The purpose of hospitals is to cure patients, but the risk of nosocomial infections, in which patients contract one or two superbugs while in the hospital, is now increasing. To this end, scientists have now developed long-lasting antimicrobial coatings for textiles that could allow items such as hospital curtains to quickly kill viruses and bacteria.
Despite the best efforts of medical personnel, hospitals can become hotbeds for pathogen exchange. While smooth surfaces like doorknobs or railings are fairly easy to disinfect, materials like textiles can be difficult to clean. In the new study, scientists from Empa, BASF, Spitz Laboratories and TU Berlin developed a new treatment to make fabrics antimicrobial.
The team formulated a new disinfectant formula containing benzalkonium chloride and then applied it to fabric samples by soaking them in a primer solution and then passing them through an applicator roller. The technology is carefully optimized using the correct concentration, exposure time, pressure and drying to ensure the coating adheres to the fabric just right.
To test the coating's antibacterial capabilities, the team then incubated the samples with common hospital bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas. After just 10 minutes, bacteria are significantly reduced or killed. The coating is also very resistant to viruses and can kill 99% of them.
This is a good start, but effectively killing bacteria and viruses is useless if the effects are short-lived. Therefore, the team also conducted experiments to study the durability of the fabric coating. Samples stored for six months were found to have the same antimicrobial properties as fresh samples, and artificial aging tests showed the coating remained stable on the fabric for up to five years.
However, this coating washes off easily, making it unsuitable for applications such as staff uniforms, patient gowns or bedding. But the team says the coating could be useful for things like curtains around beds or air filters. Combined with other weapons like antimicrobial lights or materials, the coating could eventually help curb the spread of superbugs in hospitals.
The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.