FluoroMed®-AM
FluoroMed®-AM Anti-Microbial Coating Technology
As awareness of the significant economic and personal damage done by a wide range of bacteria and other microbes grows, attention is being focused on the need for improved anti-microbial and anti-bacterial coatings that are both effective and safe.
In response, Surface Solutions Group has developed a highly potent, biocompatible, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial coatings that prevents growth of bacteria on or along numerous products designed for use in biomedical applications in combination with our FluoroMed® anti-microbial process, consumer products and industrial applications. SSG is an expert applicator of this anti-microbial coating for all purposes listed.
The active ingredient in SSG’s breakthrough is Silver (Ag), a well-established inorganic biocompatible, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial that has been incorporated into a delivery system compatible with the manufacturing processes of the products to be protected, while providing a continuous controlled release of silver over an extended time period.
“Using silver coated catheters for patients significantly reduced the most common hospital-acquired infection”
– Urologic Nursing, the journal of the Society of Urological Nurses and Associates (April, 2008)
Key Features of FluoroMed®-AM
- FluoroMed®-AM eliminates pathogens on the spot
- It is a biocompatible coating
- It is made as an anti-microbial formula
- Proven to have a kill rate of 99.9%
- The FluoroMed®-AM coating makes medical devices more sanitary with the safety of the patient in mind
Surface Solutions Group has extensive experience applying biocompatible catheter coating, biocompatible endoscopic coatings, biocompatible surgical instrument coating, as well as, biocompatible medical device coatings.
How do Anti-Microbial coatings kill pathogens?
Silver Oxide is formed on the surface of the FluoroMed® coating, which simultaneously attacks multiple sites within the pathogenic cell to deactivate critical physiological reproductive functions of the cell. Silver ions have a high affinity for negatively charged side groups on bacterial molecules which bind to the bacterial DNA. This hinders bacterial replication and simultaneously deactivates the metabolic enzymes of the cell. The result is that reproduction of the microorganism is killed. A key advantage of anti-microbial silver is its remarkably low human toxicity combined with a broad spectrum of antibacterial efficacy.
How are FluoroMed® AM coatings made?
The addition of nano-size glass particles are formulated into a specified coating containing selected metals that produce anti-microbial silver oxide ions in the presence of moisture. These particles are dispersed at the surface and also throughout the coating. A higher concentration of anti-microbial particles can be created at the surface. Glass, as the matrix material, has a high chemical inertness and the ability to retain metal ions that are continually liberated in the presence of moisture. FluoroMed® AM uses inorganic materials because they have superior features of safety (non-volatility) and heat resistance to 500°C. These anti-microbial materials have been tested safe for the human body. Testing for anti-microbial properties is performed at a third-party laboratory with the accompanying microbe kill rate efficacy test result documentation.
Benefits of FluoroMed® AM:
- More than 50+ coatings applied by SSG can be modified to have anti-microbial properties with an affordable price increase.
- Safer medical devices can be created with a coating of FluoroMed® AM.
- Successful anti-microbial applications on all medical grade metals, plastics, glass, and silicone rubber. All these substrates can have anti-microbial properties with laboratory-tested pathogen kill rates of 99.9%.
- Thickness of coating is unchanged with anti-microbial application. Coating thickness from .0002” to .0015” (.0005 to .0037mm) added to device surfaces.
- Low friction coating properties are unaffected by the anti-microbial nano-particles.
- The development of microbe resistance due to generational mutations to anti-microbial silver would be extremely rare because an organism would have to undergo simultaneous mutations in every critical function within a single generation to escape the silver’s influence. Antibiotics cannot provide this.