"AGT Receives Funding From The National Institutes of Health to Continue Biofilm Work"
July, 2003.
AGT has received additional funding for 2 years from NIH to continue contract work to develop an innovative method of medical and dental device sterilization and biofilm destruction using atmospheric plasma. Biofilms are formed when bacteria adhere to solid surfaces to form communities that are exceedingly difficult to remove. It is estimated that upwards of 60% of hospital-acquired infections are the result of biofilms. These infections can lead to an increase in hospital stays by 2-3 days and cost as much as $1 billion per year. AGT is developing atmospheric plasma as a means to sterilize medical and dental devices safely, rapidly, and at room temperature causing little or no damage to sensitive instrumentation. This technology will be marketed to hospitals, clinics, and physician's & dentist's offices upon FDA approval.