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SILVER NEWS

ANTI-MICROBIALQUALITIES

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page32?oid=91435&sn=Detail

Silver containing wound dressing launched into $15 billion global market

In yet another medical application for silver, Advanced Medical Solutions has launched a silver-containing wound dressing for the global woundcare market.

Author: Lawrence Williams
Posted: Tuesday , 27 Oct 2009

LONDON -

British specialist technology company, Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS), which supplies the $15 billion global woundcare market with advanced woundcare dressings and tissue adhesives for wound closure has announced a new silver-containing dressing. This has already been launched in the U.S. and is being introduced into the European and other international markets this month.

Systagenix Wound Management, the marketing and distribution partner for AMS's fibre-based silver alginate technology, has expanded its existing anti-microbial wound dressings offering with the introduction of AMS's SILVERCEL Non-Adherent Hydro-Alginate Dressing.

The company notes that silver is widely recognised as a safe and effective broad-spectrum anti-microbial agent for infection control.

In 2003, AMS developed a range of wound dressings whereby silver fibres were incorporated into its proprietry calcium alginate technology which allows a controlled and sustained release of silver into the wound without compromising the performance of the base alginate - a natural wound dressing derived from seaweed. The global silver alginate market is currently estimated at around $350 million and growing at 15% per annum.

The new wound dressing should also have application in the military market as well as for accident applications and demonstrates the growing usage for silver in medical applications as noted on Mineweb last month - see Perfect storm for silver brewing as antibiotics substitute--Silver Institute Such medical usage is one of the growing new markets for silver, and while it may take a long time to replace the losses from the switchover to digital from film in the photographic sector, it is becoming a significant market for the sector.