We are extremely proud of our ongoing relationship with Lojer and all our partners. It is through the success of their products that we achieve the greatest satisfaction and value of our brand. Without our partners we would not have achieved the global status and reputation that we hold today. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Lojer for their partnership and are looking forward to continue to work in close cooperation with them moving forward.
– David Hall, Managing Director of BioCote®
BioCote® has recently been featured in the annual stakeholder magazine of Lojer, a trusted partner company based in Sastamala, Finland. Established around 100 years ago, Lojer is Finland’s biggest manufacturer of hospital and care equipment, including operating tables, hospital beds, care beds and accessories. The business is part of the Finnish Hygtech Alliance, a group of BioCote partners that also includes ISKU, Oras, Korpinen, Abloy and Teknos, who are committed to creating ultimate hygiene solutions.
Benefits of antimicrobial technology in healthcare
The overall benefit of antimicrobial technology is the improvement of hygiene in all environments, but particularly for healthcare settings where hygiene is of the utmost importance. BioCote® technology is intended to work alongside a regular and robust cleaning regime and a stringent hand hygiene routine. With these three elements working in perfect harmony in a healthcare facility, introducing antimicrobial technology creates the ultimate hygiene solution.
This is because BioCote® works around the clock, reducing the number of microbes on protected surfaces and therefore reducing the potential risk of cross-contamination from those surfaces to other surfaces or users within and surrounding this environment.
Whilst not all microbes are harmful to human health, there are some microbes we do not want to be present in healthcare settings where you may have vulnerable patients. These microbes can also impact a product’s longevity, as they cause odours, staining and material degradation. The integration of BioCote® therefore has the potential to improve the product lifetime, increasing the sustainability of such a product.
Most common materials treated with antimicrobial additives
Over the years BioCote® has worked with a multitude of partners producing a wealth of products that can be introduced into a healthcare environment. The main focus in such areas are common touch surfaces such as door handles, bed frames, countertops and computer equipment, but just as critical are surfaces including wall cladding, flooring, ceiling and light fittings.
BioCote® partners supply other products such as breathing apparatus, pill dispensers, blood transport bags, phone cases and even medical staff pagers. The possibility for application of BioCote® technology is limited only by the imagination.
Preferred additives in healthcare environment
BioCote® has a comprehensive range of additives and when making a product specification we take a holistic approach, accounting for several factors that can impact the suitability of the applied technology. What this means is that customers such as Lojer can rest assured that all factors have been considered during the product development stage.
Generally speaking, most BioCote® partners that supply into a healthcare setting use a silver-based technology. The main reasons for this are that silver is a widely recognised antimicrobial that holds the appropriate regulatory status and has a premium, broad-spectrum antimicrobial performance that has been proven time and time again, both in a laboratory and in real life. The performance of BioCote® silver-based antimicrobial technology is guaranteed to last the lifetime of a product with a performance of over 95% reduction.
The future of antimicrobial technology
BioCote® expects and is already seeing evidence of antimicrobial technology being specified as standard for key surfaces within the built environment. The diversity of application allows for almost every surface in a building to be antimicrobial, so in terms of use the product application potential is limitless. Our existing portfolio ranges from plastic trumpets and baby teethers to waste-water pipes and construction materials such as sealants or resin flooring.
MEBSS : Managing Microorganisms In Veterinary Environments
BioCote® conducted targeted testing against the MEBSS panel, five bacteria relevant to veterinary environments, including MRSA, E. coli, Bordetella, Salmonella, and Streptococcus. Using ISO 22196 methodology, results demonstrated up to 99.98% reduction across all organisms tested, supporting improved surface performance alongside routine cleaning practices.
Elevating Hygiene from the Ground Up with Teco Polimeri
Italian flooring specialist Teco Polimeri has integrated BioCote® antimicrobial technology directly into its Linea Antibatterica epoxy resin systems. Designed for demanding food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare environments, these seamless, durable floors provide continuous surface protection against bacterial growth between routine cleaning cycles.
