More than half of the hospital infections are caused by the use of medical devices such as catheters and implants. Hospital infections lead to more than 100,000 deaths per year in the US alone, this exceeds the number of deaths caused by breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Unfortunately, medical devices are easily contaminated with bacteria. Especially adhered bacteria cause severe infections and result in an increase in the use of antibiotics. LipoCoat BV recognized this problem and has developed a natural, bacteria repelling coating. The coating is the result of years of research at the University of Twente. These coatings are initially intended for use in health care. For example, catheter coatings and coatings for orthopedic implants.
The LipoCoat coatings are innovative because of their bacteria repelling formulation. In addition, the coatings are able to attract water which reduce surface friction and increase lubricity. This could lead to improved patient comfort when using catheters. Over the past year, LipoCoat has raised € 600,000 in seed funding from private investors, in government grants and from strategic partners. In 2016, LipoCoat earned the title ‘Nanotech start-up of the Year’ in the Netherlands.
About LipoCoat
LipoCoat coatings are biocompatible (friendly for the human body) and are resistant towards surface contamination of proteins, bacteria and human cells. These properties can be tailored to preference and allow the coating to be used on most (bio)materials, medical devices, diagnostic tools and on R&D devices. http://www.lipocoat.com
