Surgery – Truss – Pad
Patent
1981-03-19
1983-06-28
Kittle, John E.
Surgery
Truss
Pad
128307, 604307, A61B 1000
Patent
active
043900275
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an application unit which can be used for epicutaneous testing to clarify the etiology and diagnosis of allergic as well as light-potentiated contact eczema and for the administration of therapeutically active medicaments for treatment of local skin diseases or systemic ones.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The epicutaneous test has been used for more than 70 years. The substance to be tested is applied on a patch and fixed to the skin with adhesive tape. The patch is left in place for 24 to 48 hours or more and then removed. If an eczematous response is elicited, the person probably has a contact allergy to the tested substance. Although always based on these principles, the testing procedures vary from one clinic to another. The conventional procedure of epicutaneous testing is very tedious and time consuming. Every patient has to be tested by the so-called "standard series" which is composed of about twenty allergens. Additional supplementary tests may be needed. The application of test substances on the patches is traditionally performed by hand. It is obvious that the procedure takes a very long time to achieve because the doses have to be dispensed as accurately as possible. Trying to be accurate in dosing, even when a trained staff is doing the work, is both tedious and tiresome. Accurate dosing is not possible by the conventional method however.
Patchtest technique has not as yet been subjected to systematic studies. There are no universally accepted procedures, test materials or norms for the concentration of test substances. Although the choice of suitable concentration of test substances is of fundamental importance, there are no universally accepted concentrations, and the concentrations differ from one clinic to another. The importance of standardized concentrations should be stressed upon since, for example, too high concentrations result in false positive reactions because of their primary irritant effect, and may even sensitize previously healthy patients, while too low concentrations produce false negative reactions.
Moreover, there are no norms for the vehicles in which the test substances are dissolved or norms for dosing the test substances which are applied on the patches.
In patch testing in test substances(allergens) applied are either (MEK), isobutylketone, butyl--or ethylacetate or liquid paraffin.
Different vehicles may give different results. With identical concentrations of perfumes in vaseline and in water, positive reactions were more frequent with vaseline. Some ointment bases cannot efficiently release certain substances. Solutions evaporate easily and the concentration of the test substance increases, resulting in false positive reactions and the concentration becomes uncertain. Volatile substances tend to diffuse from ointment bases resulting in false negative reactions. Hygroscopic substances become diluted by atmospheric humidity so that the concentration decreases and moreover they may degrade during storage. Some substances may change and degrade when exposed to light.
In order to elicit an allergic reaction in an organism already sensitized, not only is the concentration of the allergen important but also the amount of the allergen per unit area of the skin. The strongest reactions are obtained with 35 .mu.l of fluid. This is seldom taken in consideration which, from one clinic to another, vary considerably in size and hence also in the amount applied. The same thing i.e. not only the concentration, but also the amount per unit area can be of significance in inducing sensitization. It has been reported that the risk of patch-test sensitization increases with the amount of ointment or solution used. Moreover, large amounts of the allergen used may contaminate neighbouring test sites, giving rise to confusing test results.
Ointments for testing are kept either in glass jars or aluminium tubes.
The ointment dosages taken from the jars by a glass rod or expressed from aluminium tubes show striking degree of v
REFERENCES:
patent: 3703890 (1972-11-01), Saunders, Jr.
patent: 4158359 (1979-06-01), Kurokawa et al.
patent: 4166457 (1979-09-01), Jacobsen et al.
Alani Safwat D.
Sellman Milhim D.
Kittle John E.
Swisher Nancy A. B.
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