Silver antimicrobial use granted US patent
received a US patent, in a move that could well see increased usage
of this technology that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial
qualities as well as displaying a lack of causing resistant
strains.
Silver ions, while being lethal to single-celled microorganisms, are harmless to human cells and are increasingly being used in wound care due to their ability to facilitate the healing of tissue.
The patented technology provides for a safe product due to the efficiency of delivery, introducing a quantity of silver to the body - less than what may exist in a person's average drinking water intake as a naturally occurring mineral. The difference is this new technology is designed to deliver the silver as active silver ions with antimicrobial ability.
Invision International Health Solutions, owners of the ionic silver complex technology, said that the patented technology was designed to utilise naturally occurring substances, such as citrate, to achieve optimal delivery and release of silver ions in the human body, in an efficient and safe manner.
"This patented technology represents a leap beyond predecessor silver ion technologies, including those that utilise electrolysis for manufacturing, such as colloidal silver," says Jay Newman, the company's president and CEO.
This invention (US patent number, 6,838,095) relates to solutions including complexed ionic silver. In particular, it relates to solutions including complexed ionic silver wherein the solutions convey health benefits through their use or application.
"In addition, this composition-of-matter patent provides far more meaningful protection than the product-by-process patents that have been issued on other silver products," Newman added.
Along with its antimicrobial qualities and lack of toxicity to humans, evidence is mounting that silver ions have powerful antiviral effects as well. A recent university study suggested ionic silver to be effective against the SARS virus. In Europe, ionic silver is a medically approved treatment used to combat systemic viral conditions, including the common cold and flu.
Silver ion compounds have also been introduced in recent years for antimicrobial use in medical devices and wound-care products. They are also being used for pharmaceutical equipment sanitation, and for killing germs including the germ that causes Legionnaires' Disease in the water systems of hospitals.
Ionic silver is used for many severe conditions as well, including, for example, tuberculosis, Epstein-Barr Virus, Lyme Disease, Legionnaires' Disease, bronchitis, chicken pox, and numerous others.
There are actually few germ-related conditions, or conditions requiring the repair of tissue, for which ionic silver is not used, since many claim it is not only effective in killing most bacteria but also many if not most fungus and viruses.
Some reports indicate that it is also effective against a number of parasites that might invade the body. Ionic silver is also reported by some researchers to be effective at treating cancer and HIV.
