EVALUATION OF GALVANIC COATINGS OF MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION EQUIPMENT AS THE ANTICORROSIVE AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROTECTION

The work presents investigations of material usually applied as the construction of the hospital equipment. Samples with visible local corrosion were cut from the rehabilitation bed for testing. Examinations consisted in qualitative and quantitative identification of bacteria existing on the samples surface in real hospital conditions. At the samples surface the following bacteria strains was identified: Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumani. Additionally, adhesion and colonization level of chosen bacteria strains was measured on special prepared test samples in disk form, made from DC01 constructional steel that is applied in production of hospital equipment. Samples were covered with different galvanic coatings: Fe//Ni20d/Crr, Fe//Ni10b/Crr, Fe//Ni3s/Cub, Fe//Cus. Surface quality was described by three-dimensional topography and roughness measurements. Obtained results indicate that perfectly smooth surface is supporting considerable decrease of bacteria adhesion to the base but sometimes chemical composition of metallic coating (Cr, Ni, Cu) can exert higher influence on bacterial attachment to the protected surface. Samples with protective layers: copper and nickel-copper, with higher developed three-dimensional topography reveals higher bacteria adhesion level.