Norfolk's EOS Surfaces and Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System Announce Clinical Trial Launch

Norfolk, Virginia – On October 11, 2016, EOS Surfaces, LLC, a leading surfaces technology manufacturer dedicated to innovation that increases patient safety and reduces costs of care, joined lead investigator Dr. Chetan Jinadatha of the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center (VAMC) in Temple, Texas to announce the launch of a clinical trial. In June 2016, EOS Surfaces officially entered into a CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) with the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple. A CRADA is a legal "contract" that allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a relationship with a private company in the interest of studying the potential impact of technologies on the care of veterans while not violating the rules that prohibit financial investments or formal endorsements. The study announced Tuesday will further test the efficacy of EOS Surfaces’ copper-infused hard surface, EOS^cu, in reducing both the bioburden and the hospital acquired infection (HAI) rates in a healthcare setting.

The facility will outfit all 120 patient rooms with EOS^cu Preventive|Biocidal Surfaces™ (Cupron Enhanced EOS), the company’s hard synthetic polymer surface infused with copper oxide that actively kills 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria* within two hours of exposure. The Olin E. Teague VAMC installation will include all countertops, over-the-bed tables and bed rails in the facility, providing additional protection against bacterial infection above and beyond existing infection control protocols.

Recent studies demonstrate that surfaces play a large role in the transmission of disease-causing pathogens by serving as reservoirs. Bioburden, the amount of microbiological or organic material on an object prior to decontamination or sterilization, has been demonstrated to correlate with infection rates. This earliest phase of the study aims to confirm how EOS^cu decreases the bacteria on the surface between routine sanitation efforts. The trial will also include a longer-term study to verify the surface’s ability to reduce HAIs and costs associated with readmissions.

As one of the largest healthcare systems in the US, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides essential care to more than 8.7 million veterans in 300 VA hospitals, as well as 827 community-based outpatient clinics. Veterans are particularly vulnerable to HAIs and as a result, VA has made infection prevention a top priority. Its Health Services Research & Development Service (HSR&D) has conducted several studies focused on detecting and preventing HAIs. A 2008 study that discovered the rate of HAIs in person with spinal-cord injuries and disorders (SCI&D) was higher for veterans than that reported for other populations.

EOS^cu actively and continuously kills 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria* within two hours of exposure, even after recontamination, and is the only practical hard surface on the market that is EPA registered for public health claims. “It’s an honor to partner with the Veterans Health Care System and be an integral part of its patient care. By installing our Preventive|Biocidal Surfaces™, the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center is going above and beyond standard infection control protocols to ensure the safety of its patients. I look forward to working with Dr. Jinadatha and his team,” said Ken Trinder, CEO of EOS Surfaces, the manufacturer of EOS^cu.

The clinical study at the Olin E. Teague VAMC, a tertiary care facility and teaching medical center with the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, is the latest in the VA’s research and ongoing efforts to ensure that its patients, staff and community are protected from preventable infection. “We’re thrilled to be the first facility to test EOS^cu’s efficacy in decreasing the bioburden,” said Dr. Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, infectious disease specialist at Olin E. Teague VAMC. “While routine sanitation procedures are essential, bacteria can repopulate and reproduce in a room right after rigorous cleanings, and we searched for a solution that would fill the gaps and build upon our current initiatives. We predict that the test will provide real-world data confirming the surface’s ability to constantly reduce bacterial contamination and HAI-associated costs, which will bolster our efforts to protect our Veterans, staff and community.”

About EOS^cu
EOS^cu (Cupron Enhanced EOS) is a Preventive|Biocidal Surface™manufactured in the US by EOS Surfaces. It’s the only synthetic hard surface EPA-registered for public-health claims, continuously killing harmful bacteria* within two hours of exposure. EOS^cu has the ability to actively kill bacteria, even after repeated contamination. EOS Surfaces, LLC is a horizontal surfacing supply and technology developer and provider. Founded in 2005 on the principal of innovation, EOS Surfaces offers a variety of progressive surface materials to meet the varied needs of a discerning marketplace. For more information, visit www.eoscu.com.

*Testing demonstrates effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048), Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA-ATCC 33592), Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 35150) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442).