MUSC Research Shows Aegis VacStation Effective at Eliminating Spatter, Aerosol

New research announced this week demonstrates that CAO Group's Aegis VacStation is found to eliminate 100% spatter and 99.8% aerosol in high-speed handpiece dental procedures. In October, John Flucke, Chief Dental Editor & Technology Editor for Dental Products Report, authored an article stating many benefits of the Aegis VacStation, and now the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is set to release a study stating just how effective the device can be.

The study conducted by a group of researchers at MUSC showed that the Aegis VacStation, a chairside extra-oral suction device can effectively eliminate 100% of spatter and 99.8% of aerosol generated by high-speed dental procedures. The research results will soon be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The study was conducted through the following protocol: placing a fluorescing dye in the waterline of the high-speed handpiece; a high-speed handpiece procedure was performed as normal, using a manikin head analogue; the spatter was measured by tracing of the dye and aerosol with particle sizes of 2.5 µm or less, using a particle counter on the operator's face area. A variety of devices, including high-volume evacuators (HVEs), isolation devices, a new innovative cheek retractor and CAO's Aegis VacStation were tested in the study. Detailed testing protocol and results are available upon request.

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Eliminating spatter and aerosol at the point of generation is the most effective method to contain spatter and aerosol before they reach the operators. The spatter and aerosol ejection patterns exiting the mouth travel at a speed of 34 to 171 feet per second, depending on the RPMs of the dental handpiece, according to CAO. The Aegis VacStation was designed scientifically to cover the ejection pattern and catch spatter and aerosol right as they exit the patient's mouth.

The Aegis VacStation features a 12-inch transparent collection cup; flexible tubing; three stage filters, including moisture filter, HEPA 13 filter and an active carbon filter; and UVC LED light. The device can be placed on the floor or ceiling mounted. More details about Aegis VacStation can be found at caogroup.com.