Hygiene also begins at the surface. In hygiene-sensitive environments, surfaces are frequently touched and intensively used. Hospitals, care facilities, medical institutions, emergency medical services and other sensitive environments therefore place high demands on cleaning, hygiene, material compatibility and the functionality of the surfaces used.
Bacterlon® is a functional surface technology developed by nanopool and based on the NP® Matrix. It was developed for the treatment of suitable surfaces and materials where additional hygiene-related properties may be relevant. The development of the technology has been supported for many years by patents, laboratory tests, scientific assessments, documented applications and research projects. The significance of each piece of evidence always depends on the specific product or matrix variant examined, the material tested, the test method used and the respective conditions of use.
Operators of medical, care, food-processing and public facilities face the challenge of designing appropriate hygiene and cleaning processes while taking account of materials, operational procedures and the intended area of application.
Typical challenges include:
Bacterlon® was developed as a complementary functional surface technology for applications in which hygiene plays a particularly important role.
The suitable product variant and coating structure depend on the respective surface, the area of application and the desired requirements profile.
Bacterlon® is based on the NP® Matrix developed by nanopool and provides suitable surfaces with additional functional properties.
The technology has been developed over many years. Historical test reports, studies and project documentation sometimes use earlier product and matrix designations such as antibac.
nanopool assigns the available evidence to the specific product or matrix variant that was actually examined. Results from an earlier stage of development are therefore not automatically or unconditionally transferable to the current Bacterlon® product.
In simplified terms, the development pathway can be presented as follows:
historical antibac technology → further development of the NP® Matrix → Bacterlon®
The individual stages of development, compositions and test results must each be considered separately.
Biological, chemical and materials-science investigations were conducted as part of the development of different variants of the NP® Matrix.
Depending on the specific product or matrix variant examined, the available documentation includes:
The results relate exclusively to the variant examined, the material tested and the defined test conditions. They do not constitute general confirmation of all properties of the current Bacterlon® product or general evidence of medical efficacy.
A fundamental principle of nanopool’s documentation is:
We communicate only what the respective investigation actually demonstrates.
We therefore identify:
Bacterlon® and earlier development stages of the underlying technology have not been examined exclusively under laboratory conditions.
Documentation is available for applications and investigations in various hygiene-sensitive environments, including:
This practical documentation supplements the available laboratory investigations with experience gained under the respective conditions of use described.
However, the results of individual practical projects cannot be directly transferred to other facilities, materials or hygiene procedures. In particular, they do not constitute general evidence that infections or disease transmission can be prevented.
Hospital environment in the United Kingdom
An early international healthcare project was conducted in the United Kingdom. The available documentation describes the application of an NP® technology available at that time to selected hospital surfaces, as well as investigations of treated and untreated areas.
The project was also documented on film and recognised in connection with the NHS Smart Solutions Award.
The award documents the recognition given to the project at that time. On its own, it does not constitute evidence of any specific medical, biocidal or infection-prevention effect.
SHG-Kliniken Völklingen
A variant of the technology was also used in a real hospital environment in Germany.
The available project documentation from SHG-Kliniken Völklingen covers the practical application at that time, microbiological investigations, professional support from the field of hospital hygiene, and contemporary press and video documentation.
The results presented on the detailed project page relate to the surfaces, time points, product variants and conditions examined as part of this specific project.
The Ottawa Hospital
The international documentation also includes an investigation conducted at a university hospital in Ottawa.
The selected test surfaces included a patient bed, a bedside table and door handles. The duration of the investigation, the technology variant used, the methods applied and the specific results are presented on the relevant detailed project page on the basis of the available original documentation.
No general protective effect for other hospital surfaces or facilities is inferred from the results of this project.
Scientific investigation in Sri Lanka
A prospective investigation examined Bacterlon® under real-life conditions in an intensive care unit, a medical ward and a bacteriology laboratory.
Nineteen frequently touched surfaces were examined over a period of twelve weeks. The study was published as a research article in Infection, Disease & Health in 2019 and explicitly names Bacterlon® and nanopool GmbH.
The results must be considered in the context of the study design, the surfaces examined, the local conditions and the methodology described in the article. They do not constitute clinical evidence that Bacterlon® prevents infections in humans.
Care facilities
Documented applications are also available from the care sector.
At an AWO residential care home for older people, surfaces treated with Bacterlon® were microbiologically examined over a period of twelve weeks. The surfaces examined included floors, furniture, door handles, light switches and handrails.
Contemporary original videos featuring representatives from management, nursing, quality management and housekeeping are also available.
The documented observations and test results relate to this specific facility, the treated surfaces and the investigation period at that time.
Emergency medical services
Bacterlon®, or a documented variant of the technology, has also been used in mobile healthcare applications.
A contemporary report documents an ambulance belonging to the German Red Cross district association in Karlsruhe that was treated with Bacterlon® hygiene technology.
This constitutes a documented application. A specific medical or infection-prevention effect should only be inferred if separate test evidence relating specifically to this project is available.
Functional surfaces can also be relevant for hygiene-sensitive applications outside medical facilities.
Historical antibac and Bacterlon® documentation includes applications in the following areas:
Various documented practical reports are available from food production and processing environments. Among other things, they describe observations relating to treated surfaces and their integration into the cleaning and hygiene concepts in place at the time.
The respective results apply exclusively to the documented project, the product variant used and the prevailing operating conditions.
Bacterlon® can be incorporated into suitable hygiene and cleaning concepts as an additional functional surface technology.
The technology offers:
Bacterlon® does not replace any prescribed or professionally required cleaning, disinfection or hygiene measures. Cleaning and disinfection plans, as well as regulatory and operational requirements, remain fully applicable.
Without corresponding clinical evidence, the use of Bacterlon® must not be taken to mean that infections or disease transmission are prevented.
Laboratory investigations, scientific assessments and documented practical applications are available for Bacterlon® and various development stages of the underlying NP® Matrix.
The significance of this evidence depends in each case on:
In addition, nanopool, its technology development and individual projects have received multiple awards. These awards recognise, among other things, the company’s innovative achievements and development expertise.
Awards do not replace product-specific evidence of efficacy or safety. Specific product properties are described exclusively on the basis of the relevant test reports, studies and application documentation.
The technology is particularly relevant for suitable applications in the following areas:
Before use, the material, intended use, cleaning and disinfection procedures, and desired functional requirements profile should be assessed.
Bacterlon® is a functional surface technology developed by nanopool and based on the NP® Matrix. It was developed to provide suitable surfaces with additional properties that may be relevant to hygiene-sensitive applications.
The specific function that can be achieved depends, among other factors, on the product variant used, the material treated, correct application and the respective conditions of use.
Laboratory investigations, scientific assessments and documented practical applications are available for Bacterlon® and various development stages of the underlying technology.
In each case, the product or matrix variant examined is clearly identified. Results relating to earlier variants cannot automatically be understood as evidence of all the properties of the current product.
Bacterlon®, or various documented development stages of the technology, has been used and investigated in different healthcare environments. These include projects in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Sri Lanka.
The respective results relate to the specifically documented projects and do not constitute general clinical evidence that infections are prevented.
Yes. Among other publications, a study of Bacterlon® under real-life hospital conditions was published as a research article in Infection, Disease & Health in 2019.
The study design, the surfaces examined, the methods used and the limitations stated in the article must be taken into account when interpreting the results.
Investigations into microbiological effects on treated samples or surfaces are available for certain Bacterlon® or NP® Matrix variants.
Any specific efficacy claim may only be made in relation to the tested product variant, the microorganisms examined, the test method used, the exposure time and the conditions tested. General efficacy against all bacteria, viruses, fungi or other microorganisms is not assured.
No. Bacterlon® should be regarded as a complementary functional surface technology.
Existing cleaning, disinfection and hygiene measures remain necessary. Prescribed cleaning and disinfection intervals must not be changed solely because Bacterlon® is used.
The available laboratory and surface investigations do not provide general clinical evidence that Bacterlon® prevents infections or disease transmission in humans.
The technology should be regarded as a complementary measure within a comprehensive hygiene and cleaning concept.
In 2020, a virological surface investigation was conducted on a specific sample under defined laboratory conditions.
The result applies exclusively to the product or matrix variant examined and the specific test set-up. It does not constitute clinical evidence that a surface treated with Bacterlon® prevents COVID-19 infection or the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between people.
The duration of a demonstrated surface function depends on the respective product variant, substrate, application, mechanical and chemical exposure, and the cleaning and disinfecting agents used.
A general period of effectiveness therefore cannot be assured independently of the respective application. Where reliable test results or project-specific data are available, the respective conditions and periods are specified.
The available investigations, assessments, projects, publications and historical documents are classified in the nanopool Evidence section according to their source, the technology examined, the test conditions and the significance of the evidence.
Bacterlon® represents a functional surface technology for hygiene-sensitive applications that has been developed over many years.
Patents, scientific assessments, laboratory investigations and documented applications enable B2B decision-makers to understand and evaluate the development of the technology and the available evidence.
The following principle applies: every statement is assigned to the specific product or matrix variant examined, the material tested and the documented test conditions.
Tell us about your facility, your surfaces and your hygiene requirements. We advise operators of hospitals, care facilities, food businesses and public institutions on how Bacterlon® can complement existing hygiene and prevention concepts.
