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A 2nd wave of COVID-19 would have detrimental effects on lives and livelihood, as well as business continuity and the overall economy.

Our job is to prevent this.  Contact us today about flexible, affordable finance solutions tailored to your business. 

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Www.social-tv.co.za chats to Jonathan Burger, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nexmed Healthcare Solutions.

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• The UV-D Robot and other lifesaving / life enhancing technologies have been brought to Sub-Saharan Africa by Nexmed Healthcare Solutions
• Nexmed Healthcare Solutions is a medtech company focusing on 4IR enabled healthcare solutions for the improvement and advancement of patient care and clinical outcomes.
• One UV-D Robot can kill 99,999% of all pathogens in a typical 25m² area in under 10 minutes. It can decontaminate an average sized surgical theatre in eight minutes autonomously and is currently used in more than 50 countries worldwide.
• In 2016 Blue Ocean Robotics, Nexmed’s strategic partner, was in the top three of the Startup World Award for UV-D Robots at the AUTOMATICA Fair in Munich. In 2020, the robots have already won three international awards for tech innovation and last year Blue Ocean Robotics and UV-D Robots won one of the robotics industry’s biggest international awards, the IERA Award 2019.
• Nexmed’s next innovation, Orthoview, allows surgeons to precisely plan their joint replacement surgeries, saving time and money.

The speed with which the UV-D Robot decontaminates spaces allows for easy integration into the workplace, schools, gyms, airports etc. More importantly, the robot goes beyond cleaning and sanitising, it disinfects the area and does this autonomously

Nexmed Healthcare Solutions Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Burger says: “Unlike the alternatives, it requires no harmful chemicals which create health risks due to long term exposure. It also requires no human labour or lengthy disinfection cycles. It is safe to enter the room immediately after disinfection as most fogging agents require at least two to six hours ventilation time before a person can re-enter, which is disruptive.”

“Although hospitals pre-screen patients before elective surgery, it is not fool proof and the decontamination process not only kills coronavirus, but is effective against other serious superbugs such as Ebola, MRSA, VRE, CRE, Candida, C.Diff, Pseudomonas and more, says Burger. The UV-D Robot comes with proprietary software to track and validate the disinfection, as well as UV-C dosimeters to measure the effectiveness of the disinfection – providing clients with validation that the pathogens are gone.

How does it work?

The robots are equipped with germicidal UV-C light. This means it deactivates the DNA of bacteria, virus and other pathogens and destroys their ability to multiply and cause disease. In short, when the organism tries to replicate, it dies.

What’s next from Nexmed Healthcare SolutionsAnother of Nexmed’s technologies is the GoBe One Telepresence Robot. Its main purpose is to connect individuals seamlessly while maintaining the human touch. The Robot allows for virtual/autonomous consultations between patients and consultants. It will arrive later this month in Africa and Europe.

The next big innovation Nexmed Healthcare Solutions will be launching is OrthoView. “We are very excited to announce the launch of our advanced surgical planning and optimisation lab in coming months. Our lab will be equipped with the most advanced 3D printing technology coupled with advanced surgical planning software. “The first stage of our launch is to introduce the world’s most advanced orthopaedic pre-surgical planning software to Africa. In partnership with a global leader in additive manufacturing and surgical software, Materialise.

Dr Brett Levine Associate Professor, Rush University Medical Center and Adult Reconstruction Service Line Director, Elmhurst Hospital, Illinois says: “Templating with OrthoView is very fast and versatile, and the number of templates available to the surgeon is near limitless.” In addition, the ability to access plans from any device at any time, even in the OR during surgery, is a huge benefit.

To find out more about Nexmed Healthcare Solutions visit: www.nexmedhealth.co.za or email: info@nexmedhealth.co.za.

Who is Nexmed Healthcare Solutions?

“We are looking to play a significant part in fast-tracking Africa’s exposure and adoption to digital transformation for the overall benefit of advancing healthcare,” says Burger.

Nexmed Healthcare Solutions was founded in 2019 with the primary objective of creating a healthier world through innovative solutions spanning the full healthcare eco-system. The company provides disruptive innovation and technologies to its customers, empowering them to offer enhanced patient treatment and ultimately change the face of healthcare.

Their motto is caring through innovation, which speaks of a vested interest at every level of the organisation to constantly pioneer, enhance and co-create improved technologies that demonstrate their personal care for every life they encounter.

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Imagine being able to decontaminate an average sized surgical theatre in about eight minutes autonomously? There’s no need to imagine, the technology is here and already being used in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Nexmed Healthcare Solutions, the strategic partner to UV-D Robots and GoBe Robots for sub-Saharan Africa, is at the forefront of bringing some of the most cutting edge of these new technologies to South African.

As we all adjust to Level 3 of the lockdown and more of us return to our workplaces, the UV-D Robots are perfectly placed to help companies comply with the stringent regulations for a safe workplace, while also ensuring people returning feel safe.

The UV-D Robot decontaminates a typical 25m² area in under 10 minutes.  This allows for easy integration into the workplace, schools, gyms, airports etc.  More importantly, the robot goes beyond cleaning and sanitizing, it disinfects the area and does this autonomously.

As Nexmed Healthcare Solutions Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Burger explains, the applications for the robot in hospitals and beyond are many: “With level 3 lockdown now in place and many industries returning to work, the robot becomes an ally as it is able to disinfect in rapid time, multiple times a week up to 99.999%, leaving the facility aseptic and removing all harmful pathogens.

“Unlike the alternatives, it requires no harmful chemicals which create health risks due to long term exposure. It also requires no human labor or lengthy disinfection cycles. It is safe to enter the room immediately after disinfection as most fogging agents require at least two to six hours ventilation time before a person can re-enter, which is disruptive.

“We are seeing international use of the UV-D Robot across industries such as hospitals, doctors’ rooms and clinics, airports, hotels, schools, gyms, shopping centers, retail stores, banks, offices and more.”

According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK and the University of Cape Town (UCT) in SA, around 146 000 surgeries will be cancelled – including 12 000 oncology procedures – due to the pandemic.

This may result in a patient’s condition deteriorating or worsening their quality of life as they await surgery.  “In some cases, for example, cancer delayed surgeries may lead to a number of unnecessary deaths.” Clearing the backlog created by COVID-19 is also going to place significant pressure on our healthcare sector which comes at an exorbitant cost, one we might not be able to afford or recover from.

The main reason for the cancellation of surgeries has been cited as “reducing the risk of patients being exposed to COVID-19 in hospital, and to support the wider hospital response”.  We know the risk of patient exposure is linked to infection prevention and control, and with a virus this aggressive in its transmission, we require advanced next-gen technology like the UV-D Robot.

The UV-D Robot offers significant support during this pandemic and beyond, as it allows hospital administrators to disinfect an entire theatre operating room in under 8 minutes, leaving the environment aseptic and free from pathogens.  This can be done between surgeries, thereby drastically reducing the risk of infection to patients.

Although hospitals pre-screen patients before elective surgery, the autonomous decontamination would also mitigate against any risk posed by asymptomatic patients. The decontamination process not only kills coronavirus, but is effective against other serious superbugs such as Ebola, MRSA, VRE, CRE, Candida, C.Diff, Pseudomonas and more, says Burger. The UV-D Robot comes with proprietary software to track and validate the disinfection, as well as UV-C dosimeters to measure the effectiveness of the disinfection – providing clients with validation that the pathogens are gone.

How does it work?

The robots are equipped with germicidal UV-C light. This means it deactivates the DNA of bacteria, virus and other pathogens and destroys their ability to multiply and cause disease. In short, when the organism tries to replicate, it dies.

“Also, the UV-D Robot can be used routinely throughout a hospital to conduct multiple disinfections per room, per day with limited human intervention.  UV-D Robots also offers a UV-C impenetrable shield which is erected in occupied rooms allowing a full disinfection without exposure to UV-C.

How Nexmed is fast-tracking Africa’s digital transformation

Burger says that Nexmed’s motto is “caring through innovation”.

“As a company we are excited to bring best-in-class technologies to Africa as they emerge internationally, or at the same time locally produce such disruptive innovation. We are looking to play a significant part in fast-tracking Africa’s exposure and adoption to digital transformation for the overall benefit of advancing healthcare.”

What’s the next innovation?

Another of Nexmed’s technologies is the GoBe One Telepresence Robot. Its main purpose, says Burger, is to connect individuals seamlessly while maintaining the human touch. The Robot allows for virtual/autonomous consultations between patients and consultants.

“We have seen a significant burden placed on the sourcing and providing of PPE, particularly in our public facilities. The GoBe One will therefore aid in saving lives by reducing pathogen exposure.”

The GoBe One will launch later in June in Europe and in Africa at the same time, thanks to Nexmed and GoBe Robot’s partnership.

Burger says the next big innovation Nexmed Healthcare Solutions will be launching is OrthoView. “We are very excited to announce the launch of our advanced surgical planning and optimization lab in coming months. Our lab will be equipped with the most advanced 3D printing technology coupled with advanced surgical planning software.

“The first stage of our launch is to introduce the world’s most advanced orthopaedic pre-surgical planning software to Africa. In partnership with a global leader in surgical optimization, Materialise, Nexmed will be bringing the OrthoView software to Africa.”

To find out more about Nexmed Healthcare Solutions visit: www.nexmedhealth.co.za or email: info@nexmedhealth.co.za

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Nexmed Healthcare Solutions is the strategic partner to UV-D Robots and GoBe Robots for Sub-Saharan Africa.

With level 3 lockdown implemented, many industries have opened with individuals returning to some degree of normality. Schools are gearing up to re-open, airports are opening for domestic travel and many businesses will open their doors to customers once again. At the same time hospitals around South Africa are preparing for spikes in COVID-19.

Amidst this looms a great deal of uncertainty around safety relating to the contraction of COVID-19, coupled with an enormous burden on the part of the economy to present safe environments for individuals and employees. To assist in mitigating this uncertainty and to provide a high level of protection against COVID-19 and all other known pathogens, Nexmed Healthcare Solutions have brought the world’s first and most advanced UV-C Robot to Africa, namely the UV-D Robot.

Nexmed Healthcare Solutions is the strategic partner to UV-D Robots and GoBe Robots for Sub-Saharan Africa. The UV-D Robot is capable of destroying all known pathogens, like Ebola, MRSA, E.Coli, CRE (Klebsiella Pneumoniae) Candida Albicans, and C.Diff. among others, up to 99.999%. It is utilized around the world in more than 50 countries, including China, Spain, and America. “The UV-D Robot is currently the number one recommended UV-C device around the world, with multiple clinical studies backing its ability to destroy pathogens”, says Jonathan Burger, CEO of Nexmed Healthcare Solutions.

It has been listed multiple times by Forbes as one of the top next-gen technologies in the fight against COVID-19. The UV-D Robot has won multiple awards honoring its collaboration between science and robotics; the most notable being the following:

2020

• Blue Ocean Robotics and subsidiaries UV-D Robots, GoBe Robots named “European Champion” in the development and commercialization of service robots for professionals (B2B) by Frost & Sullivan.
• Blue Ocean Robotics and UVD Robots wins the European Robot Industry Award, “euRobotics Tech Transfer Award, 2020”.
• Blue Ocean Robotics and subsidiaries UV-D Robots, GoBe Robots awarded with participation in Tech Tour Growth 50, which is a shortlist of Europe’s leading super-scale companies in the tech industry.

2019

• Blue Ocean Robotics and UV-D Robots wins one of the robotics industry’s biggest international awards, the IERA Award 2019
• Blue Ocean Robotics is a finalist in the competition to become Robot Company of the Year in Denmark
• Technology Denmark honors Blue Ocean Robotics for its contribution to the Enterprise Pact to attract and develop talent

2016

• Blue Ocean Robotics is in the top 3 of the Startup World Award for UV-D Robots at the AUTOMATICA Fair in Munich

Given that the UV-D Robot is a “real robot” and not a static device, it is able to rapidly disinfect areas autonomously, leaving it near sterile each time. The UV-D Robot utilizes 8 full-length UV-C lamps providing a 360-degree coverage of an area. The remote moves around the area in close proximity to surface areas allowing maximum exposure to UV-C light. The lamps used are germicidal lamps capped at 253.7nm which is the known germicidal range.

“It is important to note that the UV-D Robot does not clean or sanitize, but disinfects (decontaminates), which is the total removal of harmful pathogens, not just the reduction of them,” says Burger.

There are many alternatives out there today like fogging or spraying which use chemicals to decontaminate. The process is like that of fumigation and requires that there be no occupants in the room while the process is carried out. It also prohibits individuals from entering the room for at least 2-6 hours post sanitization.

Unlike these alternatives, the UV-D Robot requires no harmful chemicals. It is able to decontaminate a 25m2 area in under 10 minutes, allowing minimal interruption to operations, and its disinfection is validated via proprietary software. Occupants can enter the room immediately after decontamination and there is no risk of exposure to fumes or chemical residue with the UV-D Robot.

For hospitals where patients occupy a room and are unable to leave the room, we offer a UV-C impenetrable shield that acts as a barrier, allowing the decontamination of occupied patient rooms. This is highly effective in ICUs, NICUs, or rooms with multiple occupants, such as the new COVID-19 hospital at the CTICC.

This is what makes the UV-D Robot the number one choice in total decontamination, and the UV-D Robots are now used around the world in hospitals, schools, airports, gyms, banks, offices, and more.

Telepresence Robots

With the instruction by President Ramaphosa to maintain a work-from-home strategy as far as possible, there is a need for advanced technology that still give you a very real human presence in your workplace, while not physically being there.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has fast tracked the adoption of virtual interactions and the telehealth agenda in Africa”, says Burger. For this to be fully adopted and be effective we need a device that is able to support the function.

For this reason, Nexmed has partnered with GoBe Robots to make available the most advanced Telepresence Robot in Africa. GoBe Robots is the sister company to UV-D Robots who both fall under the umbrella of the award-winning company, Blue Ocean Robotics.

GoBe Robots have been responsible for bringing us the Beam and BeamPro series of telepresence robots but are now launching their flagship telepresence robot in just 27 days, namely the GoBe Robot.

The GoBe Robot will feature the most advanced present-day technologies which are fundamental to adopting a telepresence program in your hospital or commercial space. The GoBe Robot is not like a static teleconference system or other mobile media device (laptop, cell phone). Instead, it provides a very real human presence with the ability to be remotely controlled from any location.

“I had the privilege recently of controlling the device in Denmark from my office in Cape Town and engage with individuals in Denmark with perfect clarity as if I was there in person”, says Jonathan Burger, CEO of Nexmed Healthcare Solutions.

The GoBe telepresence robot will allow individuals to engage at their premises of interest from home. It will allow for seamless virtual office tours, virtual meetings, virtual training, virtual Doctor consultations and more. It will also allow for reduced travels between regions.

All these factors play a significant part in reducing travel and increasing social distancing, which has a direct impact on reducing the spread of COVID-19.

It has a very special application in healthcare where Doctors will be able to conduct remote virtual consultations with patients or other specialists. It will also reduce the need for Doctors to do in-person consultations with patients who are isolated due to COVID-19, thereby drastically reducing the exposure risk and thus the spread of COVID-19.

We also face a challenge when it come to PPE shortages. The GoBe Robot will reduce this burden significantly as less PPE will be used due to virtual patient consultations as opposed to in person.

Nexmed Healthcare Solutions is at the forefront of bringing these advanced robotic technologies to Africa. For more information on the devices and other products or services offered by Nexmed, please contact the on: info@nexmedhealth.co.za or visit their various social media pages.

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The spread of Covid-19 has spurred a swift response in most sectors and the Covid-19 battle has just become robotic. With tech leading the charge in a lot of instances with apps, new types of facemasks and social distancing mechanisms to name a few. 

One type of product that we are seeing gaining more traction is the use of robots using UV light to disinfect spaces. In this unfamiliar territory we find ourselves waiting for a vaccine to be created and approved, robots could play a significant role in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and many other airborne viruses and bacteria in the health sector.

With parts of the economy being reopened, more people returning to work and schools being reopened, there has never been a better time to consider the use of UV-D disinfection robots, with the use of its short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) lamps that can disinfect theatre units, and rooms in general in just eight minutes.

The UV-D robot uses eight full-length UV-C lamps with 360° coverage, which operate only in the germicidal wavelength of 253.7 nm. Each lamp generates 5J a second of UV-C energy. There is always a minimum of four lamps facing any given surface within 1m, totaling a minimal intensity of 20 J/m2 per second.

The UV-D robot also comes with three-dimensional (3D) cameras and proprietary software to carry out its disinfection. It can also freely reposition its UV-C emitter mounted on top of the robot platform within a defined area to negate shadowing and closeness to a surface. The repositioning can be repeated in ensuring the maximum UV-C intensity is radiated onto all surfaces and cubic meters of air.

The UV-D robot has a significant presence abroad and was brought to Africa in late last year to help fight the rapid spread of viruses in already overburdened facilities. This has made the UV-D robot a vital tool for hospitals and clinics in third world countries with already strained healthcare systems.

“The UV-D robot is very effective in destroying microorganisms by destroying their nucleic acid and disrupting their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and leaving them unable to perform critical cellular functions. It does this in rapid time with sufficient power to generate between a log 3- and log 6-reduction, depending on the exposure time.

“This creates a near-sterile environment, which could otherwise not be achieved with manual interventions. There are only so many places a human or a cleaning instrument can reach in a typical eight to ten-minute cleaning regime.” Said Jonathan Burger, Nexmed Healthcare Solutions  CEO.

UV-D disinfection robots, use short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) lamps that can disinfect theatre units, and rooms in general in 8 minutes.

The UV-D robot operates in a way that it can enter a room autonomously and destroy the virus on surfaces and air before a person enters. It is able to move less than 1 m from surfaces to ensure most of the contents in the room that come into contact with UV-C are disinfected. Cleaning the robot is also hassle free and only requires a wipe-down with a high-level disinfection solution.

The UV-D robot is highly recommended as it does not clean, sanitize but disinfects. Cleaning is the process of removing visible debris, dirt, and dust. While sanitizing reduces, not kills, the number, and growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. And the act of disinfection kills microscopic organisms (germs, viruses, fungi) on surfaces and in the air up to 99.99%.

Burger also added that with level 3 lockdown now in place and many industries returning to work the robot becomes an ally as it is able to disinfect in rapid time, multiple times a week up to 99.999%, leaving the facility aseptic and removing all harmful pathogens. Unlike alternatives like fogging, it requires no harmful chemicals which create health risks due to long term exposure. It also requires no human labour or lengthy disinfection cycles.

“It is also safe to enter the room immediately after disinfection where most fogging agents require at least 2-6 hours of ventilation time before a person can re-enter, which is disruptive to business.  We are seeing international use of the UV-D Robot across industries like hospitals, doctor’s rooms, and clinics, airports, hotels, schools, gyms, shopping centres, retail stores, banks, offices, and more.” Added Burger.

The UV-D robot currently works with a programmed map and it carries out the disinfection autonomously. But it does require a person to confirm that the area is safe to carry out the disinfection via a pre-inspection checklist built into the tablet. The robot allows up to 10 devices to be operated by a single individual.

The UV-D robot has also won many prestigious awards in recent years.

2020

• Blue Ocean Robotics and subsidiaries UV-D Robots, GoBe Robots named “European Champion” in the development and commercialization of service robots for professionals (B2B) by Frost & Sullivan.
• Blue Ocean Robotics and UVD Robots wins the European Robot Industry Award, “euRobotics Tech Transfer Award, 2020”.
• Blue Ocean Robotics and subsidiaries UV-D Robots, GoBe Robots awarded with participation in Tech Tour Growth 50, which is a shortlist of Europe’s leading super-scale companies in the tech industry.

2019

• Blue Ocean Robotics and UV-D Robots wins one of the robotics industry’s biggest international awards, the IERA Award 2019
• Blue Ocean Robotics is a finalist in the competition to become Robot Company of the Year in Denmark
• Technology Denmark honours Blue Ocean Robotics for its contribution to the Enterprise Pact to attract and develop talent

2016

• Blue Ocean Robotics is in the top 3 of the Startup World Award for UV-D Robots at the AUTOMATICA Fair in Munich

Manufactured by UV-D Robots in Denmark and sold exclusively by Nexmed Healthcare Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since its inception, it has been highly recommended by clinics and hospitals and has gained a lot of exposure since the Covid-19 outbreak. For many individuals. The UV-D robot brings a sense of relief to many all over the world with its ability to disinfect rooms at such a rapid pace.

The GoBe Robot, the world’s newest and most advanced telepresence robot launches in 28 days and will be available in Africa via Nexmed. This will allow healthcare workers to interact directly with patients without physically being there and without the risk of being infected. We have already seen global shortages of PPE (Masks, Gloves etc.) Allowing doctors and nurses to consult with patients virtually negates the need to wear these items and thus save money and PPE in the long run.

New innovations such as these are bolstering the fight against Covid-19 and will definitely be around long after as the world wises up to all the ways technology can safeguard against so many things that the eye cannot even see.

For more information contact: +27 78 440 0805, email info@nexmedhealth.co.za

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Technology is at the forefront of helping people globally adjust as we all navigate the new normal. Nexmed, the strategic partner to UV-D Robots for Sub-Saharan Africa, is bringing some of the most cutting edge of these new technologies here.

Among those that have arrived is the UV-D Robot. It is able to decontaminate 18 000m2 in two and a half hours – that’s two and a half football pitches in less time than it takes to play two football matches.

With the current pandemic severely over-stretching hospitals and making our shared spaces no-go areas, an intervention such as this is a game-changer.

Nexmed CEO Jonathan Burger says: “We manage the entire process end-to-end from importation, to delivery, to training, installation, testing and commissioning.  With the current pandemic and lockdown we have successfully completed remote installations.

“The UV-D Robots are highly effective in destroying pathogens including the Coronavirus and is thus a highly effective instrument in decontaminating hospitals up to 99.999%.  This assists not only now with the Coronavirus pandemic but post COVID-19 with a host of other serious superbugs like MRSA, VRE, CRE, Candida, C.Diff and more.”

How does it work?

The robots are equipped with UV-C light which is germicidal. This means it deactivates the DNA of bacteria, virus and other pathogens and thus destroys their ability to multiply and cause disease. In short, when the organism tries to replicate, it dies.

To put it into perspective – the robot, once programmed with the layout of, say, a surgical theatre, can decontaminate it remotely in just over eight minutes. This means, there is no need for workers to endanger themselves by going into a potentially contaminated area and the process has a significant impact on the reduction of hospital acquired infections (HAI) with some international counterparts seeing between a 40% and 80% reduction in HAI’s, says Burger.

Consider this, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and including the University of Cape Town (UCT), in South Africa it is estimated that around 146 000 surgeries will be cancelled including 12 000 oncology procedures due to the pandemic.

“Each additional week of disruption to hospital services results in an additional 12 000 surgeries being cancelled,” wrote Professor Bruce Biccard, second chair in the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Cape Town in a recent article.

Its applications for a time such as this – and beyond – are legion.

As Burger says: “The main objectives of the UV-D Robot is to drastically reduce harmful pathogens in a particular area, thereby actively contributing significantly to a safer environment for people, whether this is in a hospital setting, or commercial setting, or school, hotel, airport, etc.”

Fast-tracking Africa’s digital transformation

Burger says that Nexmed’s motto is caring through innovation. “Our mission is to always represent, invent, develop or co-create solutions that impact the health of individuals positively, whether that be exclusively in healthcare or farther reaching.

“As a company we are excited to bring best-in-class technologies to Africa as they emerge internationally, or at the same time locally produce such disruptive innovation as they emerge internationally.  We are looking to play a significant part in fast tracking Africa’s exposure and adoption to digital transformation for the overall benefit of advancing healthcare.”

Another of Nexmed’s technologies is the GoBe One Telepresence Robot. Its main purpose, says Burger, is to connect individuals seamlessly while maintaining the human touch.

“Given the new ‘work from home’ strategy to be adopted by a large part of the workforce, many individuals still require to be hands on within their premises, to have meetings, to have insight into their facilities and to communicate as if they were there.  The GoBe One allows this.

“It has a very special application in healthcare whereby it will assist healthcare providers in virtual/remote consultations thereby reducing their exposure to any harmful pathogens.  Due to virtual/remote consultations the healthcare provider will need to utilize less PPE thereby reducing the need.

“We have seen a significant burden placed on the sourcing and providing of PPE, particularly in our public facilities. The GoBe One will therefore aid in saving lives by reducing pathogen exposure.”

For Burger, bringing the technology to the continent was about improving the care patients receive as well as make the experience of caregiving safer. The UV-D robot is used in 50 African countries already and he believes its time is now.

“I believe both the UV-D Robot and GoBe Robot are geared for a time like this.  If we understand the significant challenges we face to maintain decontamination (not sanitization) and social-distancing in hospitals and in the workplace, we realize that both of these devices offer immense value as an ally in achieving these goals, and assisting the workforce in maintaining a safe environment for all.”

A short history of Nexmed’s robots

UV-D Robots ApS was founded in 2016 by Blue Ocean Robotics with the objective of globally commercializing robots based on UV Disinfection solutions for hospitals, hence the name. The incorporation of the company followed a Private Public Innovation project starting in 2014, where Blue Ocean Robotics and Odense University Hospital OUH in partnership with other hospitals in Denmark, developed the first prototype of the UV-Disinfection Robot, with the objective of preventing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) for the benefit of patients, hospital staff and associated healthcare costs.

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The Coronavirus pandemic will forever change the way we do things. The future for those returning to work will look very different to before, with emphasis on distancing, sanitization and disinfection. There is now a momentous obligation on the part of employers to provide a safe, decontaminated environment for their employees.

Words like social distancing, sanitization, and disinfection have become the new buzz words around the world. What was once regarded as a regime mostly used in the healthcare industry, will now become the new normal in everyday life.

What needs to be understood however is that cleaning does not mean disinfection. The once-standard “cleaning practices” of institutions will be elevated to include disinfection, and will become an integrated process across industries; from shops to hotels, to airports, to schools, to hospitals, to transport and to old age homes to name but a few.

Whilst cleaning generally refers to the removal of dirt and debris without necessarily removing harmful pathogens, sanitization refers to reducing pathogens, but not removing them in totality. Disinfection on the other hand is the process of killing pathogens like bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses that exist on surfaces and in the air up to 99.999%, thus decontaminating an area. Regular disinfection is essential in preventing the spread of harmful pathogens.

By simply cleaning or sanitizing, harmful microbes (pathogens) that result in illness can remain on surfaces and floors after wiping and mopping. In fact, they live on cleaning materials and as such can be spread around a facility unknowingly, a term known as cross-contamination.

Disinfection generally requires very highly trained cleaning staff who understand infection prevention and control strategies. It often takes a significant amount of time, human labor, and high costs to achieve a decontamination level of 99.999%; that was however before the launch of the UV-D Robot in Africa.

The UV-D Robot is a fully autonomous UV-C emitting robot. It is clinically validated to reduce the most known pathogens to near zero, creating an aseptic environment with every disinfection. The UV-D Robot can obtain between 99.999% and 99.9999% irradiation of pathogens depending on time and exposure.

Whilst there are many alternatives on the market like vaporized/dry mist hydrogen peroxide or static UV-C devices, they have significant limitations and even pose health risks due to long term exposure. These alternatives do not offer an efficient, cost-effective method of decontamination, often resulting in lengthy disinfection cycles, non-validated results and no exposure to the disinfected area for hours after decontamination.

The UV-D Robot is currently the number 1 recommended UV-C device because of its autonomy, intelligent robotics, and high-power UV-C output. Boasting 8 full-length lamps which are capped at 253.7nm (germicidal range), it can move to less than 1 meter from a surface or object, allowing maximum exposure to UV-C, with 4 lamps facing any given direction at all times. In mere drive-by mode of 10cm per second, the UV-D Robot can achieve a log 3 reduction, which is sufficient to destroy the most harmful pathogens.

The UV-D Robot has won multiple awards, including the “Oscar of robotics”, namely the IERA Award in 2019. Manufactured by UV-D Robots in Denmark and sold exclusively by Nexmed Healthcare Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the UV-D Robot has gained immense exposure since the outbreak of COVID-19. The UV-D Robot has been featured multiple times by Forbes as one of the top technologies in the fight against the Coronavirus, as well as further features around the globe.

We have seen the installation of UV-D Robots all over the world in all settings, from airports, to train stations, to schools, to offices, to hospitals, and more. There is no limit to where the UV-D Robot can be used provided that proper safety measures relating to UV-C exposure are managed.

A single UV-D Robot is capable of disinfecting 18 000m2 in just 2.5 hours with nearly no human intervention, other than the original map which is pre-programmed based on the facility layout. This time can be further reduced to mere minutes with more UV-D Robots onsite. The occupants can enter the room immediately after decontamination, unlike other alternatives. Software and UV-C dosimeters are also provided to validate the disinfection process as this is vital to ensure the area is properly decontaminated.

The reality is that we are dealing with a very serious “superbug” when it comes to SARS-CoV-2 and therefore we need to ensure that we put our trust in an effective disinfection device; one that can be easily integrated into everyday life while still providing the highest level of disinfection available today. For this, the UV-D Robot comes highly recommended.

Around the world, we have seen the reinvigoration of UV-C as one of the dominant forms of decontamination during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has sparked further studies into the use of “far-UVC” which is a particular type of UV with a wavelength of around 220nm. It has a very short range in biological material so that it cannot penetrate the dead-cell layer at the surface of our skin, nor can it penetrate our eyes.

Because of the stringent and urgent need for disinfection that can be easily integrated into standard cleaning protocols with high-level effectiveness and minimum disruption, we will see more need for the UV-D Robot.

Many individuals are hesitant and even fearful to return to work or schools, given the dangers of COVID-19 and how easily the virus can be contracted. The UV-D Robot will allow for a certain amount of normalization in everyday life as it disinfects at a rapid pace, multiple times a day. We will see the use of it as an everyday instrument in preventing infections and improving the wellbeing and morale of individuals.

We know that other than effective disinfection, social distancing also plays a vital role in flattening the curve. For this reason, businesses have been encouraged to adopt a “work from home” strategy. We understand how difficult this is as many members of staff are required to be onsite in order to have an effective oversite of tasks or processes. We also understand that those at significant risk of exposure are healthcare providers but applying social distancing to patients in a hospital setting is near impossible.

For this reason, we have taken great joy in further expanding our product range by sourcing the world’s most advanced Telepresence Robot. We understand that virtual meetings and consultations will become a significant part of everyday life, and may become a primary means of conducting meetings, training, physician consultations, seminars, among others.

The Telepresence Robot will allow members of staff to have a very real human presence at their facilities without physically being there.

The Telepresence Robot will further allow healthcare providers to reduce their exposure to the virus by conducting virtual consultations with patients from a remote room in the facility or elsewhere. This has a further positive effect on the demand for PPE, as healthcare providers will use less PPE than before by doing virtual interactions.

The brand new, best-in-class Telepresence Robot is due to launch in Europe in the coming days and we are excited to be part of quickening international technology to the African market. Like the UV-D Robot, this Telepresence Robot is the most advanced device of its kind on the market today, featuring never before seen technologies in a telepresence device.

The combined use of these technologies offers significant mitigation against the risks of contracting the Coronavirus. In addition, they offer a very real help in a time of need. Lastly, they offer protection and peace of mind to the people we care for, which is everyone we come in contact with.

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