Dental Waterline Cleansing System

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DESCRIPTION: The overall objective of this multiphase SBIR project is to develop and market an economical Dental waterline system that prevents biofilm formation and growth. Once a biofilm forms on a wetted surface, microorganisms are continuously released from and recruited to the biofilm, providing a steady stream of potentially pathogenic organisms and endotoxins to the water phase. Dental waterlines are prone to biofilm growth because of their combination of high surface-to-volume ratio, intermittent water flow, and warm indoor temperatures. Contaminated waterlines are a potential source of infection for patients undergoing Dental treatment. The proposed system will utilize electrochemically activated (ECA) water to inhibit bacterial growth and biofilm formation. The system will incorporate a circulation system to automatically clean the waterlines at night when they are not in use. This system can run off of normal municipal water, eliminating the need for a separate water system. The Dental waterline cleansing unit will be totally automated with minimal maintenance requirements. The Phase I work will characterize the conditions required for effective ECA operation and test the efficacy of the process under laboratory conditions. During Phase II, the ADA team will design and build prototype units and demonstrate their performance in Dental offices.