Antibacterial acrylic for hospital beds

Published: 11-Sep-2015

Fighting antibiotic resistance through the use of thermoplastics

Parx Plastics has finished its verification tests on different grades of acrylics (PMMA) and has added them to its portfolio of antimicrobial concentrates. These thermoplastics are used to produce sheets that are lightweight and shatter-resistant, making them are ideal for hospital bed use.

This new material brings Parx technology into an area in which antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is critical. The overuse or misuse of antibiotics has been linked to the emergence and spread of resistant micro-organisms, rendering treatments ineffective and posing a serious risk to public health. Parx’s technology stands out by being derived from how nature deals with bacteria. More than four years of dedicated biomimetic research has resulted in the creation of a 100% safe and biocompatible technology that inhibits bacterial growth on the surface of plastics.

A team of 11 professors, scientists and researchers with decades of experience in the field of nano- and biotechnology, and skilled in chemical, physicochemical and microbial analyses, have been working together to develop a range of patented plastics that offer antibacterial/antimicrobial effectiveness rates of up to 99%. No harmful substances are used to produce the plastics, there is no leaching and the original properties of the material are not affected. The plastic is treated with a biocompatible solution that makes the material more resistant to microbes and bacteria.

The development and proliferation of bacteria on the surface of the coated object is reduced by up to 99%, according to ISO22196, as a result of the altered mechanical/physical properties of the surface — not migration. Bacteria cannot develop and proliferate on the surface of the material, and no toxins or biocides are used, reducing the potential for the development of antimicrobial resistance.

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