Novel test procedure for testing antimicrobially active materials

Abstract

Antimicrobial coatings are typically tested for their activity and effectiveness based on an artificial procedure, the standard JIS Z 2801 (or ISO 22196). The test samples are contaminated with a predetermined concentration of bacteria and covered with a sterile film. Due to the artificial structure of this process, however, there is always the question of the validity in the practical application of these surfaces and how comparable this germ-reducing effect is to currently common disinfection measures. Therefore, we developed a more realistic test procedure in our laboratory. The test samples are inoculated and incubated at standard room conditions. To compare the antimicrobial activity to standard cleaning procedures also disinfection and wipe controls were performed. The results show that the antimicrobial test patterns we use have a strong efficacy. This could be shown reproducibly both with the standard method JIS Z 2801 as well as with our new test procedure.