Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Ester doai
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2002-04-23
Pryor, Alton (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Ester doai
C514S112000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06376542
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and compositions for killing dust mites. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a cleaning composition containing a miticide. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a method for cleaning carpets. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an aqueous concentrated miticide compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the most potent indoor allergens is house dust contaminated with dust mites. It is thought that dust mites may be an important factor in between 50 to 80 percent of all asthma cases, and contribute to countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic reactions. Symptoms of hypersensitivity to dust mites include sneezing, itching, watery eyes, as well as headaches, fatigue and depression. Respiratory ailments associated with dust mites result from contact with proteins in the digestive juices from the dust mite gut which are carried on the fecal pellets, and exposure to dust mites in the first, critical year of life can trigger a lifelong allergy. There is no known cure for dust mite allergies, only prevention through the control of dust mite and related allergen levels, and de-sensitization injections.
Beds are the primary habitat for dust mites. A typical mattress may harbor anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites. Up to ten percent of a well-used pillow may be composed of dead mites and their droppings. Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the top surfaces of a mattress while the human occupant is sleep, and their major source of food is the dead skin shed from humans and their pets. Significant numbers of mites can also be found in bedroom carpeting and household upholstery.
Currently, at least two products are commercially available for control of dust mites. They contain benzyl benzoate and/or tannic acid as active ingredients. Benzoic acid esters, such as benzyl benzoate, are effective agents for killing house dust mites based on laboratory testing and field evaluations. Benzyl benzoate does not pose a serious health risk when used in the amounts needed to kill mites because it is rapidly metabolized to hippuric acid, which is excreted in urine.
Although benzyl benzoate is an effective miticide, its use is not without problems. For cost and safety reasons, benzyl benzoate is diluted when used to control dust mites. However, benzyl benzoate is insoluble in water, and is therefore unstable as an aqueous spray. In commercial miticides, benzyl benzoate is adsorbed on solid particles to aid in its dispersion. The resulting dispersion is applied as either a moist powder or foam to carpets and bedding. One drawback is that the moist powder tends to clump together, so that it is difficult to apply evenly. Another drawback is that solid-stabilized benzyl benzoate miticides leave behind a powdery residue that is easily removed by vacuuming, which reduces its effectiveness.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least minimizing, one or more of the problems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a miticide composition concentrate for mixing with water and optionally with a carpet or fabric-cleaning solution consists essentially of a solution of benzyl benzoate and a solvent, a surfactant and water, wherein the amounts of solvent, surfactant and water are selected to maintain a stable dispersion of benzyl benzoate and solvent in the aqueous mixture. Preferably, the solvent includes benzyl alcohol and preferably is benzyl alcohol.
Preferably, the components are selected so that the concentrate solution is transparent.
The benzyl benzoate in the solution can vary over a fairly wide range but generally is in the range of 10 to 50 parts by weight, preferably in the range of 20 to 40 parts by weight and, in a preferred embodiment, 30 parts by weight. The concentration of the organic solvent in the mixture also varies over a fairly wide range, generally 10 to 50 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 35 parts by weight and, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, 22 parts by weight.
The surfactant in the concentrate can be any one of a number of surfactants, including a lipophillic surfactant, a hydrophobic surfactant, an anionic, a non-ionic, a cationic or an amphoteric surfactant, alone or in combination. The percentage of surfactant in the mixture can vary over a fairly wide range and generally is in the range of 1 to 20 weight parts per 100 weight parts of concentrate, preferably, in the range of 5 to 15 weight parts per 100 parts of concentrate and, in a preferred embodiment, is 10 weight parts per 100 weight parts of the concentrate. The balance in the concentrate is water.
The organic solvent in the concentrate can include aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols and glycol ethers as well as benzyl alcohol. The preferred solvent is benzyl alcohol.
In the miticide concentrate, the ratio of benzyl benzoate to solvent is in the range of about 5:1 to about 1:5 by weight, preferably about 2:1.
Further according to the invention, a miticide/carpet-cleaning solution concentrate comprises by weight about 1 to 10 weight percent benzyl benzoate, about 1 to 10 weight percent of an organic solvent, preferably including benzyl alcohol, about 1 to 20 weight parts of a surfactant, about 1 to 6 parts of an anti-resoil agent, optionally a fragrance, and the balance being water. A chelating agent can also be incorporated into the concentrate.
The benzyl benzoate in the miticide/carpet-cleaning concentrate can vary over a relatively wide range of about 1 to 10 weight parts per 100 weight parts of concentrate. Preferably, the benzyl benzoate will be in the range of 3 to 7 weight parts and specifically 5 weight parts. The organic solvent performs the function of cleaning as well as solublizing the benzyl benzoate alcohol? in the aqueous solution. The organic solvent preferably includes benzyl benzoate, but can also include other solvents such as glycol ether, aliphatic alcohols and aromatic alcohols, alone or in combination.
A variety of surfactants can be used in the carpet-cleaning and miticide compositions. These surfactants include lipophillic surfactants, hydrophobic surfactants, anionic, non-ionic, cationic or amphoteric surfactants, alone or in combination can be used. The preferred surfactants are nonionic and anionic.
The surfactants can vary over a fairly wide range of about 1 to 20 parts of surfactant per 100 parts of concentrate solution. Preferably, the surfactants are in the range of 5 to 15 weight parts per 100 parts of concentrate. Preferred compositions include 9 to 12 weight parts of surfactant per 100 parts of solution.
The anti-resoil agent can vary over a fairly wide range of about 1 to 6 weight parts per 100 parts of concentrate. Preferably, the anti-resoil agent is in the range of 2 to 5 weight parts and preferably about 3 weight parts. Anti-resoil agents are well known and typically includes polymerized styrene/maleic anhydride.
The miticide/carpet-cleaning solution concentrate according to the invention is mixed with water in a ratio of 1 to 10 ounces of concentrate per gallon of water. The diluted composition is sprayed onto a carpet and then vacuumed up from the carpet, preferably after agitating the material into the carpet and/or allowing the material to reside in the carpet for a given length of time. The amount of concentrate can vary from 1 to 20 ounces per gallon of water, preferably in the range of 5 to 15 ounces of concentrate per gallon of water and preferably about 10 ounces of concentrate per gallon of water.
Thus, according to another aspect of the invention, a miticide/carpet-cleaning solution concentrate is diluted with water, preferably in the range of 1 to 20 ounces per gallon of water and sprayed onto a carpet or fabric surface. The solution is then vacuumed up from the carpet or fabric surface. Alternatively, the fabric can be rinsed with clear water and then dried.
In the miticide concentrate solution, water is present in an amount of at least 25% by weight. In the miticide/cleaning solutio
Hansen Eric J.
Williams Jesse J.
Bissell Homecare Inc.
McGarry Bair LLP
Pryor Alton
LandOfFree
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