US Patent 8183167 - Wash-durable, antimicrobial and antifungal textiles using nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8183167.html

NanoHorizons, Inc. is a company which manufactures nanoparticles that provide permanent, safe, effective, and economical antimicrobial protection in a variety of products. This patent includes some basic claims to nanoparticle enhanced fabrics that retain their antimicrobial properties after repeated washings. Claim 1 reads:

1. A wash-durable fabric substrate comprising at least 1% synthetic polymer fiber by weight of the total weight of said substrate,

wherein said substrate includes an antimicrobial/antifungal agent that exhibits at least a 24 h kill rate of 99.9% for bacteria, and

wherein said wash-durable fabric substrate retains antimicrobial or antifungal properties after said wash-durable fabric has been laundered and dried after a minimum of 25 wash cycles,

wherein the synthetic polymer fiber comprises an extrusion of a substantially uniform mixture of at least one polymer and silver nanoparticles,

wherein the polymer fiber comprises from about 0.005% to about 0.075% silver by weight.