Lynntech, Inc in collaboration with a reputed medical school proposes the development of an automated, on- demand, electrochemical generator of chlorine dioxide for a variety of high level disinfection applications, including endoscope reprocessing and surgical instrument disinfection. During the Phase I project, Lynntech has already demonstrated the construction and reliable operation of a bench scale automated device which can deliver desired levels of chlorine dioxide in a rapid manner. Lynntech's electrochemically generated chlorine dioxide solutions have been demonstrated to be as effective a disinfectant as commercially available presently used peracetic acid based high level disinfectants. In addition, Lynntech's electrochemically generated chlorine dioxide solutions have been shown to be compatible with a wide variety of medically relevant materials, and in certain cases, significantly less corrosive to medical materials than the widely used peracetic acid based disinfectants. Since complete proof-of-concept for Lynntech's automated electrochemical chlorine dioxide generator has been provided in the Phase I project, this proposed follow on Phase II effort specifically aims to develop a prototype compact device for automated medical device (endoscopes and surgical instruments) reprocessing. The device proposed herein will be fabricated, automated and tested upon retrofitting to a commercially available automated endoscope reprocessor for reliable operation in consultation with a reputed medical school. We will also perform exhaustive testing of the efficacy of the chlorine dioxide generator for low corrosion disinfection of actual surgical instruments and endoscopes during this Phase II effort. We will showcase our device and its operation to large manufacturers of automated endoscope reprocessors. Based on their input we will gear the technology to be commercially attractive to facilitate commercialization beyond Phase II in collaboration with these manufacturers, through either joint development, spin off company formation or outright licensing scenarios. The development of our low cost, fast acting and safe automated chlorine dioxide generator based automated reprocessor device will enable the production of high performance disinfecting solution for reliable medical instrument reprocessing. This will certainly reduce health professional exposure to toxic chemicals and decrease the cost of medical instrument reprocessing. In addition, the hundreds of thousands of patients who undergo endoscopic or surgical procedures annually will be adequately protected against cross infection through the availability of our automated medical instrument reprocessor. The financial benefits to existing automated reprocessing unit manufacturers who can simply modify their existing devices to incorporate the electrochemical chlorine dioxide production technology will therefore be immense. ? ? ?
