AccuPoint Next Generation | ATP Sanitation Validation

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a chemical produced in all living cells. Its presence on a surface is an indication of organic contamination. That contamination can come from human contact, bacterial presence or some other form of organic residue. The amount of ATP remaining on a cleaned surface is a direct indication of the effectiveness of a cleaning method.

In your facility, people touch surfaces and, in the process, either add to or pick up the organic residue which can include pathogenic microbes such as Clostridium difficile, MVM, or any number of environmentally transferred organisms. For this reason, measuring ATP levels on high-touch surfaces and equipment has become the standard for at-risk facilities in determining cleanliness levels.

You’ll get a hand-held instrument and sampling device that measure ATP levels on a variety of surfaces, including liquid containers, dispensers, receptacles and automated systems. You’ll also receive software that allows you to track, organize and report your data. You’ll also have the option to purchase swabs and upgrade your meter to an RFID version for even easier data management.

Only the AccuPoint Advanced NG utilizes a robust flat sponge-tip sampler instead of the typical oblong-shaped swab. This difference in sampler design produces a much more consistent sample, which translates to a more consistent result.   This is extremely important for valid long-term comparisons of surfaces throughout the facility.

Have an older AccuPoint Model? The updated Next Generation Model has the added benefits of a more robust and durable housing, a larger touchscreen display, included RFID technology, new testing and organization modes and more!

Aside from the more rugged housing and the larger touchscreen interface (that also works with all types of PPE gloves!) here are the primary advantages of the AccuPoint Advanced Next Generation:

While ATP systems are not direct indicators of bacterial presence, they are the fastest and most convenient method for determining the potential for these organisms to exist on patient contact surfaces and equipment. There is no faster or easier way to know that you could have a problem or that certain areas require a more rigorous cleaning than to use a system that allows you to correct issues before they become serious problems. Properly utilized sanitation monitoring systems allow for the quick and easy detection and measurement of ATP on high-touch surfaces and equipment which provides an objective, actionable tool for the monitoring of a facility’s sanitation efforts.

It is a common misconception that results received from ATP testing systems in RLU should correlate with a microbial total plate count result for the same sample. There are several reasons why this may not be true.

The amount of ATP in microbial cells can vary dramatically and a single CFU (colony-forming unit) can be composed of one or more cells. Microbes also need food to grow and will seldom be present on a surface alone. They will most often exist within a pool of organic material comprised of many cells all of which may contain ATP. Since there is no way of differentiating the ATP from a pathogenic organism like C. diff and the skin cells that have been shed from a visitor’s fingers, RLU scores may consist of a small amount of bacterial ATP one day and a large amount the next.

The reason why we recommend an ATP Monitoring System with RFID, is that it makes it easier to collect and organize data, with no need to scroll through the test plan to find the area to test. RFID tag can be coded to the facility room number, so the user only needs to hold the meter up to the tag and it takes them to the first test location/ item to test in that room/ area.

This also results in increased accuracy of data entry, because a user cannot enter data into the wrong facility or room number unless they physically scroll to it

Neogen’s Data Manager Advanced software is an easy-to-use management tool that puts essential data right into the hands of facility managers.  Now its easier than ever to generate and review the data essential for determining the effectiveness of cleaning efforts in areas, rooms, test sites, equipment and with employees’ adherence to SOPs.  The AccuPoint® Advanced System offers a variety of performance reports that conveniently exports and converts raw data into actionable management information on best practices and performance objectives.