Antimicrobial Copper Interest Group

Dear Member

This newsletter brings you exciting news about the first results from the Selly Oak clinical trial plus the latest developments from the antimicrobial copper programme.

In this issue:

First clinical trial results presented at ICAAC

Copper Gets the Green Light as a Smart Material

1st International Conference - Copper and Public Health

First clinical trial results presented at ICAAC

The first results from the clinical trial were presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington. The results are extremely positive and show conclusively that copper exerts its antimicrobial effect in a real hospital environment.

A 90-95% reduction in bacterial contamination on the copper-containing products was shown compared to controls for the 3 products sampled. The results provide a solid foundation for the next stage of the trial where all copper products, including handles, grab rails, bed tables, dispensers, taps, toilet seats and push plates, will be swabbed and compared to controls over a 12 month period.

Press release

Videos:

Trial results and their significance - Prof Tom Elliott, Consultant Microbiologist/Deputy Medical Director, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, 4.5 mins, 8.8 MB

Copper products - practical aspects - Mark Tur, Technical Consultant, Copper Development Association, 4.5 mins, 10.8 MB

Manufacturing brass products - Avilion Ltd (factory shots of tap and shower component production), 5 mins, 10.6 MB

ICAAC Poster:
Copper for Preventing Microbial Environmental Contamination

Copper gets the Green Light as a Smart Material

The Smart.mat group of the Materials KTN is holding an event 'Smart Materials for Smart Buildings' on the 14th November, 10.00 - 16.00 at BRE, Watford, at which Copper Development Association will be presenting on antimicrobial copper and copper alloys.

The Smart.mat group has produced an interactive handbook on SMART materials for designers, which includes a section on 'antimicrobials'. Copper and copper alloys are featured for medical workplace and food preparation surfaces and for medical devices, with a traffic light rating of green for 'widely available and affordable'.

Follow link below, noting that registration/login is required, and then go to 'Smart Materials Events' and 'Smart Materials Design Guide' from the left hand menu.

Smart.mat node of Materials KTN

1st International Conference - Copper and Public Health

UK experts will make a key contribution to the Hellenic Copper Development Institute's conference to raise awareness of the benefits to public health of copper and copper alloy touch surfaces. Prof Tom Elliott, leader of the Selly Oak trial, Prof Bill Keevil, head of the Southampton University antimicrobial copper research group, Dr Ann Noble, Chairman of Architects for Health, and CDA's Mark Tur will be joining experts from Greece, Germany and the US. The conference, aimed at health officials, infection control specialists, designers and hardware manufacturers, will bring the expertise from copper trials around the world to the Greek stakeholders to kick start the exploitation of copper's natural antimicrobial properties in Greek hospitals and clinics.

For further information, please email Anastasia Goneou at the Hellenic Copper Institute.