b'Case Study ULTRASONIC CLEANING SYSTEMSSupporting academic and industrial partnerships to tackle global biofilm problemsNBICs Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces at the University of Liverpool and iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium and have been working in collaboration with Alphasonics, an ultrasonic cleaning specialist, to assess the effectiveness of its advanced cleaning systems. Founded in 1993, Alphasonics designs and manufactures patented ultrasonic cleaning systems for a variety of purposes including in the surgical, print, aerospace and electronics sectors. Alphasonics propriety systems utilise cavitation, the application of sound into water, to achieve a high standard ofProfessor Rasmita Raval, NBIC Liverpool Co-Director cleanliness. One of the main applications for thisand Director of the Open Innovation Hub for technology is to clean surgical instruments. AlphasonicsAntimicrobial Surfaces said, previously used protein analysis to measure the efficacy of this approach. However, a method wasThis project demonstrates how advanced research required that would visually demonstrate the resultstechniques can help our innovative regional companies and confirm the in-house protein analysis. to assess and develop technologies for surface sterilisation and hygiene. We look forward to working To achieve this NBIC Interdisciplinary Research with other Merseyside SMEs, helping them take their Fellow, Dr Peng Bao, at NBICs Open Innovation Hubproduct analysis to the next level with advanced for Antimicrobial Surfaces, obtained high magnificationsurface testing technologies.images using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the efficacy of Alphasonics procedure forDr Lisa Baldwin, iiCONs Senior Business Development removal of protein coatings. In addition, Energy X-RayManager said,Analysis (EDX) was used to identify the elemental Contamination is a critical issue in any healthcare composition of observed defects or artefacts on environment and with medical equipment, procedures the surface.and facilities becoming ever more complex and David Jones, Managing Director at Alphasonics said,multi-faceted its essential to have specialists such as Alphasonics working to minimise contamination risks.This support has been invaluable to an SME such as Alphasonics, as scientific research at this level can beThis project was part funded by the European Regional limited for small businesses due to financial or Development Fund (ERDF) programme: Formulated resource constraints.Materials for Infectious Disease Prevention. Professor Rasmita Raval isDr Peng Bao is an NBIC NBIC Liverpool Co-DirectorInterdisciplinary Research Fellow, and Director of the Surfacebased the Open Innovation Hub Science Research Centre andfor Antimicrobial Surfaces at Open Innovation Hub forthe University of Liverpool. His Antimicrobial Surfaces at thecurrent research interests include University of Liverpool. Herbiosensors, lipid membranes, research includes rationalsynthetic cells, microfluidics and Professor Rasmitadesign of functional surfacesDr Peng Bao antimicrobial surfaces.Raval and bio-interfaces. 53'