Funds Awarded for Testing of Antimicrobial Metals

CHARLESTON, SC  — December 5, 2007  — Funds to continue clinical trials for determining the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass and bronze have
been awarded to the Copper Development Association, announced CDA President Andrew G. Kireta Sr.
 
Of the two studies funded, one is focused on the ability of copper alloy surfaces to kill deadly pathogens and impede cross-contamination. The monies will be used to complete the pilot conversion of touch surfaces in healthcare facilities in New York City and Charleston, South Carolina, where extensive clinical trials have begun.
 
The other, which follows the same premise, is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper components in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in reducing the incidence of harmful microbes that spread throughout buildings and other indoor air environments.
 
The studies will be carried out for the U.S. Department of Defense under the aegis of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center, a section of the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and implemented by SCRA affiliate Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). “We are confident that our
outstanding program team, comprised of the US Army, the US Copper Development Association, Sloan-Kettering Memorial, the Medical University of South Carolina, The University of South Carolina, The Veteran’s Administration, and SCRA’s ATI, will assure outcomes of both improved patient care and expanded applications and markets for copper products,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO.
 
Since these studies began, the increasing concern over microbial growth on common touch surfaces has moved beyond healthcare facilities and into the
community. In fact, recent cases have been diagnosed in students at many schools across the country.
 
According to Dr. Harold Michels, vice president of Technical and Information Services for CDA and the studies’ principal investigator, “This decision allows the trials to move into the next, critical phase of study. We fully expect our work will demonstrate that the utilization of antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces will be an effective weapon in the battle against hospital- and community-acquired infections and, when used in conjunction with good clinical hygiene, will help greatly to reduce the spread of certain virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli 157:H7.”
 
The clinical trials follow peer-reviewed research conducted at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom proving copper, brass and bronze can
quickly and efficiently eradicate several different pathogens which are the source of many hospital-acquired infections. Estimates from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that infections acquired in U.S. hospitals affect some two million individuals every year, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths annually and costing the healthcare industry some $30 billion. It is widely believed those numbers will grow, unless more effective measures are implemented.
 
The touch surfaces trials will determine how well natural copper, brass and bronze surfaces mitigate infectious microbes, decrease cross-contamination and
ultimately help reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in patients. Rates of infection are being measured using three indicator organisms: MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii. The surfaces involved in the study are typically made of coated carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel or plastic, which have little or no effect in controlling pathogens.
 
The studies are being conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H.
Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston, South Carolina. Previous studies were conducted by ATS Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, under test protocols
established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They show solid copper alloys are more than 99.9% effective on five pathogens commonly found
in healthcare facilities. The tests have been submitted to EPA as part of a registration process to secure approval for making human health claims for the
copper metals.
 
The companion study compares copper air-conditioning system components, including heat exchangers and drip pans, with components made of aluminum as
to their ability to control the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. The trials are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper surfaces in reducing the colonization of HVAC systems by harmful microbes and reducing exposure to these organisms throughout the buildings served by the systems.
 
Laboratory studies are taking place at the University of South Carolina in the Arnold School of Public Health. Field trials will be performed at the Moncrief
Army Community Hospital and barracks at Fort Jackson, the D.D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon and the United States Air Force Academy. Michels says, “The results of these real-world trials should encourage a leap forward in the design of HVAC systems and make a major contribution to the reduction of Sick Building Syndrome and the improvement of indoor air quality.”
 
The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA.
 

About SCRA
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in Anderson, Charleston, and Columbia, South Carolina. SCRA
collaborates to advance technology. SCRA provides technology-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, and with the help of
research universities like Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina. 

For more information visit www.scra.org.
 
About ATI
The Advanced Technology Institute builds international consortia to develop and implement innovative solutions for manufacturing, aerospace, automotive,
maritime, metals, and healthcare industries. ATI-led collaborations attract world-class talent from premier companies, universities, and government
agencies, to define technology roadmaps and research portfolios matched to business demands that provide the requisite resources to solve shared
challenges. ATI’s partners report improved market transition and return on investment with reduced risk. These practical business benefits enable the
downstream economic and social benefits of the new technologies – such as safety, affordability, manufacturing competitiveness, environmental protection, and energy conservation. A private, non-profit research corporation with principle operations in Charleston, SC, ATI is an affiliate of SCRA.

For more information, please visit www.aticorp.org.