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Akara Robotics deploys two decontamination robots to NHS hospital
The Irish robotics startup, which spun out from Trinity College Dublin, has developed two decontamination robots that have been deployed in a UK hospital, with the important mission of cleaning its wards and operating theatres more efficiently. Thanks to a generous financial donation from the Friends of the Friarage, Friarage Hospital is currently home to Akara Robotics’ cutting-edge UV decontamination units. Following positive initial trial results, two of
Akara’s decontamination robots – winners of the best newcomer award at the Infection Prevention Society Conference 2024 – can now be seen in the hospital’s clinical decisions unit, wards and operating theatres, as part of the next stage of the clinical evaluation of the technology. Niamh Donnelly, Co-Founder and Chief Robotics
Officer, Akara Robotics, said: “Akara’s robots build on more than a decade of robotics and artificial intelligence research conducted at Trinity College Dublin, from which the company spun out. Unique AI capabilities give our robots the ability to operate autonomously, which enables them to navigate and decontaminate clinical rooms based on a programme of cleaning instructions that they are given. “We are extremely proud to see our robots working
in a hospital setting. It’s wonderful to know that they are making a real difference in helping to keep patients safe, and serves as great vindication for all the hard work the team has put in over the years.”
Dr. James Dunbar of the Friarage Hospital and Niamh Donnelly of Akara Robotics with the robot, and representatives from Friends of the Friarage and the Friarage Domestics Team.
Frontline staff, working with Akara, have created
a bespoke workflows app with the aim of removing the need for paper checklists, and providing real-time alerts when rooms are available, further enhancing efficiency.
James Dunbar, Consultant in Infection
Prevention and General Medicine, as well as Chair of the Friarage Clinical Collaborative, said: “Microbes with resistance to antibiotics are probably the biggest emerging challenge in healthcare today. Our main defence is cleaning and decontamination. Last year, our pilot study using Akara technology had amazing results. We are so grateful to the
Launch of new textbook on decontamination
Dr. Gerald McDonnell, Vice President of Microbiological Quality and Sterility Assurance at Johnson & Johnson and Dr. Georgia Alevizopoulou, Senior Clinical & Education Manager at STERIS Healthcare have announced the release of the 2nd edition of the book Decontamination and Device Processing in Healthcare. This new, comprehensive textbook aims to
promote patient safety and prevent infections within healthcare spaces with safe and effective device decontamination and processing. Spread over 14 chapters, it is written in an easy to comprehend manner, using tables and illustrations, and features updates on regulations, standards, technologies, and clinical evidence on the reprocessing of surgical instruments and endoscope devices. With contributions from a group of international
expert reviewers, it offers a wealth of information and practical advice across all aspects of decontamination and serves as a valuable resource
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to every healthcare professional involved in this field, whether a novice or veteran. “It is a very proud moment in my 20-year
career in healthcare to see this book published,” commented Dr. Alevizopoulou. “It reflects hard work and accumulated clinical knowledge gained through ongoing involvement in the world of sterile processing and endoscopy clinical environments across the world.
“I trust it will serve the needs of anyone who
is after a practical manual and seeks relevant information to learn and understand what it takes to deliver safe devices for patient use.” “I am excited to finally see the 2nd edition become available. The first edition was developed with guidance from our friend and colleague, Gillian Sills, from the United Kingdom, who sadly passed away in 2024,” Dr. McDonnell added. “Our vision was to have a book that would be international and provide the essential background and practical
Friends of Friarage for funding our continued collaboration. It is exciting to work with cutting- edge robotic decontamination units and be right at the forefront of innovation.” Conor McGinn, CEO of Akara and Professor in
Trinity’s School of Engineering, said: “Our robot has been designed not just to improve the quality and consistency of cleaning, but to make life easier for staff by streamlining workflows. “Importantly, it helps hospitals enable quicker
room turnaround times and shorten the time it takes for patients to be admitted. We’re proud to see our technology making a real difference at the Friarage Hospital and excited to continue supporting their efforts to stay at the forefront of innovation.” Akara has also been accepted into the
Techstars Healthcare Accelerator in Los Angeles, a programme sponsored by leading US healthcare providers, including UnitedHealth and Cedars-Sinai. Following the successful completion of their first trial in a US hospital, Akara has gained early traction in the American market. Looking ahead, Akara aims to expand its
presence in the US healthcare market while continuing to scale operations in Europe. The company is also preparing to formally launch a new product in 2025, designed to help hospitals reclaim lost time in their surgical departments, improving efficiency and patient throughput.
information for device processing, an essential practice for infection prevention and control in healthcare environments. We hope that the updates and information in the 2nd edition will continue to be a useful training and reference book for those involved in infection prevention and in the specific practices in decontamination and device processing. We are particularly thankful to the editors and reviewers of the book in making sure the text is accurate, useful, and applicable internationally.” Decontamination and Device Processing in Healthcare second edition is available to order in hardcover or ebook at: https://tinyurl. com/frd9r7km
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