Standard cleaning and disinfecting is not always sufficient to remove pathogens from surfaces. In fact, research shows that 27% of surfaces in healthcare facilities remain contaminated with bacteria even after four disinfecting cycles.
Photobactericidal agents kill bacteria more effectively than standard disinfecting agents — when exposed to light, they become photoexcited and induce reactive oxygen species such as peroxides to damage the bacterial cell membrane and DNA.
Methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) are commonly used on surfaces in operating rooms and to clean wounds, but they only work when exposed to an intense light source such as that found in surgical procedure spaces.
A team of chemists and chemical engineers at Univ. College London (UCL) has developed a novel coating that kills bacteria when exposed to the low-intensity, ambient light common in nonsurgical hospital areas and doctors’ offices.
The coating can be used on a variety of surfaces, such as catheters or ventilator tubing, to prevent infection or even sepsis. It might also be able to form a protective barrier against bacteria on other...
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