Recently, OPHARDT reached an important milestone with the granting of its 600th patent. It reflects a long-term commitment to research and development and an organisational culture that continues to invest in new ideas. These patents are the result of decades spent solving real-world hygiene challenges, improving dispensing technology, and exploring concepts that could shape the future of infection prevention.
Our GeDeSens project is a good example of how that innovation process unfolds. According to Siegfried Steltenkamp, Senior Scientist for Innovation and Technology Management at OPHARDT Hygiene, the project began with a simple question: “Could contamination be detected during the hand hygiene process?” The initial patent established the foundation for exploring that possibility and secured the concept before development work expanded further.
“Once the concept was protected, the challenge became determining how contamination could actually be identified,” explains Steltenkamp. “That led to a series of inventions covering the detection of biological particles using electromagnetic waves, alternative sensing approaches, and fluidic preparation techniques designed to make particles easier to measure and analyse.”
As development progressed, new innovations continued to emerge. “One important advancement was a specialised technique known as negative sorting,” says Steltenkamp. “It improves the ability to isolate and identify relevant biological signals. Each patent represented another step towards transforming an idea into a viable technology.”
Not every patented idea follows such a direct path. As Steltenkamp explains, one of the more unconventional concepts emerged during an internal brainstorming session in 2016.
“The question was simple: what if soap never touched the dispenser at all? What if a droplet could be delivered through the air, arriving precisely when and where it was needed?”
The result was an experimental concept known internally as the “flying droplet”—a levitating fluid dispenser that explored an entirely new approach to dispensing liquids. While it remains a concept, it demonstrates how protecting ideas early allows us to explore bold possibilities without knowing exactly where they may lead.
Sometimes patent work starts with a customer’s challenge. Companies occasionally approach us wanting to enter a product category where existing patents make development difficult. Rather than seeing those patents as barriers, we see them as design constraints that inspire new thinking.
Our process begins with a detailed analysis of the existing patent landscape to understand how current technologies are protected. From there, our engineering and R&D teams develop alternative approaches that achieve the same objective without infringing on existing intellectual property. More often than not, this leads to entirely new solutions that not only avoid infringement but also improve on what is already available.
“One of the most rewarding parts of my role is helping customers solve difficult problems. We regularly work with companies entering markets that are already crowded with patents. By understanding the existing intellectual property landscape and approaching the challenge from a different angle, we’re often able to develop solutions that avoid infringement while delivering equal or even better performance. It’s a great example of how patent expertise and engineering creativity work hand in hand to create real value for our customers.”
— Andrew Jones
This ability to innovate around complex technical and intellectual property challenges is just one example of how patents create value beyond protecting our own products. They also enable us to become a trusted development partner, helping customers bring innovative products to market with confidence.
Since the company was founded, OPHARDT has consistently invested in research and development at a level uncommon for organisations of its size. That commitment has helped us push technology forward, advance hygiene standards, and build a culture where curiosity is encouraged.
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