Efficacy Testing of Antimicrobial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Efficacy Testing of Antimicrobial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Recorded February 10, 2021
Presented by Matthew Hardwick, PhD, President/CEO, ResInnova Laboratories

This digital lab is offered at no cost to individual and corporate members of AATCC and at a 70% discount ($45) for nonmembers. Corporate members must contact Kim Nicholson to register offline.

AATCC is pleased to announce the PPE Digital Series will continue with a fifth presentation focusing on efficacy testing of antimicrobial personal protective equipment.

PPE comes in many forms: gloves, masks, face shields, goggles, gowns, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused worldwide shortages in PPE and forced a reimagining of PPE. From disinfecting and reuse to incorporation of antimicrobial agents, PPE is changing. How effective will these changes be? We will have to lean heavily on current standard test methods, as well as developing new ones.

During this presentation, we will discuss what we mean by “antimicrobial”. We will also go over current standard test methods for antimicrobial products and their positives and negatives. Finally, we will end by discussing where the antimicrobial testing field needs to go in order to meet the needs of this ever-evolving industry.

About the Speaker
Dr. Hardwick is a thought leader in the field of infection prevention in the healthcare environment of care and is an expert in antimicrobial surface technologies. He has 20 years of academic research experience, at Georgetown University where he completed his PhD in Cell Biology, and at Johns Hopkins University, where he completed 2 postdoctoral fellowships, one in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the second in the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute. Dr. Hardwick’s last academic appointment was with the MedStar Health Research Institute where he worked on numerous research initiatives including the use of antimicrobial surfaces in clinical healthcare environments. He is widely published, including several articles on the use of antimicrobials in clinical environments and the role of microbial surface contamination on infection rates in clinical settings.

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The first webinar in this series:
Impact Penetration Testing for Textiles Webinar
Recorded May 28, 2020
Presented by Diana Wyman, AATCC Executive Vice President

Impact penetration testing measures the amount of liquid that passes through a fabric under specified conditions. It is a key test for Level 1, 2, and 3 gowns and drapes in healthcare settings. This webinar will cover testing for PPE as well as other water-resistant applications. It will compare various versions of the test, including AATCC TM42, NWSP 80.3, and ISO 18695. The webinar includes full descriptions and demonstration of apparatus, materials, and testing procedure.

The second webinar in this series:
Hydrostatic Pressure Testing for Textiles Webinar
Recorded June 3, 2020
Presented by Erika Simmons, AATCC Technical Director

Hydrostatic pressure testing is required for level 2 and 3 medical gowns and drapes. It is also commonly used for evaluating high-performance rainwear. Learn to properly perform and interpret this test for any application, including when and how to use a restraint. The webinar addresses all aspects of AATCC TM127 and TM208.

The third webinar in this series:
Overview of Surgical Mask and Respirator Requirements Webinar
Recorded July 9, 2020
Presented by Matthew McGarrity, SGS – North America, Inc.

This presentation will provide an overview of surgical masks and respirator industry standard, methods, and regulations. Also discussed will be the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s actions to help alleviate the shortage medical PPE through COVID-19 Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA’s) and Enforcement Policies. The interim policies specifically relating to surgical masks and respirators will be highlighted.

The fourth webinar in this series:
Low-cost Measurement of Facemask Efficacy for Filtering Expelled Droplets During Speech
Recorded September 24, 2020
Presented by Dr. David Grass, Research Associate, Warren Group, Dept of Chemistry, Duke University

Mandates for mask use in public during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, worsened by global shortage of commercial supplies, have led to widespread use of homemade masks and mask alternatives. It is assumed that wearing such masks reduces the likelihood for an infected person to spread the disease, but many of these mask designs have not been tested in practice. We have demonstrated a simple optical measurement method to evaluate the efficacy of masks to reduce the transmission of respiratory droplets during regular speech. In proof-of-principle studies, we compared a variety of commonly available mask types and observed that some mask types approach the performance of standard surgical masks, while some mask alternatives, such as neck fleece or bandanas, offer very little protection. Our measurement setup is inexpensive and can be built and operated by non-experts, allowing for rapid evaluation of mask performance during speech, sneezing, or coughing.

These webinars are offered at no cost to individual and corporate members of AATCC and at a 70% discount ($45) for nonmembers. Corporate members must contact Kim Nicholson to register offline.