It is estimated that Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), affect 1 in 25 patients in the US each year, and claim more than 75,000 lives national and even more worldwide. It’s an issue that costs the healthcare industry $36 -45 billion annually to manage. Unfortunately, these staggering statistics are not soon to be resolved or reduced until provisions are put in place to control or monitor these challenges, and people and organizations start complying with HAI guidelines. It has been projected that as little as 40% of US hospitals actually comply with the HAI guidelines, leaving a great deal of error and problems due to non-conformance. Even the simple act of using proper hand washing techniques would contribute to this number decreasing the overall costs of HAIs. Albeit, this isn’t the only contributing factor; healthcare organizations continue to look for ways to implement broader strategies, improve staff behavior, and determine the best course of action to apply and integrate antimicrobial-treated medical devices into today’s invasive and non-invasive procedures.
It is a subject that has been gaining momentum over the past several years. Studies have shown that Antimicrobial-treated medical devices, in the “polymeric coating segment [are] expected to have the largest share of the global non-metallic antimicrobial medical devices coatings in 2015.”2 Many product developers and entrepreneurs are searching and finding new ways in which to take advantage of this technology and apply it to their device and use as a competitive advantage over other products. These findings are very evident in today’s market and we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of work requested to provide anti-microbial coating work to the many different types of medical devices and projects we service. Those numbers will continue to grow and increase as we move into 2020 and beyond.
Unfortunately, not all antimicrobials are the same and may interact with different compounds and elements in peculiar ways. It is important to understand what your product will need by way of an antimicrobial coating. As well as, knowing and understanding which providers in the market have the proper knowledge, experience, and capabilities to manufacture a device with the appropriate antimicrobial coating. They will be able to determine if an antimicrobial can be applied as a surface coating, or if it can be “compounded directly into the polymers and injection molded”3 into the device you intend to use. It is especially important to be able to partner with an organization that has the needed experience with regulatory bodies, like the FDA, who can work with you and guides you through the process when it comes time to submit your final work for submission.
Biomerics is one of those organizations that is ready and willing to be your antimicrobial coating partner, and key contract manufacturer who has the manufacturing processes, capabilities and regulatory background to support our customers. We want to act both as a guide and support system in the development process and utilize the additional capabilities we have in-house and use in the manufacturing process. Biomerics is a fully vertically integrated organization complete with a Materials team, with experts in the coatings arena that would be more than happy to provide direction and information based on antimicrobial coatings. We have a number of onsite labs, testing facilities, verification processes and R&D to both ensure that your product both meets the desired requirements and functions as its designers intended.
Learn more about how we can help!
Resources
