Patent ID: 8343523

Claim:
A method of fabricating an antimicrobial substrate consisting essentially of the steps of: a. preparing a composition, wherein said composition comprises (1) a solvent consisting essentially of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, an ether, an ester, benzene, toluene, a carbonate, a hydrocarbon, a chlorinated hydrocarbon, an alcohol, a glycol, or a mixture thereof, and (2) an antimicrobial polymer wherein said antimicrobial polymer is (a) a polyurethane polymer or (b) a polymer comprising allyl- or vinyl-containing monomers, and wherein said antimicrobial polymer further comprises a monomeric moiety covalently bound to the molecular structure of the polymer, wherein said monomeric moiety has at least one quaternary ammonium group, wherein there is at least one mole of quaternary ammonium moieties per 650 grams of said antimicrobial polymer, wherein said antimicrobial polymer is readily soluble in said solvent but insoluble in water, wherein said solvent serves as a carrier for combining said antimicrobial polymer with a substrate, and wherein said antimicrobial activity is not provided by an antimicrobial metallic material, b. applying said composition to said substrate, wherein said composition is wholly or partially infused, absorbed-into, penetrated, impregnated, coated, adhered, attached, interpenetrated, or otherwise incorporated into or onto said substrate, and c. drying or evaporating said solvent, whereby said antimicrobial polymer remains on or in said substrate upon exposure to aqueous fluids, and whereby said antimicrobial polymer imparts durable antimicrobial activity to said substrate.