Advancing Innovation and Research in Additive Manufacturing and Antimicrobial Copper
Students and researchers in British Columbia are set to expand possibilities in the use of copper as an additive in manufacturing goods. In January 2023, Teck and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) announced the opening of the Teck Copper Innovation Hub on BCIT’s campus in Burnaby, British Columbia. The new, state-of-the-art facility will enable BCIT researchers and students to expand innovation and research in additive manufacturing and explore the use of antimicrobial copper in healthcare devices such as prosthetics, orthotics, and other medical applications.
In addition to being a critical component in everything from power generation to hybrid vehicles to computers and smartphones, copper has natural antimicrobial properties and has been proven to eliminate up to 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria within two hours of contact. When installed on high-touch surfaces – including healthcare devices – antimicrobial copper reduces the spread of germs and infection and improves health outcomes.
In healthcare settings, reducing infections is essential for providing safe and healthy patient care. In Canada, more than 220,000 patients each year will contract a healthcare-acquired infection while receiving care, and between 8,000 and 12,000 patients will die as a result of these infections. Increased rates of infection can result in prolonged hospital stays, some $4 billion in additional annual costs to the healthcare system and can contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Consequently, healthcare organizations across the country have begun investing in added safety measures and protections to help reduce the spread of harmful bacteria and infections. The installation of copper on high-touch surfaces represents one potential use case for antimicrobial copper, but its full potential in public health settings is yet to be fully realized.
Over the next four years, the Teck Copper Innovation Hub will lead research projects and classes for students to further explore the potential for antimicrobial copper in real-life situations and healthcare settings. For example, BCIT researchers and students are currently researching and testing the production and use of prosthetics and orthotics made of plastic and copper using 3D technology. The facility will also support research that will explore the design capabilities and durability of antimicrobial copper used in conjunction with health devices.
“Copper’s unique antimicrobial properties make it perfect for use in health care, making high-touch surfaces and medical devices like prosthetics safer. The new Teck Copper Innovation Hub will explore innovative new ways to use antimicrobial copper to enhance safety for patients and health care professionals and we applaud BCIT for advancing this important work,” said Jonathan Price, CEO, Teck.
“The Teck Copper Innovation Hub combines the state-of-the-art research capabilities of BCIT Applied Research with the industry expertise of Teck to drive innovation across a growing interdisciplinary field,” said Paul McCullough, Interim President, BCIT. “This partnership amplifies the collaborative strength of our organizations and establishes a new hands-on learning environment that will have meaningful impact in the healthcare field and beyond.”
As part of this initiative, Teck is also partnering with BCIT’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation to support research, training, and a curriculum program to expand the use of additive manufacturing (3D printing). In a faster-moving world, the capacity to leverage additive manufacturing to produce complex parts and components with greater speed and precision will become a critical mechanism to support a variety of industries. Its use within the Teck Copper Innovation Hub will enable the creation of objects which will serve as prototypes for the healthcare industry, including the creation of 3D-printed copper objects.
The Hub will also create opportunities for collaboration between students and industry. “Teck Copper Innovation Hub benefits industry by allowing people or companies who don’t have the resources to experiment with new techniques and processes in 3D printing to introduce new products into the marketplace,” said Dr. Kim Dotto, Dean, BCIT Centre for Applied Research and Innovation.
Through this innovative work, the Teck Copper Innovation Hub is expected to contribute up to $12 million in economic benefits for British Columbia over the next five years in research and development, new business, employment, and exports. This partnership showcases the important connections between mining and innovation and demonstrates the critical role the mining industry stands to play in supporting public health and safety.
The Copper Innovation Hub builds on a longstanding partnership which includes Teck and BCIT partnering in 2021 to install antimicrobial copper patches on hundreds of high-touch surfaces across BCIT’s Burnaby campus in an effort to create a safer environment for students, faculty, and staff – the first installation of its kind at a post-secondary institution in Canada. Future installations of antimicrobial copper are planned for the BCIT Downtown Campus and BCIT satellite campuses for Aerospace Technology, Motive Power, and Marine Studies.
Teck’s Copper & Health program was first established in 2017 by Teck to expand the use of antimicrobial copper in high-traffic spaces to reduce the spread of harmful bacteria and keep Canadians safer. The program has funded initiatives across a range of industries and public facilities, including major healthcare institutions including Vancouver General Hospital, Lion’s Gate Hospital, and Royal Inland Hospital; on public transit through a partnership with TransLink and the Toronto Transit Commission; and in public spaces including Science World and the Royal Ontario Museum. The widespread reach of the program is indicative of the potential impact of further advancements in innovation in the use of copper.