Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Effervescent or pressurized fluid containing – Organic pressurized fluid
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2002-11-19
Hartley, Michael G. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Effervescent or pressurized fluid containing
Organic pressurized fluid
C424S078310, C424S078320, C424S078330, C424S078360
Reexamination Certificate
active
06482392
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to dispensable antimicrobial compositions, and more particularly to an aerosol composition which has both disinfectancy (contact efficacy) and residual antimicrobial efficacy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the seemingly perpetual battle against infection by pathogenic microorganisms, a recent, alarming trend has been observed. Antibiotic medications and treatments long thought to have conquered, if not arrested, the invasive infection of humans by such pathogens (generally, prokaryotic organisms, such as bacteria), have recently begun to fail or lose effectiveness at stopping such infections. Terrifying, and seemingly increasingly frequent, news stories of either fatal or serious infection by such bacteria as the common intestinal inhabitant
Escherichia coli
0.157 (especially affecting small children and those with a lesser, or challenged immune system), and by certain species of Staphylococcus sp. (colorfully, but somewhat inaccurately dubbed in news accounts as “flesh eating bacteria”) have led to the conclusion that prevention, by decontamination of surfaces touched by humans, may indeed be a wiser remedy than cure by antibiotics. So, the search for appropriate antimicrobial treatments of surfaces is spurred by this new challenge by these old enemies of the human population.
The use of quaternary ammonium compounds as antimicrobial agents is well known in the art. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,746,928, 3,344,018, 3,719,711, and JP 01/046081. For instance, quaternary ammonium compounds have been incorporated into polymer and liquid compositions to protect the compositions themselves from microbial attack (i.e., used as preservatives). See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,471,423, 5,028,619 and 5,399,343. Furthermore, quaternary ammonium compounds have also been employed as an additive in a variety of household products including detergents. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,093,591, 3,560,390, 4,272,395 and 4,576,729.
An effort to remedy the issues faced by prior antimicrobial compositions was posed in the commonly owned Zhou et al., S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,561, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This Patent Application contemplated the formation of a novel mixed anionic/cationic polymer having residual antimicrobial efficacy. However, the application did not disclose, suggest or teach that an aerosol composition containing a mixture of an anionic polymer and a quaternary ammonium compound has both disinfectancy (contact efficacy) and residual antimicrobial efficacy. There are also various compositions, especially hard surface cleaners, which have been delivered as aerosols but which do not contain the inventive mixture of an anionic polymer and a quaternary ammonium compound having both disinfectancy (contact efficacy) and residual antimicrobial efficacy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an antimicrobial dispensable composition comprising:
(a) an anionic polymer or prepolymer;
(b) a quaternary ammonium compound, the components (a) and (b) combining to form an antimicrobially effective complex;
(c) at least one water-soluble or dispersible organic solvent having a vapor pressure of at least 0.001 mm Hg at 25° C., said at least one organic solvent present in a solubilizing—or dispersion—effective amount;
(d) an effective amount of a propellant; and
(e) the remainder, water.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a dispensable composition for treating surfaces which contain microorganisms.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for decontaminating a surface containing microorganisms by contacting the surface with the dispensable composition.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a device, for dispensing a composition for treating a surface containing microorganisms, which includes, a pressurized closed container containing the above antimicrobial composition and nozzle means for releasing said composition towards a contaminated surface.
It is therefore an object and an advantage of the present invention to provide antimicrobial composition which has both disinfectancy (contact efficacy) and residual antimicrobial efficacy.
It is another object and another advantage of the present invention to provide a convenient and easy to use product which has prolonged residual efficacy in a single treatment of surfaces, which thus reduces labor, time, effort and cost to treat such surfaces.
It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method for decontaminating a surface containing microorganisms, or which can be potentially contaminated thereafter.
It is a still further object and advantage of this invention to provide a dispensable antimicrobial composition which contacts a surface and forms thereon a film or residue which has prolonged antimicrobial efficacy.
It is yet another object and advantage of this invention to provide a dispensable antimicrobial composition which has up to 99.9% residual efficacy in a 24 hour period.
It is a final object and advantage of this invention to provide a dispensable antimicrobial composition which out performs commercially available products which claim to have antimicrobial efficacy.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an aerosol formulation comprising a novel antimicrobial composition for treating one or more surfaces containing microorganisms. These surfaces include those which are typically contacted by human touch: bathroom surfaces, such as a bath tub, sink, commode, toilet, or shower stall, which may have glass doors, and include vertical wall surfaces typically made of tile, glass, or composite materials; kitchen surfaces, such as countertops, stove tops, sinks, table tops, chairs; and generally, any other surface, whether hard or soft, such as furniture, window ledges, window frames and other edges, door knobs, handles, tools, appliances, utility devices (such as telephone handsets and portable telephones), implements (such as pens, mechanical pencils and the like), wrist watches, clothing (such as stockings), shoes, outer garments, and other common and uncommon surfaces. Each of these types of surfaces can act to harbor microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, molds, mildew and viruses. Thus, each such surface can communicate a potential infectious vector to the unwitting person (or, in the case of cross-species infection, household pets) unless treated with an appropriate antimicrobial composition. The inventive antimicrobial composition is intended to so treat and decontaminate such surfaces, and others, by aerosol application of a metered discrete amount of the composition via a dispenser onto the surface to be treated. The antimicrobial composition is generally merely applied as an aerosol composition to the surface in order to effect antimicrobial efficacy. The surface can additionally be spread or wiped, but this would then remove the composition and may lessen the efficacy thereof.
The antimicrobial composition is formulated with ingredients which themselves are found often in cleaners, such as hard surface and fabric cleaners. Thus, an additional benefit of the composition is that it can also act as a cleaner and soil remover. It is preferred that this benefit be achieved without detriment to its primary advantage as an antimicrobial composition.
The aerosol formulation comprises an antimicrobial composition that is mixed with a propellant. The composition has the following ingredients:
(a) an anionic polymer or prepolymer;
(b) a quaternary ammonium compound, the components (a) and (b) combining to form an antimicrobially effective complex;
(c) at least one water-soluble or dispersible organic solvent having a vapor pressure of at least 0.001 mm Hg at 25° C., said at least one organic solvent present in a solubilizing—or dispersion—effective amount;
(d) an effective amount of a propellant; and
(e) the remainder, water.
Additional adjuncts in small amounts such as buffers, fragrances, dyes and the like can be included to provide desirable attributes of such adjuncts.
In the applica
Chung Jessica Y.
Ochomogo Maria G.
Shaheen Elias A.
Zhou Boli
Gollamudi Sharmila S.
Hayashida Joel J.
The Clorox Company
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