aap Implantate AG (XETRA: AAQ.DE), a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of innovative trauma products and biomaterials, announced that the European Patent Office recently granted it an important patent for its silver coating technology for medical implants.
The European patent (EP 2 437 798 B1) protects both the multifunctional antibacterial silver coating developed by the company for implants and relevant medical tools and the method as well as apparatuses for the production of such a coating. In a next step the European patent will be nationalized in many key European markets and published in different languages. After the company was granted a patent for the silver coating technology last year by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has this year already been granted further European patents for its LOQTEQ® and magnesium technology, the patent now granted represents an important further expansion of the IP portfolio.
The fundamental added value of the silver coating technology lies in the antibacterial property of silver. When using medical implants a biofilm can grow on the surface, in which multi-resistant bacteria and germs are embedded. As a consequence infections can be caused. Silver can prevent the formation of such a biofilm leading to a potential reduction in the number of infections and reoperations. Silver coating technology can thereby make a decisive contribution to improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs. Overall, the silver coating technology is not limited to use solely with aap Implantate AG’s existing portfolio; it can also be used for other orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments. The company plans the submission of the CE approval application for the first silver coated products in the second half of 2015. 