Antimicrobial and antiviral materials are a versatile technology used in many sectors, including healthcare and public transportation. They can be used to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses on surfaces where they are most likely to be passed on. IDTechEx looks at over 100 companies that have developed their own antimicrobial technologies in their market research report, “Antiviral and Antimicrobial Technology Market 2023-2033”, and also covers materials from silver, copper, and zinc to silane quaternary ammonium compounds and other alternatives.
How do antimicrobial surfaces work?
Antimicrobial materials have the ability to bind to the proteins in the cell walls and membranes of microorganisms and block the transport of essential nutrients needed for survival. They can also interact with genetic materials and prevent them from multiplying or surviving. Antimicrobials are further able to cause oxidative damage to microorganism cell membranes, even breaking them open to ensure that the microorganisms cannot survive on surfaces such as hard plastics or textiles, proving them to be a solution to preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses.
Healthcare and the pandemic
The healthcare sector is one of the largest applications for antimicrobial surfaces. In addition to their use in medical implants to prevent infection, preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections is another key driver. Improving patients' health, helping slow-healing wounds heal, and preventing secondary infections improve the quality of life for patients and reduce the strain on healthcare systems.
COVID-19 also triggered the rise of antiviral technologies, which take a slightly different approach to that of antibacterial technologies, as viruses are transmitted more easily through the air and through person-to-person contact. Viruses also cannot replicate unless they are inside a living cell, so antiviral surfaces work to immobilize viruses so they cannot be picked up by people but cannot “kill” the viruses directly. Instead, antiviral technologies disrupt the virus, such as by blocking cell receptors, destroying nucleic acids, or replacing other metals in the virus’ metalloproteins. During the pandemic, scientists found that the COVID-19 virus could survive for up to 72 hours on plastic but was not detectable after 4 hours on copper surfaces, highlighting the importance of certain materials in antiviral technologies, which IDTechEx explores further in their report.
Other industry areas of interest
In the public transport sector and amongst public touch surfaces, antimicrobial technologies can be used to improve the hygiene of surfaces that aren’t regularly cleaned and that many people come into contact with throughout the day. Helping to relieve anxieties surrounding the pandemic and in the years since may also be possible with antimicrobial technologies as people can feel more confident in the cleanliness of public areas.
IDTechEx describes that the effectiveness and applicability of antiviral and antimicrobial technologies depend on transmission routes but that antimicrobial and antiviral technologies may be most beneficial on surfaces to protect both products and people. The latest report, “Antiviral and Antimicrobial Technology Market 2023-2033”, highlights silver as dominating the market, followed by SIQAC, copper, and zinc, and other alternatives also successfully explored by companies, including titanium dioxide and calcium chloride.
To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Antimicrobial.
For the full portfolio of healthcare market research available from IDTechEx, please see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/Healthcare.