An Irish robotics startup 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, the Northallerton hospital, which is part of the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 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.
Working in tandem with the strong team of environmental services staff, the robots serve as a powerful tool to enable the hospital to decontaminate rooms with a quicker turnaround time.
Niamh Donnelly, Co-Founder and Chief Robotics Officer of 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.”
Frontline staff, working with Akara, have created a bespoke workflow 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 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 Friends of Friarage for funding our continued collaboration. It is massively exciting to work with absolutely cutting-edge robotic decontamination units and be right at the forefront of innovation.”
Conor McGinn, CEO of Akara and Professor at 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.”
Earlier this year, Akara was accepted into the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator in Los Angeles, a program 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. In September, the company was also recognised as the Best Newcomer at the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) Annual Conference.
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 next year designed to help hospitals reclaim lost time in their surgical departments, improving efficiency and patient throughput.
