Highly efficient silver for medical devices.

M2 PRESSWIRE-October 21, 2010-BASF: Highly efficient silver for medical devices(C)1994-2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:21102010

BASF Future Business GmbH is putting its best foot forward at the Compamed trade show in Dusseldorf, Germany, as a partner for the development of customized solutions for medical device materials.

Hygentic(r) additives feature excellent antimicrobial effects. BASF uses them to formulate customized material solutions for medical devices. The company is exhibiting its extensive portfolio of Hygentic(r) products and appropriate supporting services from November 17 through 19, 2010 at the Compamed trade show in Dusseldorf (booth 8bH30, hall 08b).

"Resistant bacteria are causing patients to contract infections in hospitals around the world, despite careful hygiene measures. Being difficult to cure, these infections cause immense costs, as well as a great deal of human suffering," explained Edgar Eichholz, Launch Manager Medical Device Materials. BASF cooperates with its customers to find solutions for medical device and equipment surfaces that durably prevent potentially hazardous microbial buildup. "Products featuring our additives support the measures of professional hospital hygiene," Eichholz said and added: "This minimizes the risk of medical devices contributing to the acquisition of infections."

Medical devices such as urinary and vascular access catheters made with Hygentic(r) products provide an improved safety for patients and health personnel. The customized material solutions are mainly based on silver ions. For centuries silver is valued and used due to its antimicrobial effect.

"Our broad range of products and our expert know-how enable us to offer customized formulations that meet specific customer needs," Eichholz reported. "Our developers work together closely with customers in this process." In fact, BASF's medical devices team has technical capabilities to produce customized formulations and incorporate them into a variety of materials, such as thermoplastics or silicones, at its technical center at Tarrytown, New York.

"For manufacturers of medical devices and equipment we combine silver ions contained in a variety of substrates, e.g. glass, from the Hygentic(r) portfolio selectively to meet the requirements of a given application. In the process, synergy effects enhance the efficiency of the individual components," Eichholz explained. In the formulations obtained in this way, the silver ions will act longer, for example, or faster.

A dedicated microbiology team checks the various formulations obtained for antimicrobial effectiveness against relevant microorganisms, including mulitresistant pathogens like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

BASF is also researching new generations of materials with novel surface effects that are of interest for medical devices and equipment, and offers cooperation opportunities for medical device manufacturers. The business segment Medical Device Materials is part of BASF Future Business GmbH since 2009 when BASF acquired Ciba.

About BASF Future Business GmbH

BASF Future Business GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of BASF SE, was founded in April 2001. It aims to open up business areas with above-average growth rates that lie outside BASF's current activities. The company focuses on chemistry-based new materials, technologies and system solutions. BASF Future Business GmbH commissions research from BASF's R&D units and cooperates with startup companies, industrial partners, universities and potential customers. Further activities include acquisition of direct stakes, initiation of joint ventures and provision of venture capital via the subsidiary BASF Venture Capital GmbH. Further information on BASF Future Business is available on the Internet at www.basf-fb.de .

About BASF

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than EUR50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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