Patent ID: 9492584
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: A61L,A61P

Claim Text:
1. A method of post-charging ceramic particles with antimicrobial metal cations, comprising incorporating uncharged A-type zeolite particles having a three dimensional skeletal structure represented by the formula: XM 2/n O·Al 2 O 3 ·YSiO 2 ·ZH 2 O, wherein M represents an ion-exchangeable ion, n represents the atomic valency of the ion-exchangeable ion, X and Y represent coefficients of a metal oxide of an ion-exchangeable ion and silica dioxide respectively, and Z represents the number of water of crystallization into a thermoplastic polymer, thereafter charging said zeolite particles with one or more metal cations, and establishing the rate of release of said one or more metal ions from said zeolite particles in the thermoplastic polymer; wherein the amount of said uncharged A-type zeolite particles incorporated into said thermoplastic polymer, and the amount of said one or more metal cations charged to said zeolite particles, are effective to achieve antimicrobial activity when said thermoplastic polymer is implanted in the body of a patient and contacts bodily tissue or fluid to release said one or more metal cations from said thermoplastic polymer via ion-exchange.