With Omicron making the rounds across the world,
and being more infectious than previous variants of the Covid strain,
Preventive measures are being put in place across the world,
and researchers have been working hard in a bid to kill the virus
where it normally has first contact with humans.
Doorknobs in public toilets and lift doors have poor cleanliness levels and can become breeding grounds for viruses and bacteria,
which, as such, pose a threat to public health.
A Hong Kong Polytechnic University research team has successfully created the world’s first
“anti-virus 3D printing material”
that can eliminate the COVID-19 virus on surfaces as well as most bacteria and viruses.
A Year’s Long Effort
In the last year,
with the backing of the laboratory of PolyU’s university research facility in 3D printing,
The team has partnered with the Hong Kong Wetland Park
, the Home Affairs Department, and an environmental organization to continue making recycling bin handles,
lift buttons, braille boards,
toilet doorknob covers,
among others,
in a bid to conduct further controlled experiments to ascertain the durability and effectiveness of the material
in killing viruses.
The material’s major component is resin,
which is mixed with anti-viral chemicals such as cationic compounds to disrupt
the virus’s membrane and
break its structure
, killing the virus and bacteria.
Laboratory tests confirmed that the material can kill 70% of the
COVID-19 virus and other viruses/bacteria survive on a surface in two minutes,
eliminate over 90% of viruses in ten minutes,
and terminate almost all viruses and bacteria on a surface in 20 minutes.
According to Dr Kwan Yu Chris LO,
Associate Professor at PolyU’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing,
who led the research team,
This substance, according to Dr Lo, is a resin with excellent anti-virus properties.
It may be manufactured in different forms to meet various needs by using
additive manufacturing to meet a variety of applications.
As a result,
it is extremely adaptable and may be deployed widely in public venues to give
community-wide epidemic prevention support.
A High efficacy RAte
Professor Chi-wai Kan,
a member of the research team and Professor at PolyU’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing,
He Further Stated that the handle on the recycling bin is still in good condition
after a year of use and that no COVID-19 virus, Escherichia coli,
or Staphylococcus aureus has been detected on the handle’s surface.
He highlighted that this demonstrates the material’s efficacy rate
declines gradually,
after three years of use and that it is useful in fighting viruses and bacteria.
Because the substance kills viruses by physical means,
it can also eliminate mutant viruses.
According to Prof. Kan, it is also a point of note.
Because the material’s disinfection components are embedded rather
than coated on the surface,
everyday washing with disinfectants
such as bleach has no effect on its anti-virus efficiency.
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