NOVAFLUX Technologies -- Our Technology

Simply stated, we’re able to clean a variety of surfaces from a variety of industries very effectively and efficiently. This process is useful for pipes of all diameters, even as small as 200 microns (that’s one-fifth of a millimeter) in diameter, including: filtration membranes, hemodialyzers, dental handpieces, endoscopes, catheters, large diameter pipes as in dairy and beverage plants, as well as many other related items. By efficient and effective, we mean to the point where there is absolutely nothing left clinging to the surfaces that we clean -- no dirt, no bacteria, and no pesky organic bacterial slime (biofilm). Oh, and the process is quick, too -- taking only seconds for some applications and minutes for others. In all cases it is a vast improvement over current standard cleaning methods, if such a method even exists.

Still not excited? Well, we’ve met with quite a few people who are; representatives from the United States Air Force the United States Navy, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control have all responded enthusiastically to initial demonstrations of our technology. So have dental equipment manufacturers, endoscope manufacturers, hemodialysis center operators, water treatment equipment suppliers, food and dairy producers, membrane manufacturers, and membrane cleaning companies.

The technology promises a safe, quick, and cost-effective solution to infection control in the fields of dentistry and medicine. Its other applications allow users to significantly reduce the costs of cleaning and/or replacing parts that would otherwise be rendered useless from excessive particle or microbial build-up. As one might imagine, there are many other applications for this technology that we have yet to even consider.

We merely initiate a two-phase turbulent flow through a narrow channel, generating impressive shear stress resulting in a complete removal of microorganisms, to the extent of high-level disinfection. It works pretty well, so we patented it.

Ok, a few definitions might clear things up. A phase is a state of matter – solid, liquid, or gas. When we initiate a "two-phase flow" all we are doing is pumping a mixture of a liquid and a gas into the tube.

Just like a bumpy or turbulent plane ride can be disruptive to an airline passenger, turbulence in our two-phase flow is particularly disruptive to the biofilm or other contaminant lining the internal channels of the passageway. Luckily for us, the bacteria don’t have seatbelts to keep them from flying out of their chairs!

Adding to the misery of these microbes and dirt particles is the surfactant we place in the flow. A surfactant is a chemical that helps break up organic material stuck to a surface. Our use of a surfactant instead of a biocide is critical. A biocide directly kills bacteria. However, as one might expect, biocides are extremely toxic and often corrosive, creating a potential hazard to the patient, consumer, practitioner or any other person coming into contact with it. Corrosive biocides can also damage expensive medical equipment. Furthermore, they can interact with organic material in the tubing and create harmful by-products. Our proprietary surfactant formulation does not harm people or equipment. In addition, when combined with turbulent flow, it completely removes the slimy matrix that bacteria leave behind, something no biocide can do. We are not only disinfecting, but we are removing the biofilm, and the removal is key.

The term shear stress is just a fancy name for the force that the turbulent flow exerts on the surface of the contaminant lining the tube. A lot of shear stress is beneficial for us, because a greater force breaks up the lining more effectively.

Finally, when we achieve high-level disinfection, it means we’ve removed all harmful microorganisms present. High-level disinfection is an appropriate cleaning method for "semi-critical" medical devices. A semi-critical medical device is one that come into contact with intact skin or mucous membranes, such as an endoscope. The technology itself can actually achieve sterilization, which as good as it gets as far as cleaning is concerned, but on a practical level, other sources of contamination from outside the tubing prevent a sterile environment from being maintained.

	To learn more about biofilm, take a look at this brief introduction about the intriguing and potentially dangerous phenomenon we’ve been battling.
	Find out about how our process applies to different applications in various industries.
	For more information, try checking out some of these links.