GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB:QMDT), a life sciences company that is developing innovative technologies for the healthcare and consumer markets, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for the Company's pending patent, "System and Method for Enhancing the Efficacy of Antimicrobial Contact Lenses and Other Surfaces."
The forthcoming patent covers the method of post-treating NIMBUS® contact lens and other NIMBUS surfaces to enhance antimicrobial efficacy and increase biofilm resistance. By introducing a citrate solution to a surface to which a NIMBUS polymer has been non-leachably bound, the bactericidal performance is improved significantly. For example, a surface treated to achieve a 99% efficacy vs. the highly virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa would be elevated to a level above 99.99%. This significantly enhanced performance is sustained even after rinsing the lenses or other NIMBUS surfaces.
"We found that citrate solution, while harmless and non-irritating, serves as an amplifier to the effective action of the quaternary ammonium polymer in NIMBUS-treated surfaces," said Susan Leander, senior scientist at Quick-Med and lead inventor on this patent. "The resulting boost in sustained antimicrobial performance can be important in a wide range of product applications."
This enhancement is particularly useful in achieving antimicrobial protection in delicate materials such as soft contact lenses with gel-like physical properties and a high percentage of water content and where requirements for clarity and material integrity limit the amount of antimicrobial agent that can be employed.
"We are very pleased that U.S. Patent Office has issued this Notice of Allowance," said Dr. Jerry Olderman, Quick-Med's vice president of Research & Development. "This forthcoming patent represents an important extension of our NIMBUS technology in that it applies to a wide range of product applications in addition to contact lenses, including medical tubing such as catheters and tracheal tubes, endoscopic and other diagnostic devices, and various other surfaces where enhanced antimicrobial efficacy and biofilm protection is desired."
A Notice of Allowance communicates the Patent Office's determination that the applicant is entitled to a patent under the law. The Company expects the new patent to issue in late July.
About NIMBUS
Quick-Med's patented technology, NIMBUS, is a cutting-edge antimicrobial technology that has been custom designed for wound care and other medical applications. NIMBUS received De Novo FDA clearance in 2009 and has been commercialized in traditional wound care applications. It is the only non-leaching antimicrobial dressing which, by design, poses no risk of bacteria developing resistance. NIMBUS technology is protected by twelve U.S. patents and patents pending and 24 foreign counterparts. Additional applications under development include advanced wound dressings, medical adhesives, catheters, and contact lenses.
About Quick-Med Technologies, Inc.
Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. is a life sciences company that is developing proprietary, broad-based technologies for infection prevention and control in the consumer and healthcare markets. In addition to NIMBUS, Quick-Med's Stay Fresh® technology provides highly durable antimicrobial protection for laundered apparel and other textile applications and its NimbuDerm™ technology is being developed as a long-lasting hand sanitizer. For more information, see: www.quickmedtech.com.
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© 2012 Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. NIMBUS® and Stay Fresh® are registered trademarks and NimbuDerm™ is a trademark of Quick-Med Technologies, Inc.
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