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We are very pleased to report that feedback from initial hospital trials of our latest invention, the patented In-line Thermal Disinfection Unit or ILTDU has been highly favourable: Pseudomonas cfu counts at problem outlets have, time and again, been reduced to zero following a single treatment.
In addition, the local presence, easy operation and routine use of the ILTDU has allowed for the removal of the costly point of use (POU) filters that were previously used as a protective measure at the contaminated outlets. Although POU filters do not allow harmful pathogens to pass from the water system to the hands of healthcare workers and beyond, it stands to reason that a local concentration of accumulated pathogens in the filter, just upstream from the point of use and still in contact with the water system, can actually accelerate contamination further up the line. Our findings also indicate that POU filters are not exempt from retrograde contamination from the local environment – which can also result in continuously high cfu counts.
Experts in microbiology have said that POU filters should only really be considered as a temporary ‘sticking plaster’ until the source of the contamination is identified and removed (it could be poor or inconsistent cleaning or hygiene practices leading to increased retrograde contamination or issues with an old pipework system that has had intermittent and insufficient remedial works). HTM 04-01 also warns of their use:
'Continuous long-term use of point-of-use filters is not recommended, except where there is no effective alternative’ (HTM 04-01 Part A, Page 10 Para 5.16.).
Our ILTDU has already proven itself to be a highly effective alternative to the costly use of POU filters, which, generally, must be changed every 30 days with replacement costs averaging £80 a go. For a single outlet, this equates to £960 per annum, yet doesn't actually address the problem! Relative to these costs, an ILTDU installed upstream of every 'problem' outlet could pay for itself within 4 months - even accommodating the cost of the extra hot water used for every thermal disinfection event. The savings that can be achieved in avoided patient infections is difficult, if not impossible, to measure, however, the cost of disposable POU filters over the course of 1 year would be approximately 6.5 times the combined capital and operational cost of our ILTDU. And the added benefit? The ILTDU addresses the problem, not the symptom. Need we say more?
For further information please have a look at our narrated animation that describes the need for the ILTDU, how it works and safety considerations. For a full demonstration, please get in touch via our Contact Form.
