An emergency department physician assistant who created a portable disinfecting machine using UVC light during the pandemic is giving back to the hospital where he came up with the idea.
Robert Thomann was working in the ER at Mount Sinai Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic when he decided to put his electrical engineering degree to use.
“I started making light boxes so we could, the staff could, sanitize our stethoscopes, badges, things like that. And then that turned into I made roll-around towers, so that we could place them in rooms and sanitize rooms after COVID patients were there,” Thomann said.
Thomann then founded BrightBot, a company that makes UVC germicidal towers that come in three sizes, including a tabletop version that he donates to people going through cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
“They can take these home and they can sanitize a room say after somebody comes to visit them,” Thomann said.
The science behind it is simple, using UVC light to sanitize germs and bacteria.
“Anything that the light hits - say viruses or bacteria or any of these one-celled organisms - it breaks down the DNA or the RNA, making them unable to replicate – C. diff, candida auris, MRSA, E. coli, influenza – all of those,” Thomann said.
Health & Wellness
It is technology that Anne Marie Herlehy, assistant chief nursing officer at Sinai Chicago, said the health care system had looked into.
“When we looked at it, the cost of the technology is what kind of was a barrier for us,” Herlehy said.
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That’s why the safety net hospital was thrilled when Thomann donated one of this largest BrightBot machines to help Mount Sinai patient and staff.
“They are very happy to have it, they welcome it and they love that extra layer of protection as well,” said Jackie Sujewicz, an operating room manager at Sinai Chicago.
“This enhances the mechanical cleaning that we do when we turn over the rooms for procedures,” Herlehy said.
Locally made in a warehouse on Chicago's North Side, Thomann’s simple design is intentional, to make it affordable.
“It was bringing together all this stuff that I've learned through my lifetime, so I'm kind of combining it all to help people as much as I can,” Thomann said.
