14th Nov 2006 07:01
Synergy Healthcare PLC14 November 2006 For Immediate Release 14 November 2006 Synergy Healthcare ("Synergy" or the "Company") Launches Innovative Air Decontamination System For the Worldwide Healthcare Market Synergy Healthcare plc (AIM : SYR), a leading provider of outsourced medicalsupport services to the UK and Netherlands, is pleased to announce theacquisition of the worldwide rights for a new air decontamination system usingClose Coupled Field Technology (CCFT) from Quest International (UK) Ltd (Quest).The CCFT forms the basis of Synergy's AirCleanseTM range of air treatment unitswhich use the patented process specifically designed for the decontamination ofatmospheres. The technology has been successfully introduced by Quest into thefood, laboratory and remediation sectors, and it is being evaluated by theaerospace industry. Considering the applications for AirCleanse in acute care,primary care and ancillary markets such as mortuaries, Synergy estimate that theworld market for air decontamination could be worth in excess of £1 billion. The AirCleanseTM range has been approved by the Health Protection Agency's RapidReview Panel and has NHS Category 6 approval, clearing all UK regulatoryrequirements and enabling the units to be used immediately in a healthcareenvironment. It is intended that Synergy will make AirCleanse available as adirect purchase or as part of Synergy's wider infection control service. Thefirst AirCleanseTM units have already been made available on an evaluation basiswith potential healthcare customers and a small number of sales have beenachieved. Terms of the Agreement The rights to the licensed technology have been acquired from QuestInternational (UK) Ltd. for an initial sum of £0.2 million with a discretionary,maximum consideration of £11.8 million that is determined by the extent to whichSynergy wishes to exploit the world market. Background There is a global issue with hospital-acquired infections, which affect bothpatients and healthcare workers, and one of the recognised but underestimatedroutes is through airborne transmission1. In the UK there are at least 100,000cases of healthcare acquired infections (HCAI) reported each year with around5,000 UK deaths primarily attributed to these infections. Each reported case ofan HCAI can delay a patient's discharge by up to 11 days at a cost to the NHS ofan estimated £3,154, totalling as much as £1 billion per annum and wasting 3.6million valuable bed days. Studies have shown that in addition to purely airborne infections such astuberculosis, measles and chickenpox, Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)2,Acinetobacter spp3, bacterial spores and norovirus4 can spread through air.These are introduced into the environment as aerosols or particles small enoughto be inhaled and are released by sneezing, coughing or shedding of skin (a riskaccentuated by bed changing)5. It is widely believed that the role of airtransmission in HCAIs has been underestimated and it is now generally acceptedthat environmental control must form part of any infection control treatmentregime6. Added to these risks are the new threats such as SARS7 and the risk ofan influenza pandemic8 that spread through airborne routes. Air CleanseTM The AirCleanseTM system is safe to operate in normal hospital environments, anddoes not require rooms or facilities to be isolated as do other technologies onthe market. AirCleanseTM works by using a unique patented CCFT to produce atransient field of charge, almost like a 'force field', which completelydestroys airborne bacteria, viruses and mould spores. Using a controlled, highflow, air passage zone the air is drawn into the unit. As the air travelsthrough the transient field of charge, the oxygen component of the air isexcited, converting it into ozone which oxidises bio-hazardous agents. Thedebris is then captured by an electrostatic filter capturing particles down to0.1 microns. As the ozone leaves the effect of the transient field of charge itis no longer under excitation and the ozone breaks down and recombines intooxygen before re-entering the room's atmosphere. The synergistic effect of theCCFT and the filter provides an active air treatment system that has a highspeed treatment rate of up to 1,700 m3/hr. Laboratory tests have shown that the system has a single pass kill rate of99.99% for viruses, bacteria and fungi. Further studies have shown that in aroom with a high bioburden load (35,000 cfu/l) the AirCleanseTM unitdramatically reduces the bioburden challenge (Related Shares:
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