Antimicrobial Copper builds a healthy market

By ahhb
Sunday, 14 June, 2015

A U.S. company, Olin Brass, is forging a whole new approach to infection control on its Antimicrobial Copper line called CuVerro

Late last year the company behind the CuVerro Antimicrobial Copper infection control line brought a whole new range of products to the huge, once a year Healthcare Design Conference in San Diego, California as part of the “Better Care Through Better Design” theme.

On top of new designs for IV poles, toggle light switches, door handles, cabinets and other hardware architecture they showed off some world and healthcare industry firsts, including an Antimicrobial Copper “wand” for controlling bedside and window curtains called “SafeGrip”, a copper clad bug-fighting biro called “CopperPen”, free weights, an automatic door switch, and keyboards and keypads.

Olin launched the CuVerro germ fighting copper brand a few years ago once the U.S. government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowed copper and a broad range of brass and bronze alloys to be called antimicrobial, the first ever material to be able to make such a public health claim.
Olin has since taken a unique, proactive approach to surface led infection control by creating a ‘supplier-to-market’ model that allows all sorts of affiliated companies to innovate, develop, manufacture and then market their products as part of the Cu Verro family. It’s an approach that’s sparked a lot of creativity and a number of companies have also turned to other specialty firms or designers to help them create distinctive products, not only for healthcare, but a lot more broadly.
Pens, Pads, Wands & Weights
One of those is the “Century Copper” pen by A.T. Cross, a manufacturer and marketer of fine writing instruments since 1846, that’s made from Cu Verro’s copper alloy bactericidal touch surface. While designed for doctors and other healthcare personnel, the pen’s already found wider appeal following an announcement by office supplies retail giant, Staples, to carry them in its 1400 U.S. stores.
Another standout has been the involvement of “high end strength training equipment” company Black Iron Strength that’s developed a fitness product line featuring Cu Verro bactericidal copper gripping surfaces. It recently confirmed a deal with the Los Angeles Kings professional basketball team to supply copper boosted free weights and attachments for their newly renovated training centre.
“Our objective is to further minimize the exposure of bacteria in our training spaces and having dumbbells with CuVerro copper handles made huge sense in upgrading our equipment,” Matt Price, LA Kings head strength and conditioning coach, said in a media release. “The net reduction of the spread of bacteria is our goal as we look to minimize athlete’s time lost unnecessarily to illness.”
Another company pushing the boundary between hospital and home is Operator Interface Technology (OIT), which has brought out a new range of electronic keyboards and keypads with the CuVerro touch surface technology. OIT, a leader in the development of rugged keyboards and keypads in kiosks, ATMs and other commercial areas, is hoping the new line will open doors in the healthcare industry.
And with good reason. A recent survey by the International Copper Association showed that nearly 20 percent of infection control experts ranked computer keyboards among one of the highest-risk surfaces for the spread of germs. The company has also added Cu Verro surfaces to its entry door keypads that have found a ready market in hospitals and any other public access points where continuous bactericidal action is desirable.
“Of all the devices you’ll find in today’s clinical environment, the keyboard may be one of the hardest to clean effectively,” an OIT spokesperson said. “Many claim to be ‘washable,’ but the reality is, these products deliver no proactive bactericidal action between cleanings.”