Revolutionary chemical ‘solution’ to curb dental bacteria

A breakthrough solution which ensures the cleanliness of dental equipment has put a Derby-based company in the running for a prestigious innovation award.

Quadralene Ltd, pioneers of Bioclear®, has been short-listed in the ‘Innovation Achieved’ category at the upcoming Lord Stafford Awards after its revolutionary system caught the imagination of the judges.

Development of the product came about after the firm successfully expanded its business into the dental field.  It identified a gap in the market for a product capable of fully removing biofilm and also maintaining water quality at drinking water levels from equipment used in surgeries and began research into the field.  

This culminated in the creation of an innovative visual system capable of showing the removal of biofilm in real-time.  By using biofilm grown from genetically engineered fluorescent bacteria, the company was able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Bioclear® chemical definitively. 

Such was the success of this new method that it is now being considered for use in an ISO standard method for evaluation of biofilms.

The project, a collaboration between the company and the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences, also has wider potential applications in areas such as endoscope reprocessing, haemodialysis and oral healthcare solutions.

Andrew Corley, Managing Director of Quadralene, is excited about the potential of the system:

“Patient and practitioner safety is of paramount importance in a surgical environment and this product will significantly reduce the risk of infection by massively reducing the potential for deposition of biofilm bacteria in patient’s mouths and reducing potentially harmful aerosol arising from the use of equipment for the practitioner.

 “In addition it will give dentists the assurance that their equipment is clean, free from biofilm build-up and in line with government best practice guidelines.”

He continued: “Being nominated for this prize is just reward for our team who all bought into our vision for the future.  Three years ago we had no presence in the medical sector whatsoever but, through a combination of forward thinking and innovation it will now make up over 25% of our 2010 turnover.”

The collaborative nature of the project has enabled one student to publish a paper on the technique developed as part of his thesis and has generated revenue for the university through work on practical rapid detection systems.

Established in 1930, Quadralene employs 30 staff at its base in Derby, and specialises in the manufacture of cleaning detergents and disinfectants for use in the dental, food and automotive markets amongst others. 

Awards panel judge Dr Frank Burdett, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton said:

"This application is one that the judging panel found very exciting. The issue of bacteria in any kind of medical environment is one to be taken seriously and the reduction that Bioclear® could provide offers reassurance to both dental practitioners and their patients.

"This collaboration is exactly what the Lord Stafford Awards are all about and is totally deserving of its nomination.”

The winners of the awards, which cover ‘Innovation Achieved’, ‘Innovation in Development’ and ‘Innovation for Sustainability’, will be announced at a high-profile finale on September 9^th at Athena in Leicester.

Sponsors for the event include the East Midlands Development Agency, the East Midlands Universities Association, CFE, Connect Midlands, epm: technology ltd, Swindell and Pearson, Leicester and Leicestershire Leadership Group and the Enterprise Europe Network.