AdvanSource Biomaterials Corp. in Wilmington, Massachusetts, has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on its patent for antimicrobial polyurethane resins and derivative products. The notice indicates that AdvanSource Biomaterials is entitled to this patent under the law.
The patent covers a drug-free, antimicrobial technology to eradicate Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections associated with medical devices. AdvanSource Biomaterials uses a polymer technology that incorporates an antimicrobial agent during the synthesis of a resin, suitable for molding as antimicrobial components in or coatings on medical devices.
MRSA are staphylococci that are resistant to methicillin and other commonly used antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 94,000 people contracted MRSA in 2005, of which about 85% of the cases involved health care.