- Electrolyzed (salt)water
- Ultraviolet light
- Ion technologies
- Accelerated hydrogen peroxide
- Room misting/fogging systems
- Enhanced physical removal tools (e.g. microfiber)
- Phyotocatalytic materials
- Copper/Silver/Silane quaternary-coated materials
- Steam
- Chlorine dioxide
Each of these technologies carries benefits and drawbacks. In many cases, new antimicrobial technologies can be matched to specific infection control needs and environments, yielding results superior to traditional disinfection.
Before entering the marketplace, a new antimicrobial product typically undergoes years of laboratory screening, validation and claims substantiation testing. Over the years, our laboratory has conducted over 10,000 antimicrobial efficacy studies encompassing over 25,000 individual tests. From that experience we have identified five main tools that can be used together to create elegant, cost-effective studies:
- Use of surrogate organisms as primary screening tools
- Use of contact times as pseudo-replicates
- Use of variable reduction to increase reproducibility between studies
- Leverage of contract lab know-how
- Linkage of R&D test methods with test methods required by EPA/FDA
This presentation is designed to give product developers a high-level view of recent technological advancements and trends, as well as provide tips for testing to ensure their next endeavor is completed as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible.