IC Nano, Nanotechnology Enabled Infection Control

Hospital aquired infections (HAI) are so common that they are almost expected to occur by members of the public. Fighting such infections is becoming ever more difficult as the resistance to antiboitics increases. HAI increase treatment times and in extreme cases lead to the death of a patient (~1000-2000/year in England). Typically the microbes that cause such infections are transmitted by touching a contaminated surface, or being touched by a contaminated surface. In England the cost of treating patients infected whilst they are in a hospital is £1 billion. Hosptials are cleaned very well however it is impossible to remove 100% of the harmful bacterias. Surface materials such as stainless steel and plastics are an ideal home for bugs. It is possible to apply various antimicrobial coating to such surfaces, however these are usually of a plastic nature with an added active ingredient. Until now it has not been possible to coat a surface with a hard, adherent and durable coating which is highly antimicrobial. We have developed such a coating using a technique called physical vapour deposition (PVD). PVD is commonly used in industries such as electronics and food packaging. We plan to develop this coating and apply it to hospital touch surfaces and surgical instruments. We believe that this innovative coating will reduce HAI, save money, and save lives.