Superslick Coatings Conquer Ketchup, But What About Ebola?

Thursday, April 2, 2015

The videos are almost unbelievable. Ketchup slides out of the jar and you don’t even have to give it a thump. Glue slips out of the bottle without a molecule left inside. And what about getting that last smidgen of toothpaste from a used tube? No problem.

Welcome to the world of LiquiGlide.

The technology could have “major environmental payoffs by reducing waste,” The New York Times wrote Monday.

And it’s true. Think about how much ketchup and toothpaste you would save with this nonstick coating inside jars and tubes. Just this week, Elmer’s Products Inc. signed an exclusive licensing agreement to use LiquiGlide in glue bottles.

But when we saw the cool coating, the first thought that popped into our minds wasn’t about condiments or clean teeth — rather, it was Ebola. Could this technology — or something like it — help protect doctors and nurses from the virus?

A big problem with Ebola protective suits is that contaminated blood and bodily fluids get stuck in the nooks and crannies of the gown. When doctors and nurses take off the suits, they can accidentally touch this residue and get infected.

Source: NPR (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
Tags
infectious diseases