{"id":229502,"date":"2017-01-06T15:08:18","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T17:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/?p=229502"},"modified":"2017-01-06T15:08:18","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T17:08:18","slug":"extra-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/extra-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Extra protection"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Water-repellent

L\u00e9o Ramos<\/span>Water-repellent fabric with bactericide and silver nanoparticlesL\u00e9o Ramos<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The use of nanotechnology in clothing has reached the production line. There are at least three textile companies in Brazil\u2014one in S\u00e3o Paulo State and two in Santa Catarina\u2014that offer clothing specifically for physical activity and fabrics with antimicrobial properties for health professionals. In Campinas, a city northwest of S\u00e3o Paulo, EPI Sa\u00fade, a startup housed in the business incubator of the Agency for Innovation (Inova Unicamp) is making fabrics with silver nanoparticles (which confer bactericidal properties) and fluorocarbon molecules (which make them water repellent). This type of fabric already exists in the market and is now being tested at the Hospital das Cl\u00ednicas of the University of Campinas (HC-Unicamp) in the form of lab coats, jackets and other clothing for health professionals. It can also be used in sheets, pillow cases and patient clothing.<\/p>\n

The project is a result of combining the interests and experience of the founder of EPI Sa\u00fade, Paulo Formagio, owner of another company that already produces personal protective equipment (PPE) for use in agriculture, and medical endocrinologist Laura Sterian Ward, of Unicamp\u2019s School of Medical Sciences. \u201cI realized there was an opportunity in the healthcare area,\u201d says Formagio. \u201cAfter analyzing scientific studies on hospital contamination, I researched medical information at Unicamp. That search showed the need for personal protective equipment that was more efficient than equipment made from non-treated fabrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ward, for her part, says she decided to get involved in the project after her daughter, currently in her sixth year of studying medicine, said she would like to go to Liberia, Africa, to help treat patients infected with Ebola. \u201cI was terrified,\u201d she says. \u201cThe PPE that doctors and nurses typically used to deal with Ebola infected patients was astronaut-like, that is, hot, uncomfortable, and difficult to move around in. In the healthcare area, we do not have clear regulations regarding protective equipment and we use only white coats, gloves and ordinary masks, which are also PPEs with no special properties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ward notes that health professionals are always subject to contamination. Depending on the type of procedure, they are exposed to patients\u2019 bodily fluids and chemicals (such as chemotherapy) that can cause infections, allergies, and other problems. \u201cUsing appropriate PPE protects the professional, the patient and the community,\u201d says Ward, the principal investigator for the project. The risks of hospital infections are not insignificant. There is very little epidemiological data in Brazil on the prevalence of hospital infections. One of the most cited studies even today, for lack of others, is a 1995 study that investigated 99 tertiary hospitals in Brazil and found a hospital infection rate of 15.5%. \u201cThe PPE we are developing can help reduce this rate.\u201d Hence the convenience of adding water-repellent and antimicrobial properties to fabrics used every day in hospitals (see Pesquisa FAPESP<\/em> Issues n\u00ba 130<\/a>\u00a0and 206<\/a>).<\/p>\n

To add these properties to the fabric, the textile material is immersed in a solution containing fluorocarbon and silver nanoparticles, at a temperature between 190\u00baC and 200\u00baC. After the fabric passes through a dryer, it can then be used to make uniforms, lab coats and jackets. According to Paulo Formagio, the nanoparticles can be added directly to fibers, separately, or to the fabric. \u201cThis can be done to any type of textile, but in this project we used two types of fabrics: one that was a blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, and another that was only polyester,\u201d he says. Fluorocarbons have the ability to repel fluids. Silver fights microorganisms by piercing the cell membranes of the bacteria and releasing ions into them, thereby preventing them from reproducing.<\/p>\n

\"EPI

Paulo S Formagio \/ EPI Sa\u00fade <\/span>EPI Sa\u00fade\u2019s production line in Campinas: process of treating fabric with fluorocarbon and silver nanoparticlesPaulo S Formagio \/ EPI Sa\u00fade <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Lab coats, jackets and uniforms made with nanoparticle-coated fabrics were tested by 22 health professionals in the Infectious Diseases ward at Unicamp\u2019s Hospital das Cl\u00ednicas and by eight biologists from the Department of Clinical Medicine. \u201cWe first prepared a questionnaire for technicians and nurses,\u201d says Ward. \u201cWe wanted to know what their awareness of risk was and how they viewed the use of PPE.\u201d The garments were then supplied and used for three months. After the three months, the professionals were given a new questionnaire that evaluated the usability of the clothing (ease of wear, suitability for work routines, etc.).<\/p>\n

The Hospital\u2019s clinical director and an infectious disease specialist, Pl\u00ednio Trabasso, monitored the entire experiment. \u201cUsers had a favorable opinion of the equipment in terms of usability, comfort and tolerance to variations in temperature,\u201d he says. \u201cThat is to say, the PPE did not interfere with their daily activities, such as bathing patients or applying dressings, among other tasks.\u201d The clothing can be laundered from 50 to 70 times without affecting the nanoparticles. After that, the fabric becomes degraded and it is not feasible\u2014either technically or economically\u2014to give it a new treatment. According to Ward, the special PPE is as durable as ordinary clothing. \u201cBut, since the treated fabric soils less, the lab coats tend to last longer.\u201d The clothing normally used in surgical settings in most hospitals is made of common cloth. Only in some types of procedures, such as childbirth or orthopedic surgery, where there is a lot of contact with blood, do medical staff receive waterproof lab coats. Some hospitals only provide disposable lab coats and no further protection.<\/p>\n

Investment phase<\/strong>
\nThe project will have two more phases. One will be to adapt the technology to different uses, including for visors, shoes and gloves, for example. \u201cWe will do laboratory tests to measure the degree of contamination of the clothing during routine use,\u201d says Ward. So far this evaluation has only been carried out in vitro. The team also plans to subject the fabric to a challenge test that will expose it to large amounts of bacteria and fungi to see how it responds. \u201cThese two phases depend on a larger investment, which we do not yet have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trabasso has a favorable assessment of the current project, but thinks that the conventional lab coats and jackets used today offer adequate protection. \u201cWhat we are proposing is extra protection,\u201d he says. \u201cWe need to prove that it is efficient and cost-effective. Water-repellent protection can be beneficial in terms of efficiency in certain situations, such as surgery or procedures with great exposure to blood.\u201d The estimated cost per lab coat, for example, is between R$70 and R$80, according to Paul Formagio, of EPI Sa\u00fade. \u201cThis is R$5 more than an ordinary lab coat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tecidos_246\"<\/a>Innovative entrepreneurship<\/strong>
\nTwo other fabric manufacturing companies have incorporated nanotechnology into their production. One is TNS Nanotecnologia, located in the Centro Empresarial para Labora\u00e7\u00e3o de Tecnologias Avanzadas (Celta), a Certi Foundation incubator based in Florian\u00f3polis (Santa Catarina State). The company produces silver nanoparticles, in addition to other antimicrobial additives, which can be incorporated into fabrics, paints, plastics, as well as medical and ceramic equipment. The company was established in 2009 by a group of chemistry and engineering students of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and last year won the National Prize for Innovative Entrepreneurship in the Best Incubated Company category, awarded by the National Association of Enterprises Promoting Business Innovators (ANPROTEC). TNS has no products in stores, but rather sells nanoparticles to companies that incorporate the technology into their finished goods, such as textiles and footwear.<\/p>\n

Managing Director Gabriel Nunes says the company sells its product to manufacturers of synthetic and cotton yarns, dye shops and textile companies. The main application for TNS nanoparticles in this market is in making socks, linings and insoles for shoes, towels, mattress covers, pillows, sheets, curtains, carpets and work clothes (lab coats and professional overalls). \u201cOne of the main advantages of the material impregnated with silver is that it inhibits the cross-contamination of microbial growth, which prevents the formation of mold and mildew, and combats the unpleasant odor of clothing and footwear caused by bacteria,\u201d notes Nunes. \u201cWhat this means is that people can wear the clothing for several hours or days (in the case of athletes) without this problem. The material can be laundered up to 50 times without losing its antimicrobial properties.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Joinville (also located in Santa Catarina State), the Diklatex Industrial T\u00eaxtil company produces meshes that contain nanoparticles of various materials for use in making sportswear. One of these materials is silicone, which gives fabrics greater durability and softness, and another material uses hydrophilisers, which absorb moisture from the body, such as sweat, and release it into the environment. Nanoencapsulated essences that perfume clothing are also used, in addition to silver. In the case of Diklatex, nanoparticles are imported from European companies.<\/p>\n

According to a company press release, the sportswear segment has grown, and the company is also looking for pieces that can provide greater comfort during physical activities. The market for medical clothing that contains nanoparticles is also significant. Paulo Formagio, of EPI Sa\u00fade, estimates that the total number of health professionals, including aides, technicians and support staff, could reach 2.6 million, in addition to another 300,000 working in the field of \u200b\u200bveterinary medicine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Antimicrobial fabrics can provide more safety for health professionals","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[243,249],"coauthors":[112],"class_list":["post-229502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-innovation","tag-nanotechnology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229502\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229502"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=229502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}