Bagan is working with two hospitals to test the Sharklet hygienic surface on bed rails, control panels, nursing call buttons, monitor covers and push door plate covers.
Courtesy Sharklet Technologies
10:04 AM disco_tracy: Thanks for taking the time to chat
Let's start with you
10:05 AM What's your title and your role at the company?
sharkletjoe: My title is chief executive officer and my role is to ensure the success of this company
10:06 AM disco_tracy: And the company is built on technology that mimics sharkskin, right? Or is there a better way to say that?
10:08 AM sharkletjoe:
I would say the company is focused on using shapes and patterns to
control responses of living things. We have found that one such shape,
inspired by Sharkskin has some really interesting properties for
controlling bacteria growth.
10:09 AM disco_tracy: Can you say a little more about natural sharkskin and how it repels little nasties in nature?
10:13 AM sharkletjoe:
What we know is that there are several species of shark that violate a
general rule of the marine environment. The rule is, "if you move slowly
most of the time, organisms like algae and barnacles and tube worms
will foul (attach) to your surface." Think whale, turtle,
manatee... they are all fouled. "If you move quickly most of the time,
you will not be fouled." Think orca, dolphin, tuna... they are all
clean. This is most likely an energy decision at work. It takes too
much energy for the attaching organisms to attach to and stay on the
fast movers. Many species of shark violate that rule. They move slowly,
but are not fouled.
10:14 AM disco_tracy: Hmm interesting. I didn't know that. But it makes sense.
So
I'm assuming that some scientist(s) took a look at sharkskin and
realized why sharkskin wasn't getting fouled. Is that right?
10:20 AM sharkletjoe:
Yes. For many years, the chemistry of their skin was investigated. Dr. Anthony
Brennan [of the University of Florida] was the first to come along and say that it is not the
chemistry of their skin that is the dominant factor in this puzzle. It
is the shape of their skin. More specifically, it is a shape, a
pattern, formed by how their denticles (like scales) come together. It
is very specific, not found anywhere else, and we believe has evolved
for the specific purpose of keeping the animal clean. This is the
inspiration for Sharklet.
10:21 AM disco_tracy: Can you say a little bit about how the shape or pattern of the skin can repel organisms?
10:27 AM sharkletjoe:
We believe an energy decision is at work. We believe the sharkskin
pattern requires too much energy to attach to. The shape of the skin
creates a barrier to attachment as organisms approach it and sense that
there is no place that they can find that will allow for an easy (less
energy) attachment. Sharklet mimics this feature and creates an
energetically unstable surface. Bacteria like MRSA, E. coli and others,
want to attach to a surface, signal other bacteria to join them and
grow into a colony (called a biofilm). Sharklet stops this from
happening.
10:30 AM disco_tracy:
So when you say that an organism can't hold on easily.....well, what
does the surface look like to them? Like, if I were a bacterial
organism, would the surface look really bumpy or have spaces that I
needed to reach across?
10:33 AM sharkletjoe:
Think of it this way. If you and I were in a helicopter flying over Mount
Everest and I jumped out, the fall would kill me. That is an active
kill mechanism. Now think about that helicopter landing and I walk out
the door and the helicopter takes off. I have less than 15 minutes to
live. That is because I cannot generate the kind of energy needed to
survive there. That is a passive kill mechanism and that is what
Sharklet is. To an organism, Sharklet is Mount Everest.
10:35 AM disco_tracy: Whoa, that's pretty cool. So how do you make the surface?
10:39 AM sharkletjoe:
Essentially, we print it with pressure applied to a surface. Sharklet
is very small. The features in the pattern are about 3 microns tall. A
human hair, on average, is about 35-40 microns thick. So think of
something about a tenth the thickness of a human hair. It doesn't take
much pressure to make the pattern. It is however, a very specific
pattern, and that creates a manufacturing challenge. We now know how to
put it in films that can be applied to just about any surface. We are
also working on how to incorporate the pattern into manufacturing
processes so it can be built right in.
10:40 AM disco_tracy: What is the material being patterned? Some kind of plastic?
10:43 AM sharkletjoe:
Yes. The films we work with are different kinds of polymers
(essentially plastics). We look at different materials for different
characteristics and application. Some need to be more durable, some
need to be soft to the touch, some need to be more transparent than
others... The good news about the Sharklet pattern is that it can be
put into or onto anything.
10:44 AM disco_tracy: OK, so what kinds of applications are we talking about? What products do you make from the patterned plastics?
10:49 AM sharkletjoe:
A couple of important applications are in the healthcare environment.
We can put Sharklet onto the surface of short-term in-dwelling devices
like catheters. We can also put our Sharklet films onto surfaces in
hospitals where people touch frequently. The devices I spoke of earlier
are often associated with people acquiring an infection in a hospital.
In fact, hospital-acquired infections are an acute problem around the
world today. According to the Centers for Disease Control,
approximately 99,000 people will die in the United States this year
from a hospital acquired infection. That is more than AIDS, breast
cancer, and auto accidents combined.
10:50 AM disco_tracy: Holy cow. I didn't know so many people were affected by hospital-acquired infections!!! That's crazy.
10:51 AM So
you're saying that medical devices such as catheters could be made with
this pattern as well as flush handles on toilets or door knobs, right?
10:56 AM sharkletjoe:
Sure we can. The numbers are staggering, and that is just in the United
States. That is why it so important to get this to market. We can
control bacteria without contributing to resistance. The numbers are so
high because the bacteria are resistant to our past methods of actively
killing them. The active kill approach does not work over a long run.
10:57 AM disco_tracy: So are any of these products in hospitals now?
11:00 AM sharkletjoe:
yes. We are conducting two field trials of our hygienic surface right
now. A hospital in California now, and soon, one in Colorado. We are
working on how to get our films onto various surfaces, durability,
cleaner compatibility, etc... We want to have our technology become
part of the standard operating procedure in a hospital. We know we can keep
these surfaces free of colonized organisms.
11:01 AM disco_tracy: Can you say what the products are that are being tested?
11:03 AM sharkletjoe:
Yes. It is a Sharklet Hygienic Surface cover for bed rails, bed rail
control panels, nursing call buttons, monitor covers, push door plate
covers and others. This will keep organisms from growing and migrating
off these surfaces, and will do it in an environmentally friendly
way.
11:04 AM disco_tracy:
It seems like this kind of surface would have applications outside
hospitals, too. Like ATMs, for example. Are you exploring that at all?
Or mainly focusing on hospitals?
11:06 AM sharkletjoe:
Hospitals have the most urgent need right now. We are working on a
consumer application as well. We should have a consumer-oriented
product out by the end of this year.
disco_tracy: Great, well, let us know when it's out!
11:07 AM I guess that answers my questions. Did I leave anything out?
sharkletjoe:
We look forward to making the world a safer and healthier place. Our
technology is a game changer, and we are really excited about it.
11:08 AM disco_tracy: Thanks for telling us about it!
I'll let you know when the piece is online and will send you the link.
11:09 AM sharkletjoe: My pleasure and have a nice day.
disco_tracy: thanks!
ciao
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