Our Backstory
Our Journey to Healthcare
As we began building cleaning systems for hospitals, we realized that many of the decontamination technologies used in other industries had not yet been applied to healthcare.
In fact, one of our first observations was that in healthcare, “clean” was described more as a process than a result – for example, rather than stating that a surgical device needs to achieve *this* level of cleanliness, the cleaning process was defined by guidelines specifying how long to clean and which chemicals to use - with no way to ensure that specific results were achieved.
"Clean" as an Outcome
In other industries, the process to achieve “clean” is less important than the ultimate outcome: A “clean” result is something that can be observed and quantified.
Through a joint effort with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, we actually began looking inside surgical devices that had been manually cleaned and sterilized following the manufacturer’s recommended procedures. Photos were captured from the interior lumens of these tools, and protein and hemoglobin contents were measured. In each case, we found bioburden remaining inside of the tools. This was alarming because in many cases, a sterile crust had formed on top of bioburden and microorganisms below that layer were still active – a possible source of infection.
As a result of this study, we began aggressively attacking the issue of cleaning and decontamination as it related to healthcare acquired infections (HAIs). With our experiences from other industries, we knew how to build automated machines to clean even the most intricate parts with consistent results.
Focus on Clean Results
In healthcare, minimally invasive surgical instruments are among the most challenging items to clean due to their narrow lumens and delicate structures. To tackle this problem, we built the Tempest – a fully automated cleaning and decontamination system for cannulated surgical instruments.
The Tempest utilizes cleaning technology from the automotive industry and a unique two-phase water-air flush that is used in the oil and HVAC industries to remove trapped contaminants that cannot be removed with brushing. The Tempest also uses bacteria-killing technology that we developed for the food and beverage industry to disinfect reusable plastic water bottles.
Product Developments
On the fabrication side of our business, we have begun using EPA-approved CuVerro® copper alloys to replace stainless steel for high-touch items – such as table tops, carts trays, IV poles, and clipboards. Surfaces made from CuVerro® antimicrobial copper alloys kill 99.9% of bacteria within two hours.* Midbrook Medical is proud to be registered with the EPA as a manufacturer of these products because these items play a role in patient protection.
Other patient protection items include our MediCount ATP Testing Kits that are used to validate the cleanliness of the environment, and our Fall Prevention Kits that help a facility proactively protect patients who are at risk of injuries from falling.
We also offer hospitals and clinics many cost-saving alternatives to buying and servicing equipment. Our full line of Sterilblue Refurbished Equipment guarantees “like new” with “like-new” warranties for a fraction of the cost. Most facilities save 30-70% from buying refurbished equipment.
Likewise, we offer a Comprehensive Service Program (CSP) that protects all of the equipment in a facility under one contract – versus maintaining individual service agreements with a number of different vendors. Facilities that sign up for the CSP can save as much as 20% in the first year.
