Decon-X Preventing Infections

PREVENTING
INFECTIONS
INTELLIGENT DISINFECTION TECHNOLOGY

THE STORY
To become infected and seriously ill
due to a hospital-acquired infection
is a nightmare scenario both for the
patient and for the healthcare institution.
Bjørn Platou, general manager at Decon-X International, experienced
this himself in 2009 after surgery at a Norwegian hospital. His surgery
was performed as a minimally invasive procedure for a previous
shoulder injury. The infection he got sent him to the hospital isolation
ward for six weeks, with antibiotic treatment and new surgical procedures
– all to avoid amputation of his arm.
This experience triggered his interest in hospital-acquired infections and
the search for new, automated methods to reduce infections and
document the removal of infectious agents. This resulted in the Decon-X
DX1 robot, which is developed for the disinfection of rooms and
equipment.
Since 2014, Decon-X has developed 3 different robotic solutions – all
specialized in their specific area of disinfection, and all made to ensure
the safety of the user and the patients. Good cleaning routines is a key
element in the process of breaking the chain of infection, and combined
with intelligent disinfection of the area, this will ensure a better working
environment for the healthcare workers, cleaning staff and the patients.
Good routines are also key to a healthy economy, and healthcare
institutions can achieve great savings when they avoid isolation and
infections.
Bjørn Platou has his background in management of satellite communication
companies, and the communication from the Decon-X technology to the
user is a key factor to secure and verify the result. “This communication
ensures that the operator always is alerted when an area can be used after
disinfection, and that an electronic report submitted to the user verifies
this”.
It is always inspiring when new technology works with the user to ensure
results and prevent harm to the patients – and the healthcare workers.
Prevention always beats treatment.
Bjørn Platou
Decon-X International

WHY
WHO: Hundreds of millions of patients are
affected by healthcare-associated infections
worldwide each year, resulting in significant
mortality and financial losses for health systems.
Decon-X is a Norway-based research
company, developing intelligent technology
that helps reduce the number
of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). This
is achieved by introducing technology that
verifies the process and communicates directly
with the user. The desired result is improved
safety for the workers, less infections for patients
and reduced cost for the healthcare
institution. Our aim is to improve quality of life in
healthcare for both patients and staff.
The annual cost of HAI for the healthcare institutions
and the cost carried by society is measured
in the billions of EURO – and it also has a
substantial impact on the individual patient.
Worldwide, these infections are the most frequent
adverse side effect of hospital treatment
and care. In high-income countries, approximately
30% of all patients in intensive care units
(ICU) are infected with at least one incidence
of hospital infection. The European Centre
for Disease Control (ECDC) estimates that 4
million patients acquire a HAI each year in EU
member states, and that approximately 37,000
deaths are a direct result of these infections.
This costs about 7 billion EURO in direct costs
(calculated based on 16 million extra room
nights in hospitals).
The corresponding figures for the United States
show that the annual cost of hospital infections
is somewhere between 35 and 45 billion US
dollars. RD Scott’s report (link) published in the
CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
looks at the direct costs of healthcareassociated
infections in the United States and
finds that there is a calculated and possible
saving of between 5.7 to 6.8 billion US dollars
by a 20% reduction of HAI (Computas report).
Adding to the current challenge is the rise in
Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs), a
global challenge with a rapid increase in incidence.
Decon-X wants to contribute to the reduction
of these challenges, by preventive actions and
by communication, based on information that
is raising awareness about the seriousness and
scope of this issue.

METHOD &
Decon-X has developed an automated
disinfection method that safely and
effectively removes all bacteria, viruses
and spores from surfaces and equipment. This
method uses a dry gas containing hydrogen
peroxide. The gas is filled into any enclosed
area, without causing any harm or damage
to the room, equipment or surfaces.
Decon-X has one of the most advanced
robots for disinfecting and combating infection
and has delivered robots to more than
150 healthcare institutions.
The technology removes 99.9999 percent of
all viruses, bacteria and spores, and by using
integrated sensor and communication technology,
the robot controls and documents the
automated process.
The Decon-X technology will also turn itself off
if there are measured deviations in the area
to be disinfected (open window, door,
ventilation, temperature or humidity) and
sends an alarm report by SMS and e-mail
about the deviation to the operator, and to
the Decon-X support centre.
The robot is developed and manufactured in
Norway, does the entire job itself and alerts
the user when the room is completely disinfected
and when it is safe to enter.
The entire process is stored in a cloud server,
and a report is sent to the customer’s e-mail
and SMS and to the Decon-X support centre.
The combination of sensors, data storage and
the built-in algorithm ensures that the
disinfection process is carried out with verified
and controlled efficiency, as well as automatically
generated process documentation.

TECHNOLOGY
All Decon-X products have integrated
communication technology
• IoT – Internet of Things. The core systems
have technology that monitors and ensures
process control - which via wireless communication
and data collection - automatically
generates documentation that is sent directly
to the user’s phone and PC.
• Sensors – Measures and collects data from
temperature, relative humidity and parts per
million (ppm) of hydrogen peroxide in the air.
• GSM – Mobile transmission technology to ensure
that alarms and completion-reports are
transmitted in real-time to the end user, also
enabling live monitoring of the process.
• RFID – Radio frequency identification secures
the correct use of the Decon-X disinfection
fluid.
• BLE (Bluetooth low energy) – enables communication
between the Decon-X robot
and the room - reducing human error.
Summaries, statistics and reports are available on your
mobile phone, PC or tablet.

FACTS
Computas (https://computas.com/en/) published a report in 2015
focusing on the scope and the cost of hospital infections in
Norway.
The report was updated in 2017. It illustrates the extent of hospital infections,
their direct cost for the institutions and the potential impact of prevention
and reduction of the number of hospital infections.
The Computas report provides updated figures for costs associated with
hospital infections and clearly demonstrates the potential savings to society
when measures are implemented to reduce the number of patients who
are infected.
All Decon-X technology solutions are based upon research and development
in Norway and the technology is produced by Tronrud Engineering
at Hensmoen outside of Oslo. This ensures the highest control, quality and
sustainability within production.
All solutions delivered by Decon-X comes with a 10 year operational
warranty.
Example from Germany. The cost for treating hospital-acquired
infections was € 1.3b in 2016. This is 1.2% of the annual German
hospital spending.
Key facts
• Infection of the lower respiratory track is
the most common HAI in Germany
• The treatment of HAI costs around €1.3b
annually (2016)
• Estimated predictions indicate that approx.
30% of HAI is preventable
• Prevention amounts to savings of €600m
per year
Lower respiratory track
Postop wound infection
Urinary track infection
C. difficile infection
Catheter assiciated blood infection

PRODUCTS
DECON-X DX1
The Decon-X system provides multiple essential features
and combines them all into one complete solution for
room disinfection.
Experts find that the most interesting features are:
Integrated sensors
Constant measuring of
the environment
Communication
Complete control of
the process
Automated
documentation
Report submission
after disinfection
Nozzle design
Homogenous
dispersion
10 year uptime guarantee includes
CLICK FOR VIDEO
• Change and repair of naturally worn parts
• Yearly service and calibration of robot
• Completion report submitted by SMS and e-mail from
all disinfection processes
• Alarm directly to the operator via SMS and e-mail in
the event of anomalies
• Visual confirmation on PC, tablet or smart phone when
area is safe to use
• Support & service on the customer robot, using GSM to log
on to the unit
• Support centre and customer portal for all customers
• Yearly training of new personnel

PRODUCTS
DECON-X DX1F – FLEXIBLE
Decon-X DX1F is mobile and has a flexible nozzle
on a 5 meter extended hose. Both nozzle and
sensors are placed at the end of the hose.
This unique feature makes it perfect for usage
inside small contained areas.
The robot is placed on the outside of the small
room where disinfection is needed, and the
retractable hose is pulled out of the robot and
placed inside the area.
The sensors embedded in the nozzle will control
and detect the procedure as usual and send
completion report or alarms to the user.
The Decon-X web interface gathers information
and saves historical data. Historical reports
can be accessed by the owner by logging in
to view user history of all units belonging to the
same healthcare business.
To see Decon-X solutions in action, click on the
video links or visit www.deconx.com.
CLICK FOR VIDEO
AMBULANCE
Decon-X DX1F is frequently
used for disinfection of
ambulances. The flexible
hose can easily be passed
in through the window.
The inside of the ambulance
and all areas where
air flows will be disinfected.
The method does not harm
fabric or technical equipment;
everything can be
left in side the ambulance.

PRODUCTS
DECON-X DX3 – FIXED
Decon-X DX 3 is a fixed system for infection
rooms at hospitals.
At Sunnaas hospital outside Oslo (Norway’s
largest state owned rehabilitation hospital),
the first fixed in-room disinfection solution
from Decon-X was delivered - and officially
launched in January 2019.
Once the patient has left the room, hospital
staff makes simple preparations and visually
confirms that there is no patient in the room.
Then the system automatically locks the room,
closes the ventilation system and disables the
fire alarm sensor. The staff responsible does a final
confirmation on the checklist on the system
touch screen – outside the room – and starts
the process. Sensors measure and report the
process in real-time, and the built-in communication
unit sends a report via SMS and e-mail
to the user when the process is completed.
Documentation and user safety
The robot sends alarms and status reports
directly to the user’s mobile phone (or e-mail),
thereby eliminating user or system errors, and it
documents that the process has been successfully
completed. Unlike traditional disinfectants
that are used by manual cleaning – and which
rarely remove all microbes from the surface –
the Decon-X method is also environmentally
friendly and leaves no residues.
CLICK FOR VIDEO
INFECTION ROOMS
Decon-X DX3 can be
programmed from a panel
outside the infected room.
System illustration.

RESEARCH &
Nofima (Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and
Aquaculture Research) tested the Decon-X method
on Listeria in 2018.
PARTNERS
Preliminary Conclusions: “Full-room disinfection with H2O2
mist produced by Deconx DX1 machine to eliminate
L. monocytogenes has been validated in environments
relevant to food production: The prototype was effective
(> 99,999% killing) against four Listeria monocytogenes
strains applied as humid droplets on stainless steel, under
temperatures relevant to food production, in model
experiments in Nofima’s experimental hall.”
The report was published in International Journal of Food
Microbiology in December 2018.
Read the report at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160518309322?via%3Dihub
Link here.
Decon-X focuses on sustainability, and local production,
and complies with three of the United Nation’s Sustainable
Development Goals:
• Good Health and Well-Being
• Safe Food-Production
• Responsible Consumption and Production

DEVELOPMENT
In January 2016 Decon-X was awarded
research funding sponsored by the Research
Council of Norway (https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/).
The 4-year project was named
“Next generation disinfection machine and
new areas for automated disinfection” and
was awarded within the programme of
“Innovation Projects in Business” - BIA.
The main partners in the project are Nofima
(https://nofima.no/en/), Christian Michelsen
Research (https://www.uib.no/en/
research/75380/christian-michelsen-research-cmr),
Gexcon (https://www.gexcon.
com), and Sunnaas hospital (https://www.
sunnaas.no/sunnaas-rehabilitation-hospital).
The research projects have focused on
verification and confirmation of the reduction
effect on microbes in cold and moist areas –
and to ensure optimal droplet size and even
distribution of droplets within enclosed areas.
The projects confirm and document a consistent
removal of 99,9999% (Log6) of all bacteria,
spores and viruses.
During the research programme the method
and the disinfection fluid has been tested and
verified in Hamburg, Germany by Dr. Brill + Dr.
Steinmann Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie.
«The documentation demonstrates that the product is effective against gram positive and gram
negative bacteria, spores, viruses and fungi.»
- The Norwegian Medicines Agency

CONTACT
©DigitalSkap.no 2020
Norway
Decon-X International AS
Vollsveien 13c
1366 Lysaker
+47 22 16 51 60
post@deconx.com
www.deconx.com
Business registration number: 989 730 282
We have representative offices throughout Europe.
Please contact us for more information.