UNIVERSITY scientists have hailed a potential breakthrough in beating hospital bugs.

Dr Ian Cooper and Dr Anna Guildford from the University of Brighton’s microbiology research group tested a product to protect catheters they say could cut the rate of some hospital-acquired infections.

They said tests on the product, show it can “greatly reduce” the number of live organisms on surfaces and therefore prevent the development of urinary tract infections.

Researchers said it could also slow the multiplication of the bacterium that accounts for up to 90% of all catheter-acquired infections.

The study was done alongside BrightSTAR research group within the School of Pharmacy and Biomole-cular Sciences for Cambridge-based medical materials company CamStent Ltd.

The company hope the unnamed product will be in hospitals by late 2013.