production of the technology immediately. The company also provides a clinical partners program to assist hospitals in evaluating the performance and cost savings potential of this technology.

Source: Indigo-Clean™ and Kenall