Reduced risk of infection closes potential hygiene loopholes
Leoni, the leading provider of cables and cable systems to the automotive sector and other industries, supplies various ECG cables for Integral Process systems. The cables have an antimicrobial jacket that reduces the bacterial load under multiple use conditions. Integral Process cost effectively provides its customers with this significant benefit and receives positive feedback from the market.
Many manufacturers of ECG system rely on single-patient solutions to reduce hospital infections. Yet this can become very costly in the case of more complex cable structures. Leoni provides a technology that gives plastic surfaces a bacteria-killing effect for reusable medical technology systems with more complex cable structures. It can close unwanted loopholes in the hygiene chain and is now deployed with the reusable ECG systems of Integral Process. “Leoni supported us in making our reusable medical products. They helped us in making our products more appealing with this antimicrobial property, given that our interest is focussed on this topic. In the future, Integral Process will make all the plastic parts of its ECG systems with this antimicrobial additive,” said Hubert Monier, Managing Director of Integral Process.
Leoni bonds a metal oxide into the cable jacket to give the ECG leads an antimicrobial property. Due to a larger grain size, this does not come under the controversial area of nanotechnology. Nor does Leoni’s innovative technology use any silver or copper, meaning that the cables maintain their antimicrobial effect even when coming into contact with perspiration or proteins. The same applies to cleaning: the methods commonly used in hospitals do not exert any adverse impact on the effectiveness of the antimicrobial surface.
Despite this additive, Leoni’s cables remain skin compatible. The biocompatibility of these ECG leads is DIN EN ISO 10993 approved. Due to the use of special, silver-plated tinsel conductors, the cables are very flexible and lightweight. A special shield ensures their electromagnetic compatibility.
The colour coding of our ECG leads and a picture with the instructions on correct positioning of the electrodes on the amplifier housing make it quick and easy to connect Integral Process’ ECG systems to various patient monitoring devices.
