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SUPER-REPELLENT BIODEFENCE COATING FINDS HEALTHY APPLICATIONS
March 2 2005 Porton Down, UK
– P2i Limited today announced it had started to receive revenues from the
first licences granted in the healthcare and life sciences markets for its
proprietary super-repellent coatings. P2i’s patented plasma process was
originally developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl),
the UK Ministry of Defence’s research organisation, to protect the armed forces
and emergency services personnel against chemical attacks. In a new departure,
the P2i coating technology is now proving ideal not only for medical textiles,
but also for consumables such as filters, microplates, pipette tips and devices.
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A
P2i-enhanced frit (filter) holding up a droplet of 100% isopropylelalcohol
(front left). An untreated frit is shown behind
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Drawing on P2i’s in-depth expertise, the super-repellent coating is applied in
specially designed plasma chambers. Using plasma or “energised gas”, P2i’s
proprietary super liquid-repellent is deposited in layers only molecules thick
over the whole surface of a product. The repellent penetrates deep into fabrics
and binds to fibre surfaces at the molecular level creating an invisible
protective layer. The result is a coating with a 3x lower surface energy than
the benchmark Teflon® (PTFE) and unlike other hydrophobic treatments, it is able
to repel 100% isopropylalcohol (IPA) and oils.
According to P2i CEO Quentin Compton-Bishop, this milestone comes as an
increasing number of companies in the biomedical sector are starting to realise
the new technique’s potential and ease of adoption: “Our first applications have
been for the filters used in the wells of DNA forensic testing microplates. The
coating achieved is so ultrathin that filter pore size is not affected and
remains well within tolerances. Performance-wise, this leads to longer reaction
times and thus increased sample recovery. Market reaction has been highly
favourable and we are now coating large volumes of filters on a routine basis
for customers.”
Currently plasma coating enhancement is performed in P2i’s own facilities.
However the company has now demonstrated the robustness and scalability of the
process and is able to install plasma coating chambers on customer’s own sites
under licence. Compton-Bishop continued: “The overall benefits of our plasma
super-repellent coating are highly persuasive – by demonstrably enhancing
performance it has a high added value to customers. Adoption rates are fast,
scale-up easy and the process is also environmentally friendly. As interest
grows we are discovering a wide range of life science and biomedical products
that can be treated with the P2i process. I see no reason why the success with
filters cannot be repeated with, for example, liquid handling tips,
micropipettes, reaction tubes and delivery devices such as inhalers. We also
believe that plasma coating is ideal for lab-on-a-chip applications. Finally,
woven and non-woven medical textiles for both clothing and woundcare are of
course another area which we are investigating in conjunction with our general
textile work.”
Interestingly, In addition to enhancing hydrophobic surface properties, the P2i
process can also be used to manipulate other effects. Currently P2i’s R&D team
are looking at increasing the opposite hydrophilic effect and antimicrobial
properties. www.p2ilabs.com
-ENDS-
Notes for editors:
P2i
P2i Ltd. was established in 2004 to commercialise super liquid-repellent
treatments developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl),
the UK Ministry of Defence’s research laboratories (www.dstl.gov.uk). P2i is the
exclusive licensee of Dstl’s patents and is a joint venture between Dstl and
Porton Capital, a venture firm specialising in civilian applications of military
research and technology (www.portoncapital.com). P2i’s plasma technology enables
it to deposit materials in layers only molecules thick over the whole surface of
a product by means of an ionised gas or “plasma”. This enables the surfaces of
the product to be enhanced with a super oleophobic (oilrepellent) and
hydrophobic (water-repellent) treatment while leaving the other properties of
the product unchanged. So, for example, outdoor wear will have every inch of
fabric, zipper and seam protected while leaving the pores of the fabric as open
and breathable as they were before and without affecting the feel or drape of
the material. Now on a commercial scale, P2i’s enhancement process can be
applied to a wide range of products in the textiles, medical, pharmaceutical,
electronics and homeland security markets. P2i has the capability also to
produce a range of other surface effects, such as hydrophilic, antistatic and
fire retardant.
Dstl
Dstl (the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) is the centre of scientific
excellence for the Ministry of Defence, housing one of the largest groups of
scientists and engineers in public service in the country. Its 3,000 strong
workforce includes some of the nation’s most talented and creative scientists
with the brief to ensure that the UK Armed Forces and Government are supported
in house by world class scientific advice. Dstl delivers defence research,
specialist technical services and the ability to track global technological
developments. Its capabilities compare with the best in the world, supporting
procurement decisions, defence policy making and operations. For more
information visit www.dstl.gov.uk
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