A retrograde contamination of a sterilising grade filter is either caused by contaminated water, e.g. when the flowing water (with microbes) hits the drain and splashes back, or when sterilising grade filters aren’t handled hygienically correctly in daily use.
Solutions
Sterilising grade filters must be used in an appropriate way.
To counteract retrograde contamination, it is important to replace filters regularly in accordance with the maker’s instructions.
If a filter is used correctly, the risk of retrograde contamination occurring within the indicated service life is minimal. Medical products go through various groups of tests for validation.
How to handle them correctly:
- do not touch + do not bring into contact with waste water
- don’t clean with cleaning agents or cloth
- change the filter immediately, if it becomes contaminated with substances as blood, mucus or is visibly damaged
- inform employees about how to work with medical devices.
Used this way, the risk of retrograde contamination within the indicated service life span is minimal.
Addressing the root problem
To avoid at the outset retrograde contamination, the water outlets of sterilising grade filters could have been coated with a bactericidal material which kills off microbes.
Metals such as copper have been proven as suitable for coating water outlets for their bactericidal effectiveness.
As a result, the MetalSkin Medical coating was developed. This is a resin-polymer casting with a 92% copper alloy, which has an bacteriocidal effect.
It can be implemented on a wide range of materials and shapes. Metalskin Medical is designed to fight retrograde contamination caused by aerosols and splash water from the drain and water basins.
Tested through ISO standard 22196 and also NF S90-700 it has proven its outstanding performance in killing 99% of bacteria in three minutes – a true revolution.
Metal Skin Medical acts like a missing element between hands cleaning and surface disinfection.
This is how additional safety is added in daily hospital hygiene. Implemented in the water inlets and easy to use.
What is avoided
In daily hospital operations, contaminated water - due to aerosols or splashed water from the drain and wash basins - can come into contact with the water outlet of the sterilising grade filter from outside.
The MetalSkin Medical coating on the filter outlet kills the germs directly. The bacteria cannot divide and multiply in/on the sterile filter.
The effect unfolds virtually directly at the source of the problem. And retrograde contamination is avoided.
Applications
MetalSkin Medical is used, for example, for shower jet discs or for water tap filter outlets. This brings extensive safety in your hospital and the daily drinking water safety.
MetalSkin Medical have partnered with Aqua free in combining their technology into the Aqua free legionella and pseudomonas water filter products.
Find out more: Aqua free, Mark Aristidou, m.aristidou@aqua-free.com, phone +44 (0)1484 483045.