Neoterix^® ST

Neoterix ST is an innovative technology for creating surfaces that help inhibit bacterial attachment and biofilm formation through texture alone. Neoterix ST surfaces incorporate the patented Sharklet^® micropattern to help prevent bacterial attachment without the use of chemicals or antimicrobial agents. Performance testing with coated fabric upholstered chairs has shown a 92% reduction in bioburden (the number of bacteria living on a surface that has not been sterilized).

Neoterix ST technology

Neoterix ST is a release paper engineered with the patented Sharklet micropattern to create surfaces that reliably help reduce bacterial contamination and help inhibit biofilm formation. The microscopic texture alone helps inhibit bacteria from attaching and colonizing using no antimicrobials or chemicals.

The Sharklet micropattern is very small - about 3 microns tall and 10 microns wide. The diamond pattern and multi-level texture does not provide a surface structure that microbes can easily attach to. You cannot see the micropattern with the naked eye and you can't feel it with your finger, but it is there, helping to protect the surface against bacterial contamination.

The challenge in healthcare

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a serious global threat. In the United States, on any given day, 1 in 25 patients entering a healthcare facility for care will acquire an unrelated infection during their stay¹. In 2011, there were 722,000 reported HAIs in U.S. acute care hospitals resulting in 75,000 patient deaths². Despite the widespread implementation of quality improvement initiatives, an estimated $9.8 billion is spent each year in US hospitals dealing with HAIs³. The emergence of superbugs, microbes resistant to conventional antimicrobial drug therapy, poses a grave threat as we look into the future. In The Review on Antimicroabial Resistance published by Jim O'Neill in 2014, it is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die from these infections and costs associated with them are approximately 100 trillion dollars⁴.

The rampant spread of diseases is preventable. The Center for Medicaid Medicare Services (CMS) no longer will reimburse healthcare providers for the care of patients that acquire an illness during a hospital stay and has implemented significant fines for high infection rates.
 

Healthcare industry collaborations

Sappi is dedicated to supporting the healthcare industry in finding surface solutions that effectively support current infection control protocols and antimicrobial stewardship efforts. To achieve this goal, product development and design must be informed with input from healthcare professionals.

Sappi is seeking committed suppliers to the healthcare industry that are interested in developing innovative products which incorporate Neoterix ST. If you would like to explore incorporating this technology into your products or are interested in evaluating this technology in your facility, please email neoterix@sappi.com.

¹ CDC Winnable Battles Final Report:  https://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/report/docs/wb-hai.pdf
² Magill, S.S., J. R. Edwards, and W. Bamberg, et al. "Multistate point-prevalence survey of health care-associated infections." New England Journal of Medicine 370 (2014): 1198-1208. ² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guide to infection prevention in outpatient setting: Minimum expectations for safe care. Centers for Disease Control, n.d. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648343/
³ Health Care-Associated Infections: A Meta-analysis of Costs and Financial Impact on the US Health Care System: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1733452
⁴  Neill, J. (2014). Antimicrobial resistance: Tackling a crisis for the health and wealth of nations. London: Review on Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling drug-resistant infections globally, December 2018. https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/AMR%20Review%20Paper%20-%20Ta...