Of the various methods used to limit hospital-acquired infections, by far the most common are the various “kill strategies” – antibiotics or disinfectants that actively kill bacteria – along with basic sanitary measures like hand washing to prevent bacterial transfer. A novel approach being pursued by startup Sharklet Technologies takes a completely different strategy, changing the shape of surfaces to prevent bacteria growth across a variety of medical applications.
The story behind the development of Sharklet™ surface technology is an interesting one. Sharklet Technologies’ founder, Dr. Anthony Brennan, partnered with the Navy to attack one its significant problems – the fouling, or attachment of organisms, of its boat hulls. While the problem may seem trivial, fouling makes boats much less efficient resulting in significantly more gas consumption. Further, traditional approaches to fouling involve coating hulls with metal-based paints that include metals such as copper that leach into and contaminate water.
In attempting to develop a new approach, Brennan began considering natural models. Sharks stood out in this regard because although several shark species move slowly, their surfaces remain free of the fouling that plagues other slow moving organisms like whales. This prompted Brennan to take a dental impression of the shark’s skin, where he discovered that a shark’s skin possessed a unique surface pattern (Galapagos shark skin image at left). With this data in hand, Brennan confirmed his theory that microorganism adhesion and growth could be controlled through the shape of a surface. Brennan has furthered this research into the Brennan Engineered Response Index, which attempts to predict microorganism settling on surfaces via several physical and chemical properties.
The first attempt at commercializing this research is the Sharklet surface technology. Sharklet surface technology is made of microscopic features formed into a diamond shape that closely mimic the patterns found on sharks, yet on a smaller scale. This surface creates an energetically unstable environment that bacteria find inhospitable. Sharklet’s surface technology has proven effective at preventing bacterial biofilm formation for 21 days – a significant accomplishment given that biofilms form on smooth surfaces in a matter of hours.
Sharklet Technologies’ first product using this surface is an adhesive hygienic film. The company is targeting hospitals and other medical facilities where the film could be applied to “any high touch surface,” according to CEO Joseph Bagan. Surfaces like “bed control panels, nursing call buttons, touch screen monitors and bed rails” are all sites where bacteria transfer may occur and thus represent key targets. Preventing bacterial growth and biofilm formation on these surfaces could substantially bolster efforts to limit hospital acquired infections, which according to CDC data cost about $15,000 per instance to treat.
Bagan notes a couple key advantages afforded by the use of Sharklet compared to traditional “kill” strategies of controlling bacteria. Once bacteria form a biofilm – essentially a community of bacteria living together – they are much more difficult (50-500 times by some estimates) to kill, making prevention of biofilm formation the preferable option. Additionally, Sharklet will not induce bacterial resistance which can render treatments ineffective in the future.
The company is about to begin a hospital field test that will attempt to demonstrate that surfaces covered with the company’s film harbor significantly less bacteria than uncovered surfaces. Sharklet Technologies has developed a cost effective way to produce its initial film product, a product that will require no FDA approval because it is considered an environmental cover. Beyond the initial film product, Sharklet Technologies is considering a variety of other medical applications that would involve directly imprinting the Sharklet pattern onto medical devices. Devices that frequently cause infections such as urinary catheters and central lines are prime candidates. Application to boats and other objects in a marine environment represents another potential market outside the medical field, but the company is still working on the best way of producing the surface pattern on metal.
Sharklet Technologies’ labs are located in Florida, as Brennan serves on the faculty of the University of Florida, but Bagan and the commercial team are based in Colorado. While the company is moving forward with its current funding, Bagan believes more funding could help support “more hospital field tests” and a faster ramp up of manufacturing. Additional funds would also give the company more opportunities to explore other medical applications. The company has applied for an SBIR grant through the National Institute of Health (NIH) which would allow the company to pursue the development of a Sharklet-patterned catheter.
Killing bacteria has been a prime method of infection control since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. But what should be clear by now is “kill” strategies alone will not be sufficient to control infection – estimates put annual cases of hospital acquired infections at over 2 million in the United States. A challenge this large and enduring will likely require multiple approaches to truly conquer, and Bagan believes that Sharklet Technologies’ surface pattern can be instrumental when infection prevention “moves away from a kill-everything philosophy.”
