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A Novel Textile Material That Keeps Itself Germ-Free

posted by Fnord666 on Friday October 06 2017, @04:03PM   Printer-friendly
from the high-five-for-sterility dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Scientists have developed a novel weapon in the battle against deadly hospital-acquired infections - a textile that disinfects itself.

And independent tests show it can reduce bacteria levels by more than 90 per cent.

By incorporating the specially-engineered textile in a device designed to be used on hospital doors instead of the traditional aluminium door plate, that part of the door that people push to open it - they aim to bolster hand hygiene.

The self-disinfecting device - known as Surfaceskins - has been developed by a spin out company from the University of Leeds and is the culmination of seven years research and development.

Hospital doors are recognised as a key weak link in hygiene because of the number of times people touch them.

You risk infection from hospital doors, not the homeless guy spewing in the bay next to you. This fabric will help.

E.L. Best et al, The potential of alcohol release doorplates to reduce surface contamination during hand contact, Journal of Hospital Infection (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2017.07.027

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 06 2017, @08:06PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 06 2017, @08:06PM (#578298)

    A few months ago, a friend of mine passed away at 48 years old from an infection contracted while in the hospital. Went in the hospital for treatment for one thing, came out two weeks later dead from another.

    You say this like it is "oh well, shit happens". Can you imagine the self righteous outrage from friends and family if he'd tried some kind of placebo "naturopathic" treatment instead and died (thinking of steve jobs here)? Aren't you pissed at the hospital?

  • (Score: 2) by requerdanos on Friday October 06 2017, @09:40PM (1 child)

    by requerdanos (5997) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 06 2017, @09:40PM (#578349) Journal

    You say this like it is "oh well, shit happens"... Aren't you pissed at the hospital?

    I don't say it that way as all. I am very, very pissed at the hospital, whose fault it was and is. They used immunosuppresant drugs without isolation nor so much as even alcohol-fabric doorhandles as precautions.

    The entire episode and its horrific consequences do, however, highlight for me that inventions to reduce hospital infection are prone to be good and helpful things.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 07 2017, @02:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 07 2017, @02:43PM (#578581)

      If they didn't use existing safeguards, it doesn't sound like this hospital would use any new ones anyway...