The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a wide range of new healthcare-related technologies. As people and businesses look for ways to remain healthy, new projects are being developed. One such project is CleanSURFACES.

CleanSURFACES was developed by grad students and professors at Penn State University, and the technology was transferred to Aionx to develop and commercialize. It has already reached commercialization, and clinical studies are also being conducted.

“CleanSURFACES are fully-developed and on the market,” said Aionx CEO Gary J. Shope. “They are in use in numerous healthcare systems and facility types.”

The name sums up the concept: the surfaces clean themselves continuously. CleanSURFACES are antimicrobial mats that activate when microbes contact a surface. An embedded circuit board sends a micro-electric impulse along printed conductive traces to that location to activate antimicrobial silver and copper ions that quickly eradicate the contaminants – including COVID-19.

CleanSURFACES has been installed in seven hospital ICUs at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Pinnacle. After six months, pre- and post hospital-acquired infection rates will be measured. It will also be tested at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

Aside from healthcare, retail, airports and hotels are potential markets. Shope noted that the mats use Aionx’s patented “bug-zapper” technology.

“The ‘bug-zapper’ technology senses the presence of microbial bioburden and sends a micro-electric impulse whenever/wherever bioburden contacts the mat,” Shope said. “There, antimicrobial silver and copper ions are activated to quickly eliminate the contaminants.”

“Instead of sensors, think of these as a specially designed microbial, always on ‘bug zapper,’” Art Wall, director of fab operations at NextFlex, which worked in conjuction with Aionx, added. “A combination of copper and silver ink forms electrical traces with a very small current, that interacts with pathogen species such as SARS-CoV-2 that is responsible for COVID 19 and kills them. The fact that these mats are ‘always on’ makes a huge improvement in the more traditional ‘episodic’ or periodic cleaning done to work surfaces today. In addition, because the technology does not need to be tuned to a particular species, it is effective against a huge array of problematic pathogens.”
 
Shope said that ensuring durability was a particular challenge.

“On durability, people think of ICUs and other similar units as delicate and tranquil environments,” he noted. “The reality is quite different. Surfaces in those units are subject to constant assault by bodily fluids, cleanings by caustic disinfectant chemicals, as well as surprisingly high levels of physical abrasion.  Therefore, any technology deployed on environmental surfaces in healthcare units require robust durability.”

Shope reported that experts believe that environmental surface contamination in healthcare facilities contributes to infections in patients, adding that the use of cleanSURFACES mats reduces surface contamination throughout the targeted healthcare environment.

“The mats may provide protection to staff, patients and visitors in those environments against infections,” he added. “Studies are currently underway to characterize this potential impact. CleanSURFACES reduce the spread of contamination to many other surfaces. By cleaning themselves and items directly contacting them, the mats keep items cleaner that would transmit contamination throughout a targeted area.”

Clinical studies are showing that CleanSURFACES is impacting contamination rates. Wall reported that the test results of the product have been exceptional.

“The speed and efficacy of elimination of pathogens is superior to many alternatives and once again, the continuous cleaning nature of this product brings a much-needed capability to fighting pathogen related illnesses,” he noted.

“Initial data confirms the product’s dramatic impact on contamination levels in the healthcare environment,” Shope reported. “This data is in the process of being published in peer-reviewed journals.  Additional studies are underway to characterize the product’s impact on infection rates.”