The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Give product a hand
Device washes away any excuses for having unsanitary hands
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: November 29, 2007
A small device is having a big impact on personal hygiene at Chelsea Community Hospital.
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Called the "Pure-Go," it resembles a silicone bubble worn on the wrist, and contains an alcohol-based sanitizing gel that is rubbed on the hands to keep them clean and germ-free.
And when your job consists of visiting patient after patient, it's an extra measure of confidence.
"Every time you enter and exit a patient's room you must use it, as well as before and after any procedure," sad Ray Faitel, a registered respiratory therapist at Chelsea Community Hospital.
Faitel has been using the device constantly since the hospital began distributing them to staff about a year ago.
"Just press on it and it squirts out the amount you need, and rub it in until your hands are dry," he said. "Once it's filled, it lasts me for about eight patients."
That ease of use — along with its high degree of effectiveness — has led to the Pure-Go becoming a pretty hot item among hospital workers.
"If you set it down, you'll lose it; they're very popular," Faitel said. "But there are hundreds of them around here; you can just draw another one from supply. They're only $5."
The device was invented by Jeff Powers, who went on to form a company in Plymouth, Purgo Creations Inc., to manufacture and sell them.
"We sold it to the Chelsea Community Hospital in January this year," Powers said. "The hospital is pretty excited about how much it helps their nurses and doctors keep their hands clean and free from the dangerous germs that are found in most hospitals."
The company holds two patents on the device, and has three additional patent applications.
There are many uses for the Pure-Go, both professionally and personally.
Professionals such as health-care workers at hospitals, doctor's offices, assisted living facilities and clinics can benefit from the ability to instantly sanitize their hands while attending to patients.
For the everyday user, Pure-Go provides a convenient and discreet way to sanitize hands throughout the day at work, school, or travel.
Powers said he came up with the idea in 1999 when traveling abroad extensively on business.
At first the company targeted an obvious market, health-care workers, but in January it plans to branch out considerably.
"Food handlers such as caterers, restaurant workers and fast-food employees would also be ideal candidates to utilize the Pure-Go," Powers said. "It can be a great benefit to many other professionals such as teachers, flight attendants and emergency services personnel."
Other markets include the travel industry, schools, home health care, cruise ships and casinos.
Right now, however, the Pure-Go has found a home in the hospital.
"It's one extra thing to prevent the spread of germs, and it seems to be working," said Phyllis Stutzman, Director of Infectious Disease Control at CCH.
"It gives people around here a choice in what to use," she added. "It's whatever works for them; they might have to clean their hands 100 times a day."
For some hospital workers it may not be as convenient, because the wrist-worn device might get caught on something, Stutzman noted. "That's why we have bottles of sanitizer everywhere."
The Pure-Go comes along at a very convenient time due to the growing concern over something known as MRSA.
Multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a nasty little "superbug" responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans, and is particularly troublesome in hospital settings.
"The alcohol is very helpful with MRSA, because there's nothing to pass on to other patients," Stutzman said.
"It's an alcohol-based gel, and the Centers for Disease Control specifies at least a 62 percent alcohol content is needed to kill germs."
All that constant washing can be hard on the hands, so the Pure-Go's alcohol-based gel solution comes with a little bonus.
"It also has moisturizers in it to keep your hands from getting too dry," Stutzman said.
"Having it as convenient as you can make it helps considerably."
For more information on the Pure-Go hand sanitizer or the company, visit purgo-creations.com.
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