Silver Ion (Ag+) Technology has antimicrobial properties.
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Introduction to Silver Ion (Ag+) Technology
Silver ion technology is a type of antimicrobial silver that uses silver ions. Silver ions are highly active and have the ability to destroy bacteria on contact. This silver ion antimicrobial technology has been used in many products for years, but it’s only recently being made more widely available due to new research on its effectiveness. In this blog post, we will discuss what silver ion technology is, how it works, and where you can find silver ion-based products.
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What is Silver Ion Technology?
Silver ions are silver atoms that have an extra electron. This makes them highly active, which means they oxidise quickly in the presence of certain compounds to kill bacteria and other harmful pathogens. Silver ion technology uses silver ions as a bactericidal agent for many different products including wound care dressings, antimicrobial medical devices, soaps, hand sanitisers, disinfectants sprays or wipes used on environmental surfaces.
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Silver Ion Antimicrobial Technology’s Rise
Silver ion technology first began emerging decades ago due primarily to its effectiveness towards killing various strains of Staphylococcus bacteria. In silver ion technology, silver ions have been shown to inhibit the growth of many antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
This is why silver has become an increasingly popular antimicrobial agent in hospitals and other healthcare settings where individuals are at risk for developing bacterial infections that can’t be killed by traditional antibiotics. Silver ion based products used in medical settings include silver bandages, silver sheeting, silver sutures/threads, and more recently, products such as those found at Veraco to help keep common touch points clean.
In recent years there’s been a growing demand from consumers to use environmentally friendly cleaning products without potentially harmful chemicals.
This has led silver ion technology to be used in a variety of products designed for home use as well, including silver sanitising wipes and sprays that help reduce the spread of bacteria on common surfaces.
SAFE WRAP™ Clear Antibacterial Door Handle Wrap.
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What can you find Silver Ion Technology in?
Silver is found primarily in antimicrobial silver-based bandages or wound dressings because it can kill any harmful pathogens directly on contact without having to go inside the body first. These types of silver based dressing have been FDA approved since 1955, so they’ve been tested extensively over time to ensure safety and effectiveness.
There are also many other silver ion based products available today. Veraco has worked to develop a range of touch point protection products that can keep every workspace and high-traffic area safe from infection. Antibacterial door handles, hand rails, and button covers are just some of the products available.
This makes them great options to help control the spread of infection on wound sites within hospitals or healthcare settings where they’re most needed.
The silver ions are able to kill harmful bacteria and viruses, but they’re not able to directly come into contact with skin so there’s no need for concern about any negative interactions between silver ions and human tissue. Silver is now being incorporated into consumer hygiene products as well like toothpaste, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, lotions/moisturisers etc. as mentioned previously, because it’s an effective way of preventing bacterial growth without causing antibiotic resistance like many other antimicrobial agents can.
