| Surfacine | Medical Grade Disinfectant | Antimicrobial Agent Compounded Into Bulk Polymer | Silver Deposited On Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mode of Application |
Molecularly designed surface treatment | Floods surface | Antimicrobial agent is compounded with polymer | Metallic silver surface film by vacuum deposition, ion sputtering, etc. | |
|
Mode of Action |
Surface contact only, microbial surface contact exposes organism to antimicrobial agent | Chemically compromises micro-organism depending upon nature of disinfectant | Active agent diffuses to the surface where it may be leached away by contact with liquids, other surfaces, etc. | Surface contact with micro-organisms, as well as significant slow leaching into solution | |
|
Bio Availability |
Very high for surface contact, none in solution | High while immersed, none thereafter | High on fresh surfaces, low on surfaces in contact with clean solutions | High for surface contacts, moderate in bulk of solution | |
|
Duration of Activity |
Long term | Short term. Active only while surface is wetted with agent and agent is not chemically exhausted | Depending on compatibility of active agent with polymer. Short to medium term | Long term | |
|
Reservoir Capacity |
High | None | Depending on compatibility of active agent with polymer. Low to high | High | |
|
Leaching into Solution |
Less than 50 ppb, often below 10 ppb | Depending on the disinfectant, often 5 to 10 ppm or higher | Depending on solution contact time with surface. Often exceeds 100 ppm | Greater than 5 ppm, depending on the contact solution | |
|
Time to Kill Micro-organisms |
Moderate | Fast | Slow to moderate depending on surface concentration | Moderate | |
|
Spores Activity |
Low | Moderate | Low | Low | |
|
Virus Activity |
Undetermined | Depending on disinfectant | Typically none | None | |
|
Toxicity to Humans |
None | High | Depending on active agent | Low to none | |
|
Sensitivity to Surface Fouling |
High | Low | Low | Moderate | |
|
Vulnerability to Crevices |
Low | High | Low | Low | |
|
Limitations |
Activity will be reduced with surface fouling | Must be applied repeatedly, wetting all surfaces and crevices, and remaining undiluted | Activity related to surface concentration and availability of leaching agent. Appropriate to polymeric materials | Microorganism may either come into contact with surface or reside in a solution that has been in contact with the surface | |
|
Substrates |
Most | Most (some surfaces may be damaged by disinfectants) | Polymeric | Most | |
|
Mechanical Robustness |
Can be engineered to meet requirements over wide range | Not applicable | Equivalent to properties of base material | Low | |
|
Manufacturing Compatibility |
Flexible post-manufacturing process | Not part of the device | Changes material's manufacturing and mechanical properties | Vacuum line-of-sight deposition | |
|
Cost of disinfection activity |
Low for long term protection | High, assuming repeated applications | Generally low, depending on agent | High for long term protection |