Reducing hospital acquired infections: elucidating the biocidal properties and mechanisms of novel copper containing materials

Aereus Technologies（Aereus）是一家位于安大略省的创新型公司，成立于2009年，正在将Aereus Shield商业化。他们的专利工艺生产出一种耐用、有吸引力的涂层，经证明可杀死接触时的有害细菌。在加拿大，Aereus Shield作为抗菌剂销售，仅用于I类和II类医疗器械。他们的涂层提供了一种针对常见医院病原体的具有成本效益的干预措施，是高接触公共表面的理想解决方案。然而，微生物病原体并不是唯一值得关注的微生物。病毒可以在表面上存活，并可能导致感染在医院等高风险环境中传播。通过这项资助，更好地了解两种原型病毒和Aereus制备的新型材料涂层之间相互作用的机制。这两种原型病毒，流感病毒和腺病毒，代表了两大类病毒，即包膜病毒和无包膜病毒，并将作为启动Aereus和滑铁卢大学Aucoin实验室之间关系的基础。Aereus和Aucoin将共同解决医院感染的问题，首先加深对Aereus材料的理解，然后利用这种理解更好地设计新产品。具体来说，Aucoin将建立一个控制良好的环境室，其中温度和湿度等因素可以控制，并与Aereus材料的杀菌特性隔离。这些材料主要是铜基的，并以金属基材上的涂层、粉末和聚合物复合材料的形式存在。Aucoin小组将在第一部分中专注于涂层和粉末，然后将他们的发现扩展到聚合物复合材料的分析。Aucoin在病毒稳定性和定量方面的工作非常适合帮助Aereus将自己定位为独特的生物杀灭材料生产商。Aereus能够利用现有商业协议中的科学发现，使其涂层具有抗菌性能。

Aereus Technologies (Aereus), is an Ontario-based innovative company incorporated in 2009 that is commercializing Aereus Shield. Their patented process produces a durable, attractive coating proven to kill harmful bacteria on contact. In Canada, Aereus Shield is marketed as an antimicrobial for use exclusively on Class I and Class II medical devices. Their coating provides a cost-effective intervention against common hospital pathogens and is an ideal solution for high touch public surface. However, microbial pathogens are not the only microbes of concern. Viruses can survive on surfaces and can lead to the spread of infection in high risk settings such as hospitals. Through this grant, a greater understanding of the mechanisms at play in the interaction between two prototypical viruses and novel material coatings prepared by Aereus. The two prototypical viruses, Influenza and Adenovirus, represent two broad classes of viruses, namely enveloped and nonenveloped viruses, and will serve as the basis to initiate a relationship between Aereus and the Aucoin Lab at the University of Waterloo. Together, Aereus and Aucoin will tackle the problem of nosocomial infections by first deepening an understanding of Aereus materials and then utilizing this understanding to better design novel products. Specifically, Aucoin will be setting up a well-controlled environmental chamber in which factors such as temperature and humidity can be controlled and isolated from the biocidal properties of the Aereus materials. These materials are primarily copper-based and present themselves as coatings on metal substrates, as powders and as polymeric composites. The Aucoin group will focus on the coatings and powder in a first part before extending their findings to the analysis of the polymeric composites. Aucoin's work on the stability and quantification of viruses is properly suited to aid Aereus position itself as a unique producer of biocidal materials. Aereus is in a position to capitalize on the scientific findings given existing commercial agreements for their coatings exhibiting anti-microbial properties.