SINTX Technologies Receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for Silicon Nitride Antipathogenic Platform Patent
Significant Development in the Estimated $30 Billion Global Infection-Prevention Market
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SINTX Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SINT) ("SINTX" or the "Company"), today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance (PTOL-85) for its patent application titled, "Antipathogenic Fibrous Materials." The patent secures broad protection for SINTX's proprietary silicon nitride–based antipathogen platform.
This allowance marks a significant intellectual property milestone for the Company, securing broad protection for the use of silicon nitride in multiple form factors designed to neutralize pathogens at the point of contact. The patent establishes a foundation for further infection-resistant innovation in medical devices, surgical care, wound management, filtration and PPE, and healthcare infrastructure – segments of a global infection-prevention market estimated to exceed $30 billion annually. This newly allowed patent positions SINTX as a unique participant across these verticals with a single enabling material.
Leadership Perspective
"We believe this is a defining moment for SINTX. This patent has the potential to elevate silicon nitride from a proven biomaterial into a true platform technology for infection prevention," stated Eric K. Olson, Chairman, President & CEO of SINTX Technologies. "The protection we've secured will enable us to engineer silicon nitride into coatings, textiles, dressings, filters, and device surfaces—solutions that can lower infection risk, shorten hospital stays, reduce healthcare costs, and most importantly, save lives. We believe it is transformative for patients and a potential catalyst for long-term shareholder value."
Why It Matters for Patients and the Healthcare System
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain one of the costliest and most persistent challenges in medicine. According to the CDC, 1 in 31 U.S. hospital patients has an HAI on any given day. Studies estimate tens of billions of dollars in annual direct costs, with per-case expenses ranging from ~$14,000 for catheter-associated UTIs to more than $48,000 for central line-associated bloodstream infections; surgical site infections average around $28,000 per case and can exceed $40,000.
By providing continuous, passive, drug-free pathogen inactivation, silicon nitride has the potential—pending clinical validation and adoption—to reduce infection incidence at scale. Even modest reductions could translate into billions in savings for hospitals and payers while improving outcomes globally.
Built on Decades of Peer-Reviewed Science
This milestone builds on more than a decade of evidence demonstrating silicon nitride's antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties. Most recently, SINTX and academic collaborators reported that silicon nitride inactivated multiple lineages of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV coronaviruses during standardized in vitro plaque assays within minutes, achieving ~99.97% reduction at 10 minutes and complete inactivation by 30 minutes across multiple coronavirus lineages. When embedded into textiles, silicon nitride also demonstrated high levels of viral reduction.
"The allowed claims support what our data already show: silicon nitride can be engineered into surfaces of products that actively neutralize pathogens," said Dr. Ryan Bock, Chief Technology Officer. "This important patent affords the Company to seek immediate opportunities in wound dressings, surgical drapes, and high-touch clinical environments, alongside longer-term applications in implant coatings and filtration media."
Expanding a Robust IP Estate
This Notice of Allowance expands SINTX's intellectual-property portfolio into a comprehensive antipathogen platform deployable across nearly every high-risk healthcare setting. It complements existing granted patents on antipathogenic face masks, systems for rapid viral inactivation, and advanced processing of silicon nitride ceramics for biomedical applications.
Commercialization Path and Market Impact
SINTX intends to pursue strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, and co-development programs with manufacturers of wound dressings, PPE, implant-adjacent components, filters, and healthcare infrastructure. The patent's breadth of coverage, combined with silicon nitride's manufacturing scalability and seamless integration into existing workflows, creates a rapid path to adoption without requiring disruptive infrastructure changes.
Looking Ahead
With this patent allowance, SINTX is positioned to accelerate product commercialization, expand its footprint in the estimated $30B+ infection-prevention market, and potentially enhance its long-term shareholder value.
"We fundamentally believe this patent may represent a paradigm shift for both patient care and our Company's commercial trajectory," Olson added. "It underscores the unique role SINTX can play in shaping the future of infection prevention worldwide with a biomaterial that matters."
References
(Please see below references to sources above for scientific data, prevalence and cost contexts.)
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/php/data/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/publications2/files/hac-cost-report2017.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12008517/?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35742996/;
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1637848/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://www.stocktitan.net/news/SINT/sintx-technologies-publishes-landmark-study-demonstrating-broad-tpgo9g531m4t.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35742996/;
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.794586/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sintx-receives-issuance-u-patent-110000168.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com&guccounter=1;
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/php/data/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com;
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35742996/;
- https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-67047-3;
For more information, visit www.sintx.com.
About SINTX Technologies, Inc.
Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, SINTX Technologies is an advanced ceramics company that develops and commercializes materials, components, and technologies for medical and agribiotech applications. SINTX is a global leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of silicon nitride, and its products have been implanted in humans since 2008. Through innovation and strategic partnerships, SINTX continues to expand its portfolio across multiple markets. For more information on SINTX Technologies or its materials platform, visit www.sintx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the potential benefits of the newly allowed patent, including the technology's potential impact on infection prevention, patient outcomes, healthcare costs, and shareholder value; expectations for commercialization, market adoption, and strategic partnerships; and SINTX's ability to expand its presence in the infection-prevention market. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks related to regulatory approvals, manufacturing scale-up, market acceptance, competition, intellectual property protection, and other risks detailed in SINTX's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. SINTX disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Business and Media Inquiries for SINTX:
Elliot Sloane
ThroughCo Communications
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917-291-0833
Katie Russo
ThroughCo Communications
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501-282-5069
SINTX Technologies, Inc.
801.839.3502
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