Self-sanitisation against bacteria and fungi

Avoiding infections caused by pathogens is a major concern in particular environments such as hospitals, doctors' surgeries, rehabilitation centres and gymnasiums, in the pharmaceutical and food industries and on rehab and disability aids, urban and public fittings.

Self-sanitisation and pathogenic agents 

Self-sanitisation is a cleaning method that eliminates pathogen accumulation on the surfaces with which we come into contact, without the need for chemical detergents and with further considerable advantages: direct cost savings, a reduction in the environmental impact caused by the use of industrial and ecotoxic chemicals, and the elimination of exposure to toxins released into the environment, which can be harmful to health. 

Pathogens are biological agents responsible for the onset of disease in the host organism. They are mainly divided into bacteria, fungi, and viruses. All environments in which we live are potentially exposed to the risk of pathogen proliferation, but in some such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and doctors' surgeries, where there are high rates of antimicrobial resistance, this risk poses a real threat to health. In fact, in these environments it has been observed that, even if the traditional sanitisation procedures are scrupulously carried out, in 5-30%0 percent of cases microbial contamination persists on surfaces with high contact frequencies, especially those touched by hands.

It is therefore important to implement effective prevention measures to reduce the possibility of contracting infections.

San Antimicrobial - A special line of ELESA products  

To meet this need, ELESA has developed a line of components made of self-sanitising technopolymer containing inorganic silver ion-based antimicrobial additives (without active pharmaceutical ingredients, antibiotics or pesticides) that penetrate the surface of the cell to attack its DNA, thereby preventing the proliferation of unwanted organisms such as microbes, bacteria, and fungi. The metal inserts are in stainless steel.

The silver particles contained in the special technopolymer are distributed throughout the material and not just on the surface, allowing the antimicrobial self-sanitising effect to be maintained unchanged for the entire life cycle of the components, even when there is abrasion on the surfaces.

Designed for mounting on medical and hospital equipment, for rehab and disability aids, pharmaceutical industry machinery, urban and public fittings, these components are free from toxic side effects and offer resistance to corrosion, humidity, and to the detergents used during any disinfection, which are in any case required by law in certain types of environments.

How Ag+ silver ions work

1.    They penetrate the cell surface
2.    They block the enzyme system
3.    They attack the microbe's DNA, preventing it from reproducing

The controlled release mechanism of the silver ions allows the inalterability of the antimicrobial characteristics to be prolonged over time, even after numerous washing cycles, as a guarantee of the antimicrobial characteristic of the SAN - Antimicrobial line. 

Infections the SAN line protects against 

Below are the pathogens tested and the main related infections. Laboratory tests have shown that 98.9% of the bacterial load is eliminated over the course of 24 hours. 

All components of the SAN - Antimicrobial line are supplied with a Antimicrobial Property of Materials Compliance Certificate, obtained following tests on samples of material in accredited laboratories, according to the standards of ISO 22196:2011 (Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces) which is derived from the JIS Z 2801 standard. 

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