Staff of the RHH Central Sterilising Department (CSD) will have a safer, healthier workplace with an ergonomically designed new unit and Australia’s first CSD robots.

From today, K-Block’s new CSD will begin cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical instruments and equipment.

Two Lynx robotic automated guided vehicles will be there to support staff by delivering around 100 000 packed instrument trays that will be used across the RHH each year to the sterilisers, reducing repetitious lifting.

This is a first for the RHH which is also the first Australian hospital to use the robots.

Staff health and safety has been at the forefront of the CSD design which includes height adjustable sinks and workstations.

The modern CSD has significantly more space than the old unit and has new equipment to the RHH including an automated chemical dosing system, de-boxing area, dedicated state-of-the-art loan-set equipment room and electronic instrument tracker.

CSD is an infection-controlled, restricted area in K-Block Level 5.

CSD and operating theatre staff amenities are also provided on K5 including change rooms, lockers and staff room with kitchen facilities.

The CSD supports the existing nine operating theatres and inpatient and outpatient services in the RHH and five new operating theatres, procedure room, angiography and cardiac cath lab in  K-Block along with several other health facilities in Hobart.

The CSD has three precincts: the dirty area that includes the decontamination areas, washers and dryers; the clean area which includes storage, assembly areas, sterilisers; and the cooling and sterile stock area.

The Lynx robotic automated guided vehicle robots were developed by Omron in conjunction with Atherton.

The partnership of medical manufacturers/suppliers Atherton and Device Technologies Australia delivered $2.8 million in new CSD equipment for K-Block.

See the Lynx robotic automated guided vehicle robot in the video K-Block for staff (at 2.46 mins).

17 Jun 2020