Abstract: There is disclosed a medical device for implantation that acts to prevent transmission of infectious agents. Specifically, the present invention provides implantable devices, such as catheters or living skin matrices or wound dressings, for insertion into various body cavities or over wound sites to confer to the site microbicidal or virucidal activity. Devices in the disclosure designed as vaginal inserts also exhibit contraceptive spermicidal activity. The coated devices or devices having the inventive polymeric material interspersed throughout are formed into appropriate shapes according to their contemplated uses (such as catheters or Foley catheters). Further, the present invention provides devices for providing therapeutic anti-microbial activity into an infected body cavity or on an infected wound site.

Abstract: Methods of providing anti-infective activity to a medical device including the steps of exposing the medical device to an anti-infective oxidant, and transferring the anti-infective oxidant into a wall of the medical device. One embodiment includes the step of exposing a medical device that is at least in part within a patient to the anti-infective oxidant. Another embodiment includes the steps of exposing a medical device to an aqueous solution which produces the anti-infective oxidant and transferring a sufficient amount of the anti-infective oxidant into the medical device wall to provide the medical device with anti-infective activity. Also provided is an oxidant releasing member that has anti-infective oxidant releasably contained therein and that is configured to be disposed adjacent to the medical device.

Abstract: A wound dressing having anti-infective activity. The wound dressing provides stable and improved formulations of precursors required in generating anti-infective iodine specifically within a wound site where the oxygen tension may be very low. Furthermore, the design of the invention precludes interference by catalase (and other heme proteins.) in competing for hydrogen peroxide where hydrogen peroxide is used as a component of the iodine generating formulation, ensuring more efficient and sustained production of free iodine as a potent anti-infective agent. The invention takes advantage of the physical design of the wound dressing, and the permeation of body fluid into the dressing, which together serve to initiate formation of nascent iodine concomitant with placement of the dressing into, or over, a wound site.

Abstract: An anti-infective device generally comprising an oxidant generating formulation contained within at least a section of the device configured to electrolytically generate an anti-infective oxidant. The device has at least one of a cathode member and an anode member in the section of the device, configured to electrolyze the oxidant generating formulation to electrolytically generate the anti-infective oxidant. A power source is electrically connected to the cathode and anode members such that current passes between the cathode and anode members. In one embodiment, the oxidant generating formulation comprises a solid dispersed in a polymeric wall of the device. In a presently preferred embodiment, the cathode and anode members are completely embedded within the polymeric wall of the device, although in some embodiments they may be partially embedded within the polymeric wall of the device. In another embodiment, the oxidant generating formulation comprises a solution contained within a chamber in the device.