Nasal photodisinfection system provider Ondine Biomedical Inc (LON: OBI) on Wednesday announced successful results from the first NHS deployment of its Steriwave nasal decolonisation technology at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (Mid Yorks).

The six-month study showed a significant 71.4% reduction in surgical site infections (SSI) following elective hip and knee replacement surgeries. Specifically, knee replacement procedures saw SSI rates drop to zero from 2.3% (p=0.014).

Steriwave was used alongside standard care protocols, which included octenidine antiseptic nasal gel and chlorhexidine body wash. The health economic analysis by York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) confirmed that Steriwave offers cost-saving benefits for these procedures. For a cohort of 1,000 patients, the treatment prevented 9.8 additional SSIs, saved GBP2,869, and reduced hospital bed days by 139.

Steriwave is a non-invasive, painless treatment that uses light-activated antimicrobial agents to target harmful pathogens in the nasal cavity. The treatment, which takes less than five minutes, is already CE-marked in Europe and approved in Canada. In the US, it holds Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation and Fast Track status from the FDA, with clinical trials underway for regulatory approval.

The study and economic analysis were commissioned by Health Innovation Network Yorkshire and Humber and Ondine Biomedical.