New surface treatment in fight against CJD

Disblade - a project initially funded by the EU, involving 6 industrial partners and supported by Pera in the UK and The National Institute of Technology in Norway, has developed and patented a surface treatment technology that could have a significant impact on the transference of infective prion particles between patients.

Prions are small proteins found in the brain cell membrane and a form of prion is responsible for “Mad Cow Disease” and causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans.

CJD has caused over 100 human deaths in the UK alone. More seriously, the incubation period is as yet unproven, but is thought by some to be in the range of decades, suggesting that the scale of the new variant CJD and surgically acquired (iatrogenic) CJD problem could significantly increase in future years.

Sterilising surgical equipment does not always destroy the resistant prions and prevent iatrogenic transmission. High quality, low cost disposable instruments are therefore required for routine use to prevent transmission from patients who have not yet begun to show any symptoms of their CJD infection.

The project has developed a manufacturing process to produce high performance all-plastic disposable surgical instruments at low cost through innovations in component design, micro-moulding techniques and polymer surface hardening treatments and an associated disposal route that renders the blade sharp safe before it leaves the operating theatre.

The patented polymer hardening process developed by the consortium is based on a surface modification producing an organic-inorganic hybrid. In addition to a hard and sharp edge, this type of surface modification can offer high modulus and abrasion resistance, reduced gas permeability, low coefficient of thermal expansion and enhanced thermal oxidation resistance.

In contrast to other similar processes, this technique avoids the use of traditional organic wet solvents, profiting instead from the low toxicity, low cost, natural abundance, recoverability and recyclability of a pressurised gas.

When combined with the optimal polymer, the treatment can produce components with properties suitable for replacing metal in many applications, including surgical scalpels.

The project consortium, co-ordinated by Pera, is continuing with optimisation trials and is seeking additional commercialisation opportunities.