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You can name San Antonio's one-of-a-kind germ-fighting robot, aimed at preventing coronavirus

San Antonio International Airport is the first in the country to purchase and deploy the Xenex LightStrike robot. A naming contest is in the works, too.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio International Airport just got a new gadget; its sole purpose is to deactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.

The airport is the first to purchase the Xenex LightStrike robot and first to deploy it, too. It works by "using environmentally-friendly pulsed xenon" and can disinfect an area in less than 10-15 minutes without warm-up or cool-down time, according to airport officials.

The portable robot known for being the only one to have ultraviolet (UV) room disinfection technology proven to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can disinfect high-traffic areas without a disruption to passengers.

It's being operated by the airport’s terminal services staff virtually everywhere in the airport - from jet bridges, gate areas, ticketing counters, baggage claim, concessions, elevators and restrooms. The target areas are high-touch surfaces and places with high volumes of traffic.

Credit: San Antonio International Airport

“The health and safety of our employees and passengers has always been our number-one priority,” Jesus Saenz, Jr., Director of Airports for the City of San Antonio, said. “The acquisition of the Xenex LightStrike robot is just the latest innovative enhancement to our daily operations and efforts to ensure that traveling through San Antonio International Airport is the easiest and safest experience passengers can encounter.”

It works by using bursts of intense UV light to destroy hard-to-kill viruses and bacteria found in common places and hard-to-clean spaces. The LightStrike technology is already used in healthcare facilities to destroy microscopic pathogens often found on high-touch surfaces that can cause healthcare associated infections.

In testing performed at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute – one of the world’s leading independent research institutes working exclusively on infectious diseases – the LightStrike robot destroyed SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in two minutes.

“COVID-19 nearly caused the aviation industry to stop in its tracks,” said Dr. Mark Stibich, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Xenex. “Planning for the disinfection of public spaces – especially commercial airports – is a major priority to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Putting an effective infection prevention infrastructure in place is essential, and we are proud to partner with San Antonio International Airport in leading the aviation industry in this effort.”

In 2012, city leaders recruited Xenex’s headquarters and manufacturing operations from Austin to San Antonio.

“I am excited to see the use of innovative technology at the airport to address the ever-evolving challenges in the fight against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “Our aviation team’s forward-looking moves, such as using this UV disinfection technology and partnering with San Antonio-based Xenex, will position our city well for economic growth now and in the years to come.”

The airport plans to hold a city-wide naming contest to name the LightStrike Robot as part of the airport’s social media efforts. The airport wants to increase consumer confidence in commercial air travel and reduce fears of contracting COVID-19 while at the airport.

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