Schüco supports the KARMIN project: Architecture aims to assist in preventing the spread of infection in hospitals

The subject of the research within the KARMIN project is the possibility of building double rooms as an alternative to single rooms while maintaining infection spread prevention.

The possibility of building double rooms as an alternative to single rooms, while simultaneously maintaining prevention against the spread of infection, is the aim of the KARMIN research project. This project was launched some time ago in Germany in response to the increasing occurrence of multi-resistant pathogens. The current result is a prototype double room providing protection against the spread of infection with separate shower cells, designed by a team of architects from the Technical University of Braunschweig. A partner of the project for corporate and academic institutions is the company Schüco.
 
The name of the KARMIN Project is derived from the words Krankenhaus, Architektur, Mikrobiom und Infektion, i.e., hospital, architecture, microbiome (the collective term for microbial colonization of the human body), and infection. The KARMIN project is a partial part of the InfectControl 2020 program, a collaborative activity of a consortium of commercial firms and academic institutions, which is funded by the federal Ministry of Education and Research. In addition to the Technical University of Braunschweig, partners include the Charité - Universitätsmedizin hospital in Berlin, the Jena University Hospital, and the company Röhl GmbH in Waldbüttelbrunn, which is engaged in metal processing. The project is supported by another 17 renowned partners from the sector, one of which is also the company Schüco.

In the 'patient room of the future', Schüco AWS 75 BS.HI+ aluminum windows equipped with Schüco SmartActive fittings with antimicrobial effect were used.

The first prototype has been completed at the headquarters of Röhl GmbH in Waldbüttelbrunn near Würzburg, Germany. The second will be ready in October 2020 at the Charité hospital in Berlin, where it should be presented to the public during the World Health Summit held annually since 2009. In 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron took patronage over the event.
 

Architecture and design can significantly influence hygiene levels in hospitals

Infections in hospitals and multi-resistant pathogens resistant to antibiotic treatment are becoming an increasing danger in clinics. Bacteria can spread quickly, especially in multi-bed rooms, and can pose an acute risk to patients. Therefore, a long-standing requirement has been to isolate patients with infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens in single rooms. However, the exclusive use of single rooms brings many disadvantages and higher costs. The aim of the mentioned prototype is to demonstrate how hospital architecture influences hygienic conditions and to verify whether double rooms provide sufficient protection for patients against infection. Dr. Wolfgang Sunder from the Institute for Industrial Construction and Design (Institut für Industriebau und Konstruktives Entwerfen) at the Technical University of Braunschweig, who leads the KARMIN project, is convinced that: "Architecture and design can significantly influence hygiene levels in hospitals if we consider structural protection against infections when planning and operating hospitals." If it can be proven that patient safety can be ensured in double rooms, it will be possible to change the way many existing rooms are used while maintaining established operational procedures.

The KARMIN project used Schüco AWS 75 BS.HI+ aluminum windows with Schüco SmartActive antimicrobial fittings.

Antimicrobial window fittings

As part of its support for the project, Schüco has been involved in the planning and optimization phase and ensures the delivery of suitable products. In the "patient room of the future," Schüco aluminum windows AWS 75 BS.HI+ were used. One part was designed as a casement window with a side hinge and a limit stop, which is operated using a handle, while the other part in the form of a tilt-and-turn window was equipped with additional components to reduce the force needed for operation. A key aspect is that both windows were equipped with fittings Schüco SmartActive with an antimicrobial effect. This is achieved using particles of high-purity micro-silver incorporated into the surface treatment of the fittings. Pathogenic microorganisms that come into contact with this surface treatment will die, thus preventing their further undesirable spread. Schüco uses high-quality micro-silver that is purely metallic and free of nanoparticles, therefore there is no risk of penetration into human skin. This component is non-toxic, harmless to human health, and is used in medicine and even in certified natural cosmetics. Schüco SmartActive can be applied to a wide range of Schüco window systems, both on handles and on the frames of individual profiles.