BIOCIDAL POLYMERS FOR DENTAL WATER CONTAMINATION CONTROL

在这项研究计划中，一种全新的化学技术被应用于一个对医疗保健行业具有国家重要性的问题，该问题是由患者护理过程中的“设备相关感染”引起的（1,2）。住院设备的微生物污染是常见的，目前可用的方法（银浸渍导管，或银/抗菌剂组合）不能令人满意地解决（3,4）。N- Halamine聚合物化学的最新进展允许创造“接触式生物杀灭剂”表面，表达对流体中的细菌和病毒病原体的快速、有效的功效（5,6）。新的发展提供了在医疗器械中常用的基材上铺设涂层；在72小时的实验中，这些涂层显示出对假单胞菌生物膜形成的100%控制(7)。在拟议的研究中，粘附生物的定量微生物学评估，活/死分化的荧光显微镜，扫描和透射选择显微镜将用于表征一系列新型聚合物化合物(7)，随着时间的推移和各种有机生物负担的存在。结果将用于选择聚合物涂层程序，作为进一步开发的“抗感染”设备（如导尿管、分流器、尿液和结肠造口袋）组件的候选物进行评估，在国内和国际上具有深远的商业和卫生保健意义。拟议的商业应用：商业应用包括将包含在牙科单元输水管道中的药筒，以便在输水给患者的途径中提供抗菌和净化成分。也有可能开发一种管道或设备，可以通过暴露于漂白剂（次氯酸盐）周期性地重新充满抗菌活性，作为控制牙科单位水的微生物污染的一种手段。应用于控制空气质量也是可能的，这取决于设计纳入抗菌聚合物的去污途径的配置。

In this research proposal an entirely novel chemical technology is applied to a problem of national importance to the healthcare industry, arising from "device related infections" during patient care (1,2). Microbial contamination of in-dwelling devices is commonplace and is not satisfactorily resolved by currently available approaches (silver impregnated catheters, or silver/antimicrobial combinations (3,4)). Recent advances in N- Halamine polymer chemistry permit the creation of "contact biocidal" surfaces expressing rapid, potent efficacy against bacterial and viral pathogens in fluid streams (5,6). New developments provide for coatings to be laid down on substrates commonly used in medical devices; these coatings show about 100% control of Pseudomonas biofilm formation in 72 hour experiments (7). In the proposed studies, quantitative microbiological evaluations of adherent organisms, fluorescence microscopy of live/dead differentiation, and scanning and transmission election microscopy will be used to characterize a range of novel polymeric compounds (7), over time and in the presence of a variety of organic bioburdens. Results will be used in selection of polymeric coating procedures to be evaluated as candidates for further development as components of "infection resistant" devices (such as catheters, shunts, urine and colostomy bags) with far reaching commercial and health care implications nationally and internationally. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Commercial applications include cartridges to be included in the dental unit waterlines so as to provide an antimicrobial, decontaminating component in the pathway of water to the patient. Also possible is the development of tubing or devices that could be periodically re-charged with antibacterial activity by exposure to bleach (hypochlorite) as a means of maintaining control over microbial contamination of dental unit water. Application to the control of air quality is also possible, depending on the configuration of the decontamination pathway devised to incorporate the antimicrobial polymers.