Surgical equipment must be clean

They hope their work eradicates even the tiniest potential for patients to contract vCJD from surgical equipment.

The technique, a form of electrolysis, has been successfully tested on some forms of protein.

Its developers, from Exeter University, hope it will also prove an effective way to kill the superbug MRSA.

It has huge implications for the medical community Dr Claus Jacob

Lead researcher Dr Claus Jacob told BBC News Online the technique took advantage of the fact that surgical instruments were made of metal, and so could conduct electricity.

It works by connecting the instrument to a battery-type device, and feeding through a very low voltage electrical current.

This produces a series of chemical reactions on the surface of the instrument, which generate highly reactive oxygen particles that destroy biological matter clinging to the surface of the instrument.

In some respects, the technology mimics the way that the body's immune system generates similar oxygen particles to fight off bacterial infection.

Many applications

Dr Jacob said the technique had already been shown to be effective at killing human blood proteins, such as albumin.

The technique uses electrolysis

He said a method to kill off proteins would be particularly useful, as they cannot be destroyed using current methods which employ heat and pressure.

However, he said there was no reason why the same technology could not be employed to kill off hospital superbugs, such as MRSA.

He said: "It has huge implications for the medical community. If we can perfect the technology it could be used everywhere from a major NHS decontamination unit to bench tops in GP and dental practices.

"It could save a lot of cash and avoid a lot of rubbish."

The project has attracted funding from the Department of Health, and the NHS in Cornwall.

A spokesman said: "The DOH has invested �6.5m in 14 research projects on the development of novel decontamination technologies to remove prions from surgical instruments and it is hoped that several may reach the market in the next few months.

"There is evidence that CJD infectivity accumulates in tissues before there are any signs of the illness.

"Although good decontamination reduces the risk of transmission, it cannot be relied on to eliminate the risk entirely because some abnormal prion protein associated with CJD can survive even the best current decontamination process used for surgical instruments.

"By improving practice our ongoing programme should already have had a substantial proportionate impact on the risk of vCJD being spread by surgery."

All trusts should now have a system in place to track the use of surgical instruments.