AMxTek LLC, a combination product, medical device consulting and intellectual property development company, has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 'Notice of Allowance' regarding claims pertaining to US Patent Publication # US2011/0196502, entitled: Methods of Using Water-Soluble Inorganic Compounds for Implants.

The patent provides for the use of inorganic compounds, more specifically bioactive glass, to enhance osteostimulative bone ingrowth and provide broad-spectrum antimicrobial implant prophylaxis. The intellectual property has broad clinical application in the fields of orthopaedic trauma, reconstruction and revision surgery, as well as spinal and dental implants.

Aseptic loosening of orthopaedic implants has been a primary cause of revision surgery. Additionally, another 14 per cent of such revision surgeries have been attributed to implant infection. A prosthetic hip infection in the US costs between $60,000 - $70,000 to treat. Hospital Acquired Infections in the US account for nearly 99,000 annual deaths; the cost of care of which is estimated to be $35.7 – $45.0B/yr. The intellectual property provides for the release of calcium and other osteostimulative ions, upon the dissolution of bioactive glass, which up-regulates osteoblast growth factor gene expression and bone matrix deposition. When such bioactive glass incorporates silver-oxide compounds its dissolution releases ionic silver, which provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial implant prophylaxis. The technology therefore provides for osteoblast stimulated implant fixation and antimicrobial prophylaxis.

"By combining bioactive glass of differing solubilities, particle size and/or silver concentration, one can custom-tailor antimicrobial elution kinetics to correspond with the clinical need", said Jim Walls, AMxTek's president. "The high temperature stability of bioactive glass also accommodates various implant terminal sterilization methods, including autoclave, without adversely affecting or degrading the osteostimulative and/or antimicrobial properties of the implant."

AMxTek will be seeking business development, co-development or other commercial opportunities for the intellectual property. Continuing application filings, based upon the original US Patent Application, are envisioned.