BREATHABLE FILMS FOR PROPHYLAXIS AND CONTAMINATION CONTROL

THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING A NONPOROUS, MOISTURE-VAPOR-PERMEABLE POLYMER FILM AS AN ABSOLUTE BARRIER TO PATHOGENIC MICROBES. FIVE HOMOLOGOUS POLYURETHANES WILL BE SYNTHESIZED WITH INCREASING HYDROPHILIC CONTENT AND USED TO CAST ELASTOMERIC, PINHOLE-FREE FILMS WITH A RANGE OF INHERENT MOISTURE VAPOR TRANSMISSION RATES (MVTRS) AND THICKNESSES. MODEL PERMEANTS, COMPARABLE IN SIZE TO HUMAN VIRAL PATHOGENS, WILL BE USED TO MEASURE TRANSPORT RATES IN A DIFFUSION CELL AS A FUNCTION OF HYDROPHILICITY AND FILM THICKNESS. RESULTS WILL BE USED, TOGETHER WITH THE MEASUREDRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MVTR AND THICKNESS, TO DESIGN A FILM AND FABRIC COATING WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF COMFORT WHEN USED IN PROXIMITY TO THE SKIN. HIGHLY HYDROPHILIC/WATER-ABSORBING FILMS WILL ALSO BE PREPARED WITH AN INTERNAL VIRUCIDE. ADDITIVE-CONTAINING FILMS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE IF FILMS PERMEABLE TO VIRUS-SIZE PARTICLES CAN BE RENDERED IMPERMEABLE TO VIABLE MICROBES THROUGH THE USE OF ANTIMICROBIALS COMBINED WITH THE POLYMER BEFORE FILM CASTING. ANTIMICROBIAL-CONTAINING FILMS WILL BE TESTED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO INHIBIT GROWTH OF SELECTED MICROBES ON CULTURE MEDIA. IN PHASE II, LOW-COST ANTIMICROBIAL BBFS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR USE IN A VARIETY OF INFECTION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROL PRODUCTS.