Effective Hand Hygiene is known to be vital to the control of Hospital and Community Acquired Infections (HCAIs), and is an area that can be addressed using CreoMedical's expertise in non thermal plasma, with a product development called 'HandiPlasma'.
Currently available hand cleansing techniques include hand washing with soap and water or application of gels, and although of paramount importance in the fight against HCAIs they are known to have a number of significant shortcomings.
Hand washing can only take place in designated hand-wash areas, which may well be some physical distance from the source of infection. This can lead to further contamination of surfaces and materials.
Gels are not effective against all of the organisms of concern.
The effectiveness of both hand-washing and the use of gels is variable depending on the thoroughness of the individual.
HandiPlasma addresses the problems with existing hand hygiene techniques. Envisaged as an addition to, rather than a total replacement of good hand washing, "HandiPlasma" hand sterilisers can be portable devices and/or mounted in numerous fixed installations - wherever there is a power socket. The system does not require plumbing, so can be installed next (or moved to) to all potential infection areas - clinics, wards and treatment areas.
Quiet and unobtrusive in operation, the technology automates the sterilisation process, negating the variability due to the differing thoroughness of the individual.
The technology has shown to be effective against all of the organisms of concern in HCAIs, and a further benefit is that the system will not have an adverse impact on the skin.
Hand washing and the use of other cleaning gels can cause irritation after repeated use, which is a known factor in generating good compliance. In use, as HandiPlasma technology feels similar to a gentle, warm hand drier, which should not discourage repeated use.
To summarise, HandiPlasma addresses all of the known problems with existing hand hygiene techniques, and has the potential to revolutionise the control of HCAIs.