DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Freestyle Partners, LLC, announced today that a first-of-its-kind, in-hospital field study demonstrated a filtered Far UV-C portable, handheld device effectively reduced pathogens on hospital surfaces in seconds. Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, in study led by Dr. Piyali Chatterjee, PhD, Research Investigator Chair, Subcommittee for Scientific Review (SSR) and Dr. Chetan Jinadatha MD, Chief of Infectious Disease, tested the efficacy of the device on reducing microbial bioburden of surfaces in its facilities. Findings from the study are available in the American Journal of Infection Control and show the potential that portable, handheld filtered Far UV-C devices have to be an alternative or adjunct to standard chemical disinfectant cleaning measures in healthcare facilities, especially on surfaces where harsh chemicals may corrode or are prohibited.
In the study, a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and MRSA, were identified on hospital surfaces. The portable, handheld filtered Far UV-C device inactivated these bacteria and other pathogens in seconds. The speed of inactivation with the device offers several inherent user benefits compared to traditional chemical disinfectants. The filtered Far UV-C device disinfects surfaces in less than 30 seconds as opposed to the two to four minutes or more dwell time with chemical disinfectants, so disinfection is likely to happen more frequently. The device also is easy to use and environmentally friendly, eliminating the waste associated with chemical wipes.
The study indicates that filtered Far UV-C is a promising technology that could be a much-needed solution utilized in healthcare settings by staff on commonly touched surfaces. Testing shows filtered Far UV-C can be used as an in-hospital, non-chemical, low-level disinfectant with the potential for frequent use by nursing and hospital staff.
Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAIs) continue to be a costly and life-threatening issue for healthcare facilities with more than 1.7M HAIs annually in U.S. hospitals. Surface pathogens can persist for days to months and studies show that 50% of surfaces in the healthcare environment do not receive adequate levels of disinfection during manual chemical cleaning. Additionally, chemical cleaning can be time consuming, unsafe to perform around patients, harmful to the environment, and ineffective as pathogens become resistant to various chemical disinfectants. HAIs are estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system $28B-$33B in related costs annually.
Filtered Far UV-C is a breakthrough, disruptive technology developed by a team of researchers led by David Brenner, PhD, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University. It has been extensively tested and endorsed by leading institutions across the world. Studies published in peer-reviewed, scientific journals have shown the technology has the same efficacy against pathogens as conventional UV-C. Studies have also demonstrated that filtered Far UV-C is scientifically proven to be safe to use in occupied space when used within the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) dose limits as well as recently updated IES/ANSI standards, because it does not penetrate into living skin or the eye.
While aerosolized pathogens have been a primary focus over the last several years due to COVID-19, surface pathogens are also of utmost concern, especially with the rate of HAIs rapidly increasing and the need for more effective solutions for disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in hospitals, office buildings, schools, and during travel.
Freestyle Partners provided funding support and a portable, handheld filtered Far UV-C device for this study. “We are excited about the results of this study, the efficacy of the technology to reduce surface pathogens in a real hospital setting, and anticipate further enthusiastic responses from users at other healthcare facilities,” said Jennifer Rosen, co-founder of Freestyle Partners, LLC. “Freestyle Partners is conducting ongoing studies to show real-world results, and the human-safe efficacy of filtered Far UV-C in a portable, handheld format. We believe this disruptive technology has global application across business sectors and consumer use.”
About Freestyle Partners, LLC
Based in Detroit, Freestyle Partners, LLC is an IP accelerator focused on bringing leading-edge concepts to acquisition or commercialization. Founded in 2012 by marketing and branding experts Jennifer Rosen and Ben Feeney, Freestyle Partners has a focus of identifying and delivering new revenue opportunities and conceiving new ventures in both corporate and start-up environments that have driven profitable growth, created culture change, and impassioned people. For more information, visit www.freestylepartnersllc.com.
About Central Texas Veterans Health Care System
The VA Central Texas Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the Veterans Integrated Service Network 17 (VISN 17), which includes medical centers and clinics in Texas and New Mexico serving more than 252,000 Veterans in 39 counties.
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