What was the challenge or problem to be solved?
The INFINITIA team took on the challenge of analysing the effectiveness of a new ozone disinfection device for textile materials and surfaces. The aim was to determine its capacity to reduce microorganisms in these types of materials. The client was looking for an effective solution that not only guaranteed the elimination of microorganisms, but was also safe for the user, using ozone concentrations that were not harmful to health.
The main challenge was to design a protocol that would simulate the real use case, allowing for an accurate and reproducible evaluation of the efficiency of disinfection by ozone using different concentrations. This required ensuring that the test conditions were representative of real-life usage scenarios, without compromising the integrity of the textile or the safety of the end user. In addition, it was crucial to select microorganisms that commonly appear on textiles and surfaces, guaranteeing practical and representative results.
How was it addressed or what was the solution?
The project began with the design of experiments and the optimisation of different ozone disinfection programmes. A theoretical and experimental evaluation was carried out on the basis of various selected devices, to identify the ideal parameters of concentration and exposure time, ensuring a balance between efficacy and safety.
Standard materials, textiles and surfaces were then selected and used as a reference for the tests. These samples were prepared and inoculated with different types of microorganisms such as E. coli and S. aureus. This step made it possible to simulate real scenarios of microbial contamination, ensuring the relevance of the results obtained.
After inoculation, the ozone treatments were applied to the samples and the surviving bacteria were quantified by means of culture methods, microbiological analysis techniques. The colony forming units were counted and the effectiveness of the different programmes analysed was calculated. This comparative analysis between treated and untreated samples made it possible to evaluate the efficacy of each ozone concentration tested.
The project was a success, as INFINITIA was able to demonstrate that ozone could effectively disinfect textiles and surfaces in certain programmes, eliminating a high percentage of bacteria without compromising user safety. In addition, the detailed analysis provided valuable information to optimise the ozone disinfection process, enabling the client to implement a safe and efficient method.
This project reaffirms INFINITIA’s ability to develop solutions that are innovative, personalised and that meet the highest standards of safety and efficiency.
