CHARLESTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advanced Technology International (ATI), an affiliate of SCRA, announced today that the ATI-implemented Copper Antimicrobial Program is featured in the Army’s recent TATRC yearly report. This TATRC publication highlights its most important and successful programs. According to the report, TATRC champions projects that have great promise, with the Copper Antimicrobial Program cited as an innovative solution helping to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections. This is an issue of great importance to the military in regard to imported wound infections.
Hospital-acquired infections have grave consequences for patients in both military and civilian healthcare facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than two million patients contract a hospital-acquired infection each year in the US, resulting in nearly 90,000 deaths. CDC-recommended hygienic sanitizing practices have attempted to limit the spread of harmful microbes, but are not sufficient to eliminate them on frequently-touched surfaces found to serve as reservoirs for the spread of pathogenic microbes in healthcare facilities, such as bed rails, nurse call buttons, guest chair arm rests and IV poles.
Copper has intrinsic antimicrobial properties with well-documented efficacy against a wide range of pathogens, including multidrug-resistant bacteria (MRSA). The Copper Touch Surfaces Antimicrobial Program is demonstrating that introduction of copper touch surfaces in the hospital environment will reduce the levels of harmful microbes; that the reduction of dangerous microbes in the hospital environment will improve clinical outcomes; and that the self-sanitizing effects of copper will augment the CDC-recommended Infection Control Program practices and thus reduce the spread of dangerous microbes and their transmission from inanimate touch surfaces to humans.
In collaboration with the US Copper Development Association and ATI, clinical trials are being conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston, South Carolina.
Since fabrication and installation of copper components in these health care facilities, preliminary results are encouraging. The microbial burden associated with the copper surfaces was substantially lower than the non-copper counterparts in the rooms studied. 67% of the copper objects were found to have fewer than 100cfu/100cm2 while an almost inverse relationship was observed for the non-copper objects, where greater than 63% of the objects evaluated had a microbial burden greater than 100cfu/100cm2.
TATRC is an office of the headquarters of the US Army Medical research and Materiel Command supporting medical research programs to address critical gaps that are underrepresented in the Department of Defense. TATRC conducts research in specific key capability areas including health informatics, telemedicine, and computational biology.
ATI, an SCRA affiliate, delivers technology solutions to solve complex client challenges. ATI conducts collaborative national-level applied research programs on behalf of mission-oriented Federal clients - such as the Departments of Defense, Energy, Justice, and Health and Human Services – and corporate clients.
ATI-led programs regularly develop technology solutions and put them into wide-spread use. Research focus areas include maritime technologies, advanced materials, ordnance, interoperability, alternative energy, and health sciences.
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SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with its headquarters in South Carolina. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing knowledge-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, with the help of research universities in SC, the US and around the world.
About Advanced Technology International http://www.ati.org
Advanced Technology International builds global consortia to develop and implement innovative solutions for manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, maritime, metals, and healthcare industries. ATI-led collaborations attract world-class talent from premier companies, universities, and government agencies, to define technology roadmaps and research portfolios matched to business demands that provide the requisite resources to solve shared challenges. ATI's partners report improved market transition and return on investment with reduced risk. These practical business benefits enable the downstream economic and social benefits of the new technologies - such as safety, affordability, manufacturing competitiveness, environmental protection, and energy conservation. A private, non-profit research corporation with principal operations in Charleston, SC, ATI is an affiliate of SCRA.
CONTACT:
SCRA
Jill Hirsekorn, 843-760-3329, [email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America South Carolina
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Biotechnology Clinical Trials Hospitals Infectious Diseases Medical Devices Defense Contracts
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