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Bioassay testing is the traditional way to determine the activity of an antimicrobial material or surface. Microbes are applied to the material and then cultivated to determine how many survived the contact over a period of time. The number that don't survive are quantified by the "log reduction" or "percent kill". A 3 log reduction is equivalent to 99.9% microbial kill. However:
Requires handling microbes and/or pathogens.
Must be done in a lab by skilled personnel.
Takes days to complete.
CheckSurf testing is based on a different approach.
Antimicrobial action by copper, silver and other surfaces is due to the release of small amounts of these compounds at the bacteria/surface interface. The patent pending CheckSurf tests measure the release of these compounds under controlled conditions, and this release is visualized by a colour change. This release is correlated with antimicrobial activity (log reduction) measured using laboratory bioassays for a variety of bacteria. The faster the release, and the higher the interfacial concentration, the more highly antimicrobial the material will be.
The CheckSurf tests:
Are chemical-based, using dilute and safe chemicals. No microbes or pathogens are involved.
Give a visual response within a couple of minutes at most.
Can be done anywhere, on any surface. Even materials and surfaces that are still in use.
Require no special training or skills. They are no more difficult to use than a test kit for pools.
CheckSurf droplet tests on some samples. Left to Right: steel (inactive), copper alloy (active), aluminum (inactive), pure copper (active).
Disclaimer:
CheckSurf tests are not a substitute for bioassays where high precision is required for regulatory or other purposes. The log reduction (percent kill) results are approximate, and based on common bacteria and typical ambient conditions. There are no guarantees that the results will be applicable to all bacteria, and/or spores, fungi, viruses or conditions with very high or low temperatures, humidity, light or other environmental factors. Contact us if specific or unusual conditions exist in your application. We may be able to help.
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