Nanoparticle Technology Allows New Application of Antimicrobial Silver to Medical Devices

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A scientific breakthrough in nanotechnology that has direct implications in the battle against hospital-acquired infections was presented last week at the Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference. Bruce Gibbins, PhD, founder and chief technology officer of Portland-based AcryMed, Inc., presented findings on AcryMeds new silver nanoparticle technology, SilvaGard. Through the discovery of how to create nanoparticles of silver in a solution that are easy to use and tenaciously adhere to surfaces, SilvaGard allows medical device manufacturers to apply antimicrobial silver to device surfaces in a uniform, non-hazardous and cost effective manner.  For the first time, antimicrobial products can be created that are chemically and dimensionally unchanged, thus retaining all of their intended properties. SilvaGard has already been licensed for its first medical device application and is currently in production.

This is an important step forward in the fight against a serious public health problem, hospital-acquired infections, stated Jack McMaken, president and CEO of AcryMed. There are 2 million hospital-acquired infections annually in this country, with 90,000 resulting in death. About half of these infections are associated with catheters and other percutaneous devices that provide a support surface for organisms to track into deeper tissue. A typical infection can cost as much as $47,000 per patient to treat. Our SilvaGard treatment provides a legitimate solution to many of these hospital related, life threatening infections by preventing the formation of biofilms on medical devices.  

SilvaGard is a new technology developed by AcryMed that is based on years of work with silver antimicrobial applications. AcryMeds SilvaSorb® wound dressings and SilvaSorb gel are recognized worldwide in the advanced wound-care industry. 

Source: AcryMed