Cufitec®: Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial Technology
NBC Meshtec Inc.
| Publication date | July 2, 2020 (Posted on August 1, 2022) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Human Health |
Company Overview
With the advanced mesh technology as its core business, NBC Meshtec Inc. offers products to a wide range of industries including screen printing materials, industrial materials, chemical products, and insect netting. We take pride in our world's top-class technology in the field of screen printing mesh cloth.
Climate Change Impacts
There are concerns that climate change will increase the risk of infectious diseases caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria. For example, surveys and research have pointed out that global warming causes changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, resulting in an expansion of the habitat of worms and animals that spread infectious diseases, and an acceleration in bacterial growth. Along with the increase in the risk of natural disasters such as extreme weather, typhoons, and floods, the degradation of the sanitary environment in the affected areas and the maintenance and securing of health and hygiene services have become an issue.
Cf. "Global Warming and Infectious Diseases - What Do We Know Now?-" Ministry of the Environment, 2007
Adaptation Initiatives
We developed Cufitec®, a technology to provide clean, safe and comfortable environment against invisible threats such as viruses and bacteria. We have been working on its development with the goals of "being effective against a wide range of microorganisms (viruses and bacteria)," "be fast-acting (reduce quickly)," and "being strongly effective (preventing viruses and bacteria from spreading)." We manufacture and sell products (Fig. 1) and processed raw materials using this technology.
[Cufitec® technology]
Cufitec® is an anti-viral and anti-bacterial technology based on monovalent copper compound nanoparticles (Fig. 2). Cufitec® can be processed into a variety of materials and can be used for a wide range of applications. Specifically, it is possible to make proposals according to needs such as “coating Cufitec® on base material”, “kneading Cufitec® into resin”, or “mixing Cufitec® into solution."
[Reasons for using monovalent copper compounds]
Ions eluted from monovalent copper compounds are more easily oxidized than those from bivalent copper ions, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen. These reactive oxygen have the property to reduce microbial activities, resulting in high anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects.
[Differences between monovalent copper compounds and silver]
Silver-based anti-bacterial agents produce their effects when the silver ions act on bacteria. Copper ions also have a similar anti-bacterial effect, but Cufitec® differs significantly from silver-based anti-bacterial agents because it becomes highly effective against viruses and bacteria by generating active oxygen. Copper, unlike silver, is also recognized as a component of nutritionally functional foods, and is one of the essential minerals necessary for the human body.
Effects / Expected Benefits
The anti-viral and anti-bacterial technologies of Cufitec® can be processed into a variety of materials to help ensure clean, safe, and comfortable environments with a wide range of applications. We expect that it will contribute as an adaptation measure against invisible threats such as viruses and bacteria, which are expected to increase due to climate change.
Fig. 1 Products that utilize Cufitec®
Fig. 2 Anti-virus and anti-bacterial mechanism
