Northwell rolls out PurpleSun ultraviolet technology at 2 hospitals 

Northwell Health said Thursday that two of its hospitals are now using a patented technology that blasts pathogens with ultraviolet light to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

This new light-based technology, developed by Long Island City-based PurpleSun, has been rolled out at two Northwell hospitals – Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and Staten Island University Hospital's north campus.

Operating room staff, environmental services and infection prevention personnel at Northern Westchester and Staten Island University Hospital were trained on the use of the technology in August, and the devices are being used in 11 operating rooms at Northern Westchester, and 10 operating rooms and one cystoscopy room in Staten Island.

Northwell Health already has an established relationship with PurpleSun. Northwell Ventures, the health system's for-profit subsidiary, last year invested $3 million in the company.

A study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) showed that PurpleSun’s patented, wavelength delivery system eliminated up to 97.7%  of pathogens in a live operating room setting.

New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, with 70,000 employees, is the largest private employer in New York.