Leiden University study reports Ryberg UV-C robot met disinfection acceptance criteria

Robotics and Automation News reported on October 28, 2026, that Leiden University researchers evaluated Ryberg Healthcare’s autonomous UV-C disinfection robot, Omnia, and found it met disinfection acceptance criteria. In a laboratory furnished to simulate a hospital environment, the robot achieved a reduction of more than 7 log in E. coli during autonomous operation, against a standard requiring a reduction of at least 5 log, the report said.

The study reported a reduction of more than 7 log in E. coli during autonomous operation in a hospital-like laboratory, compared with 4.0 log in stationary tests. The data point to the need to compare not only stationary irradiation but also how a device moves and its actual treatment results in environments with obstructions when selecting UV-C disinfection equipment.

The evaluation focused not only on the output of the UV-C source but also on how the robot’s movement affected irradiation of surfaces targeted for disinfection. According to the report, in a comparison using the same disinfection time and light intensity, autonomous operation produced a greater reduction than stationary operation, particularly in partially shadowed areas. E. coli was reduced by 4.0 log in stationary tests, below the 5-log benchmark, while autonomous operation achieved a reduction of more than 7 log, the report said. Within the scope of this comparison, the results suggest that changes in irradiation position as the robot moved may have affected treatment outcomes, including in shadowed areas where bacteria are more likely to remain during stationary operation. However, the reported results do not allow a quantitative assessment of the robot’s route or the distribution of irradiation levels. The tests were also conducted in a laboratory furnished to simulate a hospital. In addition to E. coli, the report found a reduction of more than 5 log in Pseudomonas putida, used as a model for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a reduction of more than 7 log in Bacillus subtilis, a model for gram-positive bacteria, under the “Deep” setting. Exceeding the benchmark for multiple indicator bacteria provides evidence beyond results for a single species. However, these were laboratory measurements using indicator bacteria and should be distinguished from results demonstrating performance in actual hospital rooms or reduced infection rates among patients. The report does not establish an effect on infection rates in clinical settings. The question for adoption is how to connect laboratory reduction values with treatment conditions in the field. The report does not cover irradiation and movement conditions under different room layouts and obstacles, whether results are reproducible across multiple runs, or operating time and safety checks in real-world settings. The study’s finding that the robot met the benchmark is therefore one measure of performance, but assessing its suitability for use in medical facilities and its effectiveness as an infection-control measure would require separate validation in real-world environments and confirmation of the conditions involved.