One such was the risk of cross-contamination from surgical instruments used on patients with potentially undiagnosed CJD. Conventional sterilisation alone does not deactivate prions, and some instruments must therefore be removed from service.
Now scientists at Edinburgh University have developed a new method for cleaning surgical instruments that entirely removes protein contamination, including prions. The technique, called Midas, involves a series of pre-treatments followed by the use of radio frequency gas plasma technology to scour the surface. This breaks down any tissue and converts it to non-toxic gases.
Tests samples contaminated with brain tissue and then treated with Midas have been certified as prion-free by an independent testing laboratory using detection techniques ranging from scanning electron microscopy to spectrofluorimetric detection and immunoassay testing.
The university claims the new technique can remove contaminating biomolecules from stainless steel surfaces to levels a thousand times lower than achieved with current methods, leaving no visible trace of any residual contaminated material.
A patent has been filed entitled "Improved Plasma Cleaning Methods", and the university is seeking a commercial partner to license the technology for use in healthcare.
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