{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T18:40:46Z","timestamp":1787510446482,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":67,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]],"date-time":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1698796800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Maintaining a microbe-free environment in healthcare facilities has become increasingly crucial for minimizing virus transmission, especially in the wake of recent epidemics like COVID-19. To meet the urgent need for ongoing sterilization, autonomous ultraviolet disinfection (UV-D) robots have emerged as vital tools. These robots are gaining popularity due to their automated nature, cost advantages, and ability to instantly disinfect rooms and workspaces without relying on human labor. Integrating disinfection robots into medical facilities reduces infection risk, lowers conventional cleaning costs, and instills greater confidence in patient safety. However, UV-D robots should complement rather than replace routine manual cleaning. To optimize the functionality of UV-D robots in medical settings, additional hospital and device design modifications are necessary to address visibility challenges. Achieving seamless integration requires more technical advancements and clinical investigations across various institutions. This mini-review presents an overview of advanced applications that demand disinfection, highlighting their limitations and challenges. Despite their potential, little comprehensive research has been conducted on the sterilizing impact of disinfection robots in the dental industry. By serving as a starting point for future research, this review aims to bridge the gaps in knowledge and identify unresolved issues. Our objective is to provide an extensive guide to UV-D robots, encompassing design requirements, technological breakthroughs, and in-depth use in healthcare and dentistry facilities. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of UV-D robots will aid in harnessing their potential to revolutionize infection control practices in the medical and dental fields.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2023.1270959","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]],"date-time":"2023-11-01T12:33:56Z","timestamp":1698842036000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Ultraviolet disinfection (UV-D) robots: bridging the gaps in dentistry"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Visha Shailesh","family":"Pandya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed S.M.","family":"Morsy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali Abdel-Halim Abdel-Azim","family":"Hassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hamed A.","family":"Alshawkani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulelah Sameer","family":"Sindi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khurshid A.","family":"Mattoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vini","family":"Mehta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ankita","family":"Mathur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aida","family":"Meto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1685","DOI":"10.1007\/s11548-020-02232-w","article-title":"Automatic robot-world calibration in an optical-navigated surgical robot system and its application for oral implant placement","volume":"15","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J CARS"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2019.03.005","article-title":"Paradigm of IoT big data analytics in the healthcare industry: a review of scientific literature and mapping of research trends","volume":"41","author":"Saheb","year":"2019","journal-title":"Telemat Inform"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajic.2020.08.022","article-title":"Effectiveness of 222-nm ultraviolet light on disinfecting SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination","volume":"49","author":"Kitagawa","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am J Infect Control"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1186\/s12985-020-01418-7","article-title":"The effect of temperature on persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on common surfaces","volume":"17","author":"Riddell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Virol J"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104332","DOI":"10.1016\/j.robot.2022.104332","article-title":"UV disinfection robots: a review","volume":"161","author":"Mehta","year":"2023","journal-title":"Rob Auton Syst"},{"key":"B6","first-page":"1","article-title":"Portable ultraviolet light surface-disinfecting devices for prevention of hospital-acquired infections: a health technology assessment","volume":"18","author":"Ontario","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ontario Health Technol. Assess. Ser"},{"key":"B7","author":"Fong","year":""},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eabb5589","DOI":"10.1126\/scirobotics.abb5589","article-title":"Combating COVID-19\u2014the role of robotics in managing public health and infectious diseases","volume":"5","author":"Yang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Robot"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.4103\/jioh.jioh_233_20","article-title":"Managing prosthodontic (geriatric) patients during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic","volume":"12","author":"Mattoo","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Int Oral Health"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3572","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16193572","article-title":"Evaluation of an ultraviolet C (UVC) light-emitting device for doi: 10.3390\/ijerph16193572 disinfection of high touch surfaces in hospital critical areas","volume":"16","author":"Casini","year":"2019","journal-title":"IJERPH"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"40394","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-020-11184-2","article-title":"UVC disinfection robot","volume":"28","author":"Guettari","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1186\/s13756-021-00894-y","article-title":"Systematic review on use, cost and clinical efficacy of automated decontamination devices","volume":"10","author":"Dancer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Antimicrob Resist Infect Control"},{"key":"B13","year":"2021"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100123","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpap.2022.100123","article-title":"Characterization of a robot-assisted UV-C disinfection for the inactivation of surface-associated microorganisms and viruses","volume":"11","author":"Fuchs","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Photochem Photobiol"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7704","DOI":"10.1021\/acsnano.0c04596","article-title":"Back to normal: an old physics route to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in indoor spaces","volume":"14","author":"de Abajo FJ","year":"2020","journal-title":"ACS Nano"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2941","DOI":"10.1021\/acsphotonics.0c01245","article-title":"A critical review on ultraviolet disinfection systems against COVID-19 outbreak: applicability, validation, and safety considerations","volume":"7","author":"Raeiszadeh","year":"2020","journal-title":"ACS Photonics"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2021.07.014","article-title":"Disinfection methods against SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review","volume":"119","author":"Martins CP","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Hosp Infect"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2021.05.005","article-title":"The efficacy of ultraviolet light-emitting technology against coronaviruses: a systematic review","volume":"114","author":"Chiappa","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Hosp Infect"},{"key":"B19","author":"Barfoot","year":"2020","journal-title":"Making sense of the robotized pandemic response: a comparison of global and Canadian robot deployments and success factors"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/MRA.2020.3045671","article-title":"Medical robots for infectious diseases: lessons and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic","author":"Di Lallo","year":"2020","journal-title":"arXiv"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eabf1462","DOI":"10.1126\/scirobotics.abf1462","article-title":"Progress in robotics for combating infectious diseases","volume":"6","author":"Gao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Robot"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"332","DOI":"10.1080\/17436753.2019.1666555","article-title":"A preliminary study on a tooth preparation robot","volume":"119","author":"Yuan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Adv Appl Ceram"},{"key":"B23","first-page":"1","author":"Zhang","year":""},{"key":"B24","first-page":"1605","article-title":"Trajectory planning of archwire bending robot","volume":"21","author":"Du","year":"2010","journal-title":"China Mech. Eng"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prosdent.2020.12.048","article-title":"Accuracy of haptic robotic guidance of dental implant surgery for completely edentulous arches","volume":"128","author":"Bolding","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Prosthet Dent"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2011","DOI":"10.1097\/SCS.0000000000008684","article-title":"Collaborative control method and experimental research on robot-assisted craniomaxillofacial osteotomy based on the force feedback and optical navigation","volume":"33","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Craniofac Surg"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1016\/j.medengphy.2019.07.020","article-title":"Pilot study of a surgical robot system for zygomatic implant placement","volume":"75","author":"Cao","year":"2020","journal-title":"Med Eng Phys"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2186\/jpr.JPR_D_23_00027","article-title":"Clinical application of robots in dentistry: a scoping review","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Prosthodont Res"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"915","DOI":"10.1146\/annurevbioeng-060418-052502","article-title":"Artificial intelligence stomatology","volume":"55","author":"Liu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"765","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dental.2020.03.021","article-title":"Dentronics: towards robotics and artificial intelligence in dentistry","volume":"36","author":"Grischke","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dent Mater"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.17116\/stomat20209901195","article-title":"Robot-assisted and robotic systems used in dentistry","volume":"99","author":"Ivashchenko","year":"2020","journal-title":"Stomat"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1056","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-71321-2_89","article-title":"Application of service robots for disinfection in medical institutions","volume-title":"Advanced technologies, systems, and applications II","author":"Begi\u0107","year":"2018"},{"key":"B33","article-title":"Autonomous robots are helping kill coronavirus in hospitals","volume":"11","author":"Ackerman","year":"2020","journal-title":"IEEE Spectr"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2020","DOI":"10.1109\/JPROC.2018.2856739","article-title":"Navigating the landscape for real-time localization and mapping for robotics and virtual and augmented reality","volume":"106","author":"Saeedi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Proc IEEE"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1007\/s11908-018-0620-2","article-title":"The role of environmental contamination in the transmission of nosocomial pathogens and healthcare-associated infections","volume":"20","author":"Suleyman","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr Infect Dis Rep"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37613","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2022.3163243","article-title":"UVC-PURGE: a novel cost-effective disinfection robot for combating COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"10","author":"Zaman","year":"2022","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3308","DOI":"10.3390\/s21103308","article-title":"Dental robotics: a disruptive technology","volume":"21","author":"Ahmad","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"B38","first-page":"220","article-title":"Mastering dental implant placement: a review","volume":"3","author":"Yeshwante","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Appl. Dent. Med. Sci"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1980","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcms.2017.09.001","article-title":"Autonomous bone reposition around anatomical landmark for robot-assisted orthognathic surgery","volume":"45","author":"Woo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1997","DOI":"10.1002\/rcs.1997","article-title":"Development and preliminary evaluation of an autonomous surgical system for oral and maxillofacial surgery","volume":"15","author":"Ma","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Med Robot"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1348","DOI":"10.1109\/LRA.2021.3137891","article-title":"A novel single-arm stapling robot for oral and maxillofacial surgery\u2014design and verification","volume":"7","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"IEEE Robot Autom Lett"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eabg5575","DOI":"10.1126\/scirobotics.abg5575","article-title":"Soft robotic manipulator for intraoperative MRI-guided transoral laser microsurgery","volume":"6","author":"Fang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Robot"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1109\/TMECH.2002.802718","article-title":"Robotic system approach for complete denture manufacturing","volume":"7","author":"Zhang","year":"2002","journal-title":"IEEE ASME Trans Mechatron"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1002\/rcs.1451","article-title":"Motion planning and synchronized control of the dental arch generator of the tooth-arrangement robot: motion planning and synchronized control of the dental arch generator","volume":"9","author":"Jiang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Med Robotics Comput Assist Surg"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.2319\/071810-413.1","article-title":"Clinical outcomes for patients finished with the SureSmileTM method compared with conventional fixed orthodontic therapy","volume":"81","author":"Alford","year":"2011","journal-title":"Angle Orthod"},{"key":"B46","first-page":"2056","author":"Burdea","year":"1991"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6807","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11226807","article-title":"The feasibility of robot-assisted chin osteotomy on skull models: comparison with surgical guides technique","volume":"11","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"JCM"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eaaw2388","DOI":"10.1126\/scirobotics.aaw2388","article-title":"Catalytic antimicrobial robots for biofilm eradication","volume":"4","author":"Hwang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci Robot"},{"key":"B49","first-page":"403","author":"Vela-Anton","year":"2020"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"474","DOI":"10.1080\/00016357.2020.1800084","article-title":"Robotic approach to the reduction of dental anxiety in children","volume":"78","author":"Kasimoglu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Odontol Scand"},{"key":"B51","first-page":"81","author":"Sakaeda","year":"2021"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3348","DOI":"10.1080\/00016357.2020.1800084","article-title":"A self-service robot system design for early diagnosis of oral diseases and oral cleaning","volume":"29","author":"Zhao","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hainan Med J"},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4999","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.chemrev.0c01234","article-title":"Magnetically driven micro and nanorobots","volume":"121","author":"Zhou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem Rev"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1007\/s10916-019-1488-x","article-title":"Patient perceptions of new robotic technologies in clinical restorative dentistry","volume":"44","author":"Milner","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Syst"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7777","DOI":"10.1007\/s00253-020-10814-6","article-title":"The microbial coinfection in COVID-19","volume":"104","author":"Chen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appl Microbiol Biotechnol"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2020.04.041","article-title":"COVID-19-associated shortage of alcohol-based hand rubs, face masks, medical gloves, and gowns: proposal for a risk-adapted approach to ensure patient and healthcare worker safety","volume":"105","author":"Kampf","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Hosp Infect"},{"key":"B57","year":""},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"cid.13224","DOI":"10.1111\/cid.13224","article-title":"Accuracy of implant site preparation in robotic navigated dental implant surgery","author":"Linn","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Implant Dent Rel Res"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1217","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dental.2021.06.001","article-title":"Robot technology in dentistry, part one of a systematic review: literature characteristics","volume":"37","author":"Van Riet","year":"2021","journal-title":"Dent Mater"},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/9954615","article-title":"Robotic applications in orthodontics: changing the face of contemporary clinical care","volume":"2021","author":"Adel","year":"2021","journal-title":"BioMed Res Int"},{"key":"B61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1097\/SCS.0000000000007022","article-title":"A compact surgical robot system for craniomaxillofacial surgery and its preliminary study","volume":"32","author":"Xu","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Craniofac Surg"},{"key":"B62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104170","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdent.2022.104170","article-title":"Accuracy of dental implant surgery using dynamic navigation and robotic systems: an in vitro study","volume":"123","author":"Tao","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Dent"},{"key":"B63","year":""},{"key":"B64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2498","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.26170","article-title":"Environmental and decontamination issues for human coronaviruses and their potential surrogates","volume":"92","author":"Cimolai","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Virol"},{"key":"B65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7776","DOI":"10.3390\/s21237776","article-title":"Standard for the quantification of a sterilization effect using an artificial intelligence disinfection robot","volume":"21","author":"Hong","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"B66","year":""},{"key":"B67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10285","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-67211-2","article-title":"Far-UVC light (222\u2009nm) efficiently and safely inactivates airborne human coronaviruses","volume":"10","author":"Buonanno","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Rep"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oral Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1270959\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]],"date-time":"2023-11-01T12:34:03Z","timestamp":1698842043000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1270959\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]]},"references-count":67,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/froh.2023.1270959"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/froh.2023.1270959","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4842"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4842","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,1]]},"article-number":"1270959"}}