ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Mika Umpo1 , Tumbi Lollen2, Moji Jini3 and Jyothinath Kothapalli4
1Department of Microbiology, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun – 791 110, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
2Department of Dentistry, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun- 791 110, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
3Department of Surgery, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun-791110, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
4Department of Anatomy, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun- 791 110, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2021;15(4):2177-2182 | Article Number: 7207
https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.15.4.41 | © The Author(s). 2021
Received: 30/07/2021 | Accepted: 04/10/2021 | Published: 02/11/2021
Abstract

SmartCoat is a novel technology with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, isopropyl alcohol, and distilled water as the active ingredients. TiO2, along with water and oxygen, generates highly reactive OH radicals that can neutralize bacteria and other microorganisms and remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Smart coat requires air circulation and a light source for its catalytic activity. The efficacy of TiO2 in industrial setups and dental devices has been documented. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of TiO2 in preventing microbial growth in an operating theater (OT) where maximum sterility is desired to prevent sepsis and nosocomial infections. Among the four operating theaters, two were selected. Periodic swab samples taken over a period of nine months from OT 3 (Smart coated) and OT 4 (Control) showed minimal variations in terms of microbial growth in the processed swabs. The findings were statistically analyzed using a paired-sample t-test. The computed value of ‘t’ i.e., 2.084 was lower than the critical value of 3.18 at 3 deg of freedom (df) and hence was not significant. The null hypothesis cannot be rejected (p=0.129>0.05) at the 5% level of significance. SmartCoat with TiO2 was not effective in preventing microbial growth on biomedical devices in the OT. The product may not be suitable for operating theaters unless it is supplemented by other sterilization procedures. However, it can be used in other healthcare settings and in public places.

Keywords

SmartCoat, titanium dioxide, nanoparticles, relative light units, operation theatre, nosocomial infections, sepsis

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