Hospitals are full of touch points that make contamination and the spread of germs very easy. To combat the problem, designers have been coming up with inventive and innovative ways of integrating antimicrobial surfaces and devices into the design of hospital hardware. 

London-based Agency of Design worked with Altitude Medical to develop the PullClean door handle – a simple solution that turns the most regular touch point in the hospital into a place to clean your hands. An in built sanitizer at the base of the handle means that sanitizing becomes habitual every time you open the door.

Copper Touch is a project that was developed by New York studio Pensa for use in hospitals. The project sees common touch points such as faucets, handles railings and elevator buttons are reimagined in antimicrobial copper to help fight the spread of bacteria.

The Clea Hands Disinfection Device by Mukomelov Studio is a motion activated hand sanitizer that sprays hands with disinfecting liquid when they are placed within its looped structure.

Advanced Finishing USA produces an antimicrobial coating called Agion silver that can be applied to objects such as door handles, heart valves, catheters, pens and shoes.

The sweeping curve of the Wristblade Sixteen Point Tapered Broach Handle by Chicago Faucets is coated with a Metal Satin Antimicrobial Finish.