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Hygienic surfaces refer to the concept of surface protection against microbial infection in many sectors whereby the Health Care is the subject in this case and where the applied coating properties provide a microbial control mechanism. In response to the needs required ROHDE developed seamless Wall Covering Systems providing perfect Finishes being resistant to disinfectants and allow the coatings to be decontaminated. It is the Health Care Area that the Pursuit for Excellence has been paramount when optimising a Wall Covering System - in special areas - to meet today's increasing demands on ensuring that the incidence of micro-organisms, such as microbes, mould and bacteria are unable to finding a hiding area. Furthermore our Finishes do not require microbial agents to be incorporated in them. This is an important step bearing in mind that micro organisms are frequently developing a resistance to conventional methods of combating them whilst our coatings are not dependent on this back-up. ROHDE's objective was to use appropriate test procedures to establish the performance characteristics of the hygienic control systems available. Our Coating Developments were revolutionary in that they were the first aqueous based PUR systems and also developed on DD- polyurethane. The fact that the FINISHES belong to a 2 Pack System where the FINISHES are cross-linked with a Catalyst has resulted in a seamless Coating which is unsurpassed. The surface obtained when using the ROHDE System is imperviouse to steam as the diffusion coefficient of these coatings is 108 and thus does not allow bacterias to find their way into the covering. Bactericides do not need to be used. The reinforcement & bridging of cracks offered by TEXTILEM GLASGEWEBE is a most important factor and the finer grades such as 392211 or 392200 are generally chosen. Our grade 39 0050 is however recommended should smooth surfaces be requested. The same criteria hold true for painting either ceilings or walls. ROHDE Systems have been used in virtually every Hospital area. It is, however, in those particular "sensitive" areas, such as Operating Theatres, Recovery Rooms, ICU & DHU Wards; Blood Plasma Banks & Safety Laboratories where our reputation is outstanding. The latest innovative step of ROHDE was a conceptual breakthrough with our SHIROTEX® Shielding System for rooms. SHIROTEX® is an ideal combination of TEXTILES GLASGEWBE and a special copper fleece. The fields of application cover the shielding of both Sensitive Hospital-Medical Equipment as well as offering protection to Patients. Yet a further area is where facilities should be protected against Data misuse. Please review the detailed SHIROTEX® website page www.shirotex.de. Our SHIROTEX Wall Covering System can be used either when one wishes to shield patients from any electromagnetic rays in a Sleep Cell or shield the extremely sensitive measurement equipment in a Sleep Cell from outside electromagnetic disturbance. An example where our SHIROTEX Wall Covering System has been used with success is in a number of Sleep Cells at the Landesklinik Eberswalde in D-16225 Eberswalde. Measurements of the shielding efficiency were taken after completion of the Wall Covering instalment and the specification to attain 60 dB was reached by our System without any problem. Besides the use of our Systems in the Hospital sector, they have been used in many sheltered housing & residential care home projects. The following aspects illustrate measures taken to monitor the effectiveness of the Systems. Tests were conducted on a FINISH 435 Coating in accordance with the test method DIN 53168 and DIN 5329 by subjecting them to a 200 µ wet film of a Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH 20%) or Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) 20%. The summary judgement of the properties was very good to extremely good. This judgement was based after evaluating the size and intensity any bubbles occurring , the degree of softness and discolouration incidence.
FINISH 435, one of our aqueous 2 Pack Coatings, was evaluated by the MfPA Institute in Leipzig in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 2812-1 Standard whereby the test period ranges from one hour to 24 hours and covers the usage classification A / B for a determined number of active materials. This resistance is essential in rooms being constantly cleaned with disinfectants. Even the 24-hour extensive test showed that most can withstand very aggressive organic disinfectants as outlined in the report. A detailed evaluation of the resistance of the Coatings to a number of individual active ingredient groups is available if required. 
ROHDE KG confirms that our DD-PUR coating systems exceed the stringent parameters stipulated by the Robert Koch-Institute in Berlin on the resistance to those disinfectants specified for use in the German Federal Contagious Disease Law Control ruling (§ 10cBseuchG). The disinfectant concentrations & contact periods are specified. Decontamination trials were conducted by the KLINIK UND POLIKLINIK FÜR NUKLEARMEDEZIN (Clinic & Polyclinic for Nuclear Medicine) at the University of Wuerzburg . The procedure followed for the decontamination trials differed from those of the DIN 25415 Part 1. whereby the emphasis was placed on matching conditions found in practise signifying that the radio nuclide ( Tc-99m) and the type of contamination were kept as close as possible to these found in practical conditions. The test results showed that FINISH 435 is suitable as Wall Covering System due to its good decontamination properties for control sectors in which open radioactive substances are found. Tests were carried out to assess the extent to which blood stains on FINISH 435 Coatings could be cleaned. ( removed). A controlled test was undertaken whereby human blood was in contact with the Coating for a 10 hour period. No noticeable residue seen after cleaning the Coating with a mixture of Demineralised Water and Propanol in a mixture of 1:1. Finish 435 was evaluated in respect to its UV resistance using a QUV accelerated weathering equipment in accordance with DIN 53384-A amongst others. A UV arc system. was used with a maximum UV emission band between 270nm and 390 nm: This evaluation method is often adopted by the auto industry or for the coating materials when used for external elements. Measurements are taken after 100 hours and 250 hours to evaluate the gloss and the colour shade.
These test results match the very good results, which had been anticipated bearing in mind that this is a test in the open signifying that the exposure to UV is more intensive. In interior environments, a much higher degree of colour shade and level gloss can be expected. The methods for determining the scruff resistance of paints used on walls are described in DIN 53778. One differentiates between those Coatings which resist washing with a soap solution and those which have to be scruff resistant. 1000 scruff cycles using the scruff brush have to be withstood for a paint to be declared as wash resistant whilst Latex paints have to withstand 5000 scruff cycles in order to be declared as scruff resistant. ROHDE's DD-PUR based Finishes and Primer are neither Latex or emulsion based paints. The superb mechanical and physical characteristics of the above ROHDE Coatings results in their exceeding the 5000 scruff cycles very many times. Both Latex paints and emulsion paints, in general, are categorised as being thermoplastic and could therefore be a potential breeding ground for micro-organisms such as microbes. Their potential usage in those sensitive areas such as operating theatres, intensive care and heavy dependency units has to therefore to be judged very carefully although their selection in non-sensitive areas can be more favourably considered when the onus is on encouraging natural moisture vapour diffusion. |