Antimicrobial Test Laboratories (ATL), an independent, GLP-compliant testing facility, has announced complimentary consulting and study design for manufacturers of antimicrobial devices.

Company president, Dr. Benjamin Tanner said: “Since EPA does not generally review performance data for antimicrobial devices prior to sale, well-designed, robust testing carried out by independent laboratories is doubly important. To make sure Antimicrobial Test Laboratories stays at the forefront of developments in this rapidly changing field, I have authorized the staff to help design antimicrobial device studies and write custom testing protocols without charge.”

Antimicrobial Test Laboratories' facility makes it especially well-suited to device testing. In addition to two special 1,500 and 3,350 cubic-foot device testing rooms, the laboratory has a large 5,000 square foot room with a 13-foot ceiling; a perfect place to set up nearly any custom device test.

The staff at Antimicrobial Test Laboratories is highly-educated and experienced with regard to study design, running hundreds of custom studies each year. Additionally, the laboratory maintains a collection of nearly 300 different microorganisms, ranging from Clostridium difficile to MRSA and VRE.

Devices tested at the laboratory include: Hand-held Ultraviolet (UV) Light Devices, Air Purification Systems, Ozone-producing devices, Whole-room Fogger Disinfectants, Steam Vapor Disinfection Systems, and Air Purifiers.

Recently, Antimicrobial Test Laboratories designed a custom device study to suit the specific needs of Zadro, Inc. For Zadro, microbiology manager Dr. Grosse-Siestrup used knowledge gained while earning his Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases, to put together an elegant, streamlined design for the Nano-UV™ device, keeping in mind how this device would be used by consumers. The study investigated kill of microorganisms over time and conveyed the results in a clear and concise manner, with a study report that included visual representation of exactly how the device was tested.

“It was important to design the study in a way so that it has a real world application and makes it reproducible,” says Dr. Grosse-Siestrup, who puts an emphasis on building a relationship between the study sponsors and ATL to learn and discuss the objective of the projects in which he participates.