SBIR Phase I: HaloFilm – a spray-on, rechargeable, reapplicable antimicrobial coating

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop an antimicrobial surface coating with unique application and efficacy features. As many as one-third of Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) cases can be attributed to environmental surfaces, particularly hospital “high touch” surfaces (e.g., bed rails, machine buttons, equipment). In the US, an estimated 1.7 million HAI occur in hospitals each year, resulting in 99,000 deaths and an estimated $20 billion in healthcare costs. The proposed project will advance the development of a solution offering continuous protection from bacteria, fungi and viruses, as well as food-borne pathogens and even mold. The current disinfecting paradigm relies on killing pathogens daily or less frequently, leaving surfaces vulnerable to new contamination. The proposed antimicrobial coating maintains surface integrity, potentially serving hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient centers, and other applications such as home health, food safety, mass transit safety, mold abatement, and schools. The proposed project will investigate the translational utility, efficacy and safety of a spray-on, re-chargeable, re-applicable antimicrobial surface coating. The proposed technology is a spray-on solution that leaves a thin transparent film on a surface. The film is a polymer composed of one monomer adhering to the surface and a second another monomer that stabilizes chlorine. The coating converts the surface into a chlorine battery such that even a commercially available sanitizer leaves the surface covered with chlorine in a form that can last for more than two weeks without toxic effects upon contact. The proposed coating has excellent efficacy against pathogens because it relies on chlorine; it has enjoyed decades of use because of its broad-spectrum efficacy without generating resistance in pathogens. The proposed work is to advance the development of a formulation that includes anti-fouling monomers. The goal for this Phase I effort is to demonstrate efficacy against Clostridium difficile, a particularly concerning pathogen for hospitals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.