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Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
S8e10: How Can Nature-Inspired Engineering Improve Human Health?, Ron Lisnet, Caitlin Howell
S8e10: How Can Nature-Inspired Engineering Improve Human Health?, Ron Lisnet, Caitlin Howell
The Maine Question
Antibiotic resistance has become a growing problem in the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition to minimizing or negating the effects of existing medicine, these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” are mutating faster than the development of new remedies.
Caitlin Howell, University of Maine associate professor of biomedical engineering, is working on new tools that take notes from nature to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Similar to the way in which the human body keeps balance with its own bacterial populations, Howell’s devices use nontoxic, non-invasive surface-based technology to trap bacteria and prevent them from spreading.
In this episode of “The Maine Question” …
Evaluation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma For The Decontamination Of Flexible Endoscopes, R. C. Hervé, Michael G. Kong, Sudhir Bhatt, Hai-Lan Chen, E. E. Comoy, J-P. Deslys, T. J. Secker, C. W. Keevil
Evaluation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma For The Decontamination Of Flexible Endoscopes, R. C. Hervé, Michael G. Kong, Sudhir Bhatt, Hai-Lan Chen, E. E. Comoy, J-P. Deslys, T. J. Secker, C. W. Keevil
Bioelectrics Publications
Background: Despite adherence to standard protocols, residues including live microorganisms may remain on the various surfaces of reprocessed flexible endoscopes. Prions are infectious proteins notoriously difficult to eliminate.
Aim: We tested the potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the decontamination of flexible endoscope various surfaces, measuring total proteins and prion-residual infectivity as an indicator of efficacy.
Methods: New PTFE endoscope channels and metal test surfaces spiked with test soil or prion-infected tissues were treated using different CAP-generating prototypes. Surfaces were then examined for the presence of residues using very sensitive fluorescence epi-microscopy. Prion residual infectivity was determined using the …