The effectiveness of a sanitation and/or disinfection system does not only depend on the method and type of products used, but also on another determining factor: the human factor. In fact, the intervention of an operator can condition the outcome of the sanitization process of the environment. Today, technological innovation allows us to have efficient “no touch” sanitization systems available, capable of operating without human intervention. 

We at AMIL Care think it is important to have a thorough knowledge of “no touch” disinfection and want to dedicate this article to various professionals, especially the hygiene office managers of various companies, hospitals, and non-hospitals. 

What is “no touch” disinfection?

“No touch” disinfection consists of an automated system, which therefore does not require the intervention of any operator. 

The automatic “no touch” disinfection treatments can take place through different methods, which differ in terms of active agent, delivery method, effectiveness, procedure time, and ease of use, including: 

  • use of water vapor; 
  • nebulization of disinfectant products based on hydrogen peroxide; 
  • UV emission system. 

All these methods are united by “no touch” disinfection technologies, designed to eliminate any risk associated with operator intervention. In fact, the experience and skill of the operator can affect the final outcome of the operation, risking not guaranteeing the standards of disinfection required in some facilities such as hospitals. 

Thanks to the advancement of technological innovation, it has been possible to realize “no touch” sanitization systems and overcome the limits of “traditional” cleaning and disinfection carried out by an operator. 

Microbiological studies report that conventional disinfection methods rarely completely eliminate pathogens from surfaces. It is therefore clear that in all those situations where the elimination of pathogens is required, resorting to disinfection treatments carried out by operators is not sufficient. 

Hydrogen peroxide in “no touch” disinfection 

One of the possible uses of “no touch” disinfection is the nebulization of disinfectant chemicals through special automated dispensing devices. Among the most used sanitizing agents is hydrogen peroxide, which has several advantages: 

  • it is universally known that products based on this active ingredient are effective on bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, and biofilm, allowing for a complete disinfectant action; 
  • hydrogen peroxide has a natural decay into oxygen and water. These two elements are not harmful and leave no residue; 
  • the hydrogen peroxide-based solutions nebulized in the environment do not wet or leave traces on the surfaces. In this way there is no risk for users to damage the materials of the treated surfaces; 
  • after a disinfection treatment with hydrogen peroxide-based products, no additional operation is required, nor is it necessary to ventilate the premises, it is sufficient to spend the recommended waiting time. 

 Why choose “no touch” disinfection?

The advantages of “no touch” disinfection start first of all from the possibility of standardization and automation of the process, thus excluding the possibility of human error. This implies that all the phases that make up the “no touch” sanitization system, such as dispensing intervals, treatment duration, and product concentration, are perfectly controllable and replicable. 

Another aspect that should not be underestimated is the ability of “no touch” sanitization systems to reach even the most difficult and inaccessible surfaces for manual disinfection. In particular, in the case of the use of nebulizing devices for environments, the disinfectant product spreads homogeneously, working by environmental saturation and thus disinfecting all exposed surfaces. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of sanitizing environments and their surfaces, on which viral particles can settle, forming a thin film. Simply coming into contact with the contaminated surface is enough to infect the hands and risk being infected and carrying the virus. 

Surface contamination is a critical issue with important consequences also in the healthcare sector, in relation to healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Adequate disinfection of environments and surfaces, even in the most difficult-to-reach points, is, therefore, part of an important method of preventing the spread of these types of infections in hospital wards. 

It is now known that the reduction of microbial loads and viruses is significantly more effective than traditional sanitization methods, carried out by an operator. However, it should be remembered that in order to achieve an optimal level of sanitization, it is still important to precede the specific disinfectant treatment with “no touch” technology by thorough cleaning, including manual cleaning. 

Medisystem: AMIL Care’s “no touch” solution

AMIL Care, a company that has always focused on technological development, has integrated “no touch” disinfection into its offering of patented and certified systems, thus ensuring standardizable protocols independent of human intervention. 

The Medisystem associates automated dispensing devices with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant chemicals, which are dispensed in constant quantities and cadences, following the assigned protocol. Thanks to these characteristics, Medisystem represents a safe response to the need for the prevention and control of healthcare-related infections. The system is also available for applications in all other sectors (food, hospitality, public use environments) where it is necessary to contain microbiological environmental contamination. 

Consisting of a delivery device, Medibios (Class I Medical Device), and a disinfectant product based on hydrogen peroxide and sulfated silver, Evolyse (Class IIa Medical Device), the Medisystem system releases a fine micro-nebulization (dry fog) which spreads homogeneously through saturation in closed environments, reaching every surface. 

The innovative patent that distinguishes Medisystem allows it to obtain the complete saturation of the rooms in which it is used and a high level of disinfection. 

Furthermore, Medisystem stands out for the speed of the Medibios device and for its automation. In fact, with every version of Medibios, it is possible to program its activation automatically and monitor the disinfection cycles through reports, which can then be downloaded. 

In the continuous technological evolution, we can already take advantage of the innovation represented by “no touch” sanitization systems, which are increasingly starting to be included in some guidelines, in addition to traditional cleaning and disinfection methods. 

For any information relating to “no touch” disinfection, and to find out about the offer of our products, do not hesitate to contact the AMIL Care staff.