Posts Tagged Hospitals
New ‘Always On’ Air Sanitizer Fills Critical Gap in Infection Control
–Prolitec’s aria™ System Targets Airborne Bacteria
NEW ORLEANS, LA–(Marketwire – July 12, 2010) – Hand washing and frequent wiping of surfaces like counters and handrails are necessary elements in institutional infection-control protocols. Effective as these techniques are, however, they are labor intensive, not automated, and do nothing to counter airborne bacteria — one of the primary mechanisms for the spread of disease. With the introduction of Prolitec, Inc.’s aria™ air-sanitizing agent, assisted-living facilities, hospitals, medical offices, and other enclosed spaces finally have a means of addressing this critical gap in infection control.
Prolitec’s Aerobiology and Infection Control division unveiled the new aria™ system today at the annual conference of the Washington, D.C.-based Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, in New Orleans.
The aria™ air-sanitizing system, which won EPA registration in November 2009, uses newly patented Prolitec technology to generate an invisible “dry” vapor of a safe and effective air sanitizing agent. The vapor can be distributed within a space directly from a small wall-mounted appliance or indirectly through an air handler. The result is a uniformly distributed vapor compliant with OSHA air-contaminant restrictions for workplace inhalation — one that is non-damaging to materials and electronics, yet significantly decreases the numbers of viable airborne bacteria under relatively wide conditions of relative humidity and temperature.
“Bacteria and other microorganisms are frequently introduced into the air by actions such as sneezing and coughing. Once microorganisms are airborne they can be inhaled or can settle and contaminate surfaces,” noted Dr. Craig A. Kelly, a veteran Johns Hopkins University scientist and chief of Prolitec’s Aerobiology and Infection-Control unit. “The function of the aria™ system is to reduce the concentration of airborne bacteria in a continuous and automated manner, thereby reducing the likelihood of inhalation or surface-settling of viable microorganisms.”
“An important feature of aria™ is that it is fully automated and works 24 hours a day, seven days a week without any human intervention,” noted Richard Weening, CEO of Milwaukee-based Prolitec. “The aria™ system can safely and effectively reduce background levels of airborne bacteria to establish the foundation of a successful infection-control protocol. It is the one part of the program that will always be 100% compliant.”
Dr. Kelly added: “Amid heightened awareness of disease transmission by airborne microorganisms, aria™ provides a critical tool for the infection-control professional to address airborne bacteria in a way that was not previously available. That can translate into a greater sense of safety and well-being for patients, residents, caregivers and visitors alike.”
About Prolitec
Prolitec (www.prolitec.com) develops and deploys air-treatment and air care technologies, including odor control, ambient scenting, aromatherapy and the use of scent as a medium of communication. Clients include assisted-living facilities, hotels, casinos, retailers and other commercial organizations in the United States and around the world. Prolitec’s Aerobiology and Infection Control Unit is developing interior air and surface systems to inhibit disease transmission.
Add comment July 12, 2010
Ambient scenting systems put to work in UK hospitals
UK ambient scenting company Signature Aromas has been placing their essential oil-based systems in hospitals to help reduce infections from airborne pathogens. The company’s Purazone system has been shown to be effective in destroying the deadly superbugs MRSA and C. diff, as well as many bacteria and fungi. The Purazone is under clinical trial at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. According to the company, trial results will be ready before the summer. Meanwhile, you can look at the impressive kill rates they’ve got so far.
Coincidentally, this is exactly one year after an Air Sense post about the initial UK trials (see Scent machines used in war against hospital superbug).
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2 comments April 23, 2008
Spanish hospital adopts olfactory marketing
Marbella’s USP Hospital has begun an ambient scenting program in an effort to keep its patients feeling good. They’ve got the scent of talcum powder in the pediatric area, and aromas of wood and peach throughout the rest of the hospital. The scenting is part of the private clinic’s olfactory marketing strategy, which will soon be implemented at USP clinics throughout Spain.
Read more at SUR
1 comment March 15, 2008
Scenting: ambient market surpasses personal market
Personal fragrances are so yesterday. What’s happening is ambient scenting. International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) Chairman Robert Amen estimates that the “functional fragrance” market now doubles the size of the personal fragrance market. In an article published Friday in Women’s Wear Daily, Amen discusses the market shift toward functional fragrance and how it relates to the shift in direction for IFF.
IFF has been exploring several new avenues. The company’s perfumer Christophe Laudamiel designed and implemented the ambient scenting for the World Economic Forum. They’re working on encapsulation technology, where fragrance is released in response to pressure (such as in scented fabric and print advertisements) for other products such as lotion. And they’ve been exploring ways to use scent in hospital settings as a way to speed the recovery process for trauma victims.
Read more at Women’s Wear Daily
Add comment February 17, 2008
Kids undergo sniff test
Minneapolis’ Children’s Hospital has been studying how kids of different ethnic backgrounds interpret different smells. This study is among the first scholarly research on the effects of ethnicity and gender on kids attitudes toward fragrances. The study involved kids from Hmong, African, and African-American backgrounds, sniffing fragrances that are being used in medicine to help deal with anxiety, nausea and headaches. Read more in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
Add comment November 12, 2007
Ozone used to disinfect hospitals from MRSA and other bugs
A British company unveiled a disinfecting machine using a new technology that can kill up to 99.99% of airborne bacteria and viruses. The machines, developed by Inov8 Science, mix the naturally-occurring ozone in the air with olefins, producing a cascade of hydroxyl radicals, which kill viruses and bacteria, including the deadly and rampant MRSA. Olefins are the molecules of the scent of flowers and plants, and are supplied via cartridges in the machine that need replacing monthly. The machines are designed for a 10 to 100 square meter room. Read more in HES Magazine, or at the company’s web site
Add comment September 2, 2007
Scent machines used in war against hospital superbug
Originally designed to mask unpleasant odors on hospital wards, scent machines in a U.K. hospital are also being tested for their ability to prevent infection. The machine disperses a special recipe of particular essential oils that attack MRSA, a hospital-borne superbug that kills up to 5,000 U.K. hospital patients each year and countless others throughout the world. In a 9-month trial of one essential oil-dispersing machine on a ward, infection on the ward was significantly reduced and airborne bacterial counts were reduced by 90%. To read more about the study, see BBC.
1 comment April 23, 2007
