Hospitals purchase nanotechnology lab coats

Physicians at three Mercy Medical Center hospitals in Knoxville, Tenn., received a gift on National Doctors’ Day (March 25) that will keep on giving throughout the year. Mercy Health Partners purchased its doctors 580 Vestex™ nanotechnology white lab coats that repel blood and body fluids and kill infectious microbes on contact. Not only does the traditional lab coat please doctors and reassure patients, but it assists in infection control by removing another method for germs to spread.

The Vestex lab coat, developed by Vestagen Technical Textiles, Orlando, Fla., is impregnated with nanoparticles that change the fabric’s surface tension and create a barrier to blood or vomit. After the fabric repels most of the contaminants, the rest are eradicated within 10 minutes by an antimicrobial agent. Vestex is breathable, holds up to industrial washing and meets the bluesign® standard for an environmentally friendly textile product.