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Infection control technology incorporated in a company’s line of medical films can be formulated to suit a range of medical applications. The formulation of these films can be tailored to provide slow to fast activation, low to high levels of antimicrobial activity, and short- to long-lasting protection. Omniflex (Greenfield, MA, USA; www.omniflexfilms.com) has integrated Natural Elements technology into its Vacuflex and Transport families of waterproof-breathable and barrier medical films.
The infection control feature uses a variety of ionic silver or copper—or blends of each—or proprietary nonmetallic additives to meet the needs of specific medical applications. The technology was developed by Etcetera LLC (Northampton , MA, USA), a joint venture partner with Omniflex.
Tested according to AATCC Methods 100 and 47, the infection control films have been shown to prevent bacterial growth that can cause infection. They are effective against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and most other infectious microorganisms. Because the potency of the films can be customized to suit specific applications, cytotoxicity concerns surrounding conventional ionic silver products are no longer an issue, according to the firm.
The films will allow designers and converters to create infection-killing medical products in a single-film layer or single film-to-textile lamination. The technology represents an economical means to add an infection-control component to hospital dressings, transdermal devices, and medical textiles, says the company.
