How a contract led to a coating that prevents cross-contamination
Darren Kaye, business development director at MP+H Packaging, explains how a medical contract led to the development of a coating that protects the product from cross-contamination throughout the supply chain.
As an independent business, in our field of supply, we constantly look for new technologies and innovations to try and keep at the forefront of our field. To this end, we often look at a ‘problem and solution’ proposition to facilitate the business growth. This ideally helps our client base to adopt new innovations in material and coating technologies to reduce cost, improve efficiencies or enhance products.
Some time ago, working on a new proposal for sachets in to the medical sector, we met with one of our suppliers and discussed the possibilities of producing an antibacterial coating system to add to our portfolio of products. The problem was the need to ensure that the coated sachet reached the end user, through the supply chain, to deliver a product that is safer than anything else yet in the marketplace. Ultimately any packaging that is handled multiple times presents a risk of cross contamination, and the ability to reduce this risk is paramount to infection prevention control, especially within the medical sector at the point of care.
This presented many issues to work through, but ensuring we hit the protocols set out to us and after speaking to industry bodies, we set out a roadmap to success. Fortunately, testing proved to be somewhat easier than the initial development of the coating, and on the second batch of testing we achieved our goal of a four log reduction at 99.99%.
All testing is independently contracted against ISO22196:2011, as we quickly found that there have been numerous examples of how adding various additives to products can show a reduction in microbial growth. The testing protocols in laboratory conditions (where the bacteria is cultured, in conditions that moisture and nutrients have been manipulated), have not been reliable when attempted during many production processes and masterbatches. We overcame this issue by producing a 100% solid top coated UV coating to encapsulate the product.
We also had to fully consider the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012). This concerns the placing on the market and use of biocidal products, which are used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product.
The specially formulated liquid coating has provided a solution for pharmaceutical, medical and healthcare packaging, to prevent cross contamination, and control bacterial activity on both the inside and outside of the product. As our business produces ‘reel fed’ materials, the outside of the material is wound in contact with the inside of the material, up to the point of manufacturing of the filled product. This leaves the window for potential contamination to the inside very low, and this is prior to the product being sterilised by any medium. We often ask the question “how many times is the pack handled prior to being used?” Seldom do people have an answer or test the pack at this stage.
The technology has now been fully integrated in to our business as a ‘cost neutral’ option on any product line supplied – sachets, base and top webs, and labels. We are also currently trialling the product in to the blister foil market sector.
At IPC2019 London we further released a new product that we have trademarked as Touchpoint. This simple, cost effective and visible technology places the 100% solid top coating on to a substrate that then adheres to many differing items, and protects the product for 90 days. Currently the technology is being implemented in schools, colleges, residential care homes and the workplace (including medical packers, food blenders and food packers). After the launch, and further to running out of samples at the exhibition, we now have sampling taking place in numerous NHS Trusts.
Touchpoint is currently available to cover many products, we have manufactured door entry control points, door push plates, door handle wraps and touchscreen products. Touchscreen products have an increased benefit with the technology as the silver ions actually increase the conductivity and sensitivity of the touchscreen, whilst still giving a protection level of 99.99% for 90 days continuously.
MP+H Packaging is exhibiting on stand F10C at Med-Tech Innovation Expo.