Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-29
2003-11-18
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S360000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06649805
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to articles, such as absorbent articles, for controlling odour, especially the odour associated with bodily fluids, comprising, as the odour control material, the particular peroxyacids as defined herein, and to the use of these peroxyacids as defined herein after as an odour control material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Malodours may be present in the environment from numerous sources both animate and inanimate. Many products and articles are available which aim to avoid or minimise the detection of such odours. In particular, it is particularly desirable to provide odour control materials to address the malodours which are generated by the human body, or from bodily fluids such as perspiration, urine, faeces, menstrual fluids, vaginal fluids and the like.
Articles like absorbent articles for example are designed to be worm by humans to absorb bodily fluids, such as urine, menstrual fluid and perspiration, etc. Examples of absorbent articles include sanitary napkins, pantiliners, disposable diapers, incontinence pads, tampons, perspiration pads, and the like.
In use, the absorbent articles are known to acquire a variety of compounds, for example volatile fatty acids (e.g. isovaleric acid), ammonia, amines (e.g. triethylamine), sulphur containing compounds (e.g. mercaptans, sulphides), alcohols, ketones and aldehydes (e.g., furaldehyde) which release unpleasant odours. These compounds may be present in the bodily fluid or may be developed by chemical reactions and/or any fluid degradation mechanisms once the bodily fluid is absorbed into the absorbent article like for example a feminine pad. In addition bodily fluids usually contain microorganisms and/or enzymes that can also generate malodorous by products as a result of degradation mechanisms like putrefactive degradation, acid degradation, proteins degradation, fat degradation and the like. Unpleasant odours which emanate from absorbent pads when in use may make the wearer feel self conscious.
Various odour control materials have been disclosed in the art to combat some of the unpleasant odours referred to above. Indeed solutions have been provided that use different technical approaches like masking, i.e., covering the odor with a perfume, or absorbing the odour already present in the bodily fluids and those generated after degradation, or preventing the formation of the odour.
Most of the focus in the prior art is found on the odour absorption technology. Examples of these types of compounds include activated carbons, clays, zeolites, silicates, absorbing gelling materials, starches, cyclodextrine, ion exchange resins and various mixture thereof as for example described in EP-A-348 978, EP-A-510 619, WO 91/12029, WO 91/11977, WO89/02698, and/or WO 91/12030. All of these types of odour control agents are believed to control odour by mechanisms whereby the malodorous compounds and their precursors are physically absorbed by the agents and thereby hinder the exit of the odour from articles like absorbent articles. However, such mechanisms are not completely effective as the formation of the odour itself is not prevented and thus odour detection is not completely avoided.
Thus although these materials provide some control of odours associated with bodily fluids, there still exists a need of further improvement in terms of odour control on a wide range of malodorous compounds.
It is an object of the present invention to provide effective odour control over a wider range of malodorous compounds. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide articles, especially disposable absorbent articles, which deliver a broader spectrum of odour control mainly by preventing the formation of malodours.
It has now been found that the above needs can be addressed by using a peroxyacid, preferably &egr;-phtalimido peroxyhexanoic acid (PAP) as the odour control material for an article, preferably a disposable absorbent article.
By the present invention it has been surprisingly discovered that the use of the peroxyacids of the present invention in an article, like an absorbent article coming into contact with bodily fluids, results in significant decrease of bodily odour, as compared to the same article without the odour control material according to the present invention. Indeed, it is speculated that the peroxyacids according to the present invention have a dual odour control mechanism: they are able to prevent the generation of odour by blocking enzymatic and/or microbial activity as well as to combat the odours already present by oxidising them into no-smelling molecules.
Indeed in contrast to the use of some inorganic peroxides like persulfate or percarbonate, the peroxyacids as described herein are free of deactivation by catalase and/or peroxidase enzymes that are present in bodily fluids. Thus, the peroxyacids according to the present invention are able to keep/retain their oxidizing capacity to oxidise oxidable malodorous compounds into no-smelling compounds.
An additional advantage of the peroxyacids described herein is that the generation of malodorous smelling by products like chlorine derivatives and ammonium derivatives is avoided, when they come into contact with bodily fluids. Indeed, in contrast to the peroxyacids described herein other oxidants like persulphate, periodate, percarbonate, and/or perborate oxidize the chlorides usually present in bodily fluids like menstruation into chlorine derivatives that are not acceptable from the consumer from an odour point of view. Also in contrast to the peroxyacids described herein other oxidants like urea peroxides, calcium peroxides, strontium peroxides and/or barium peroxides (i.e., compounds having an alkaline pH) promote the formation of malodours ammonia derivatives, one of the by products of proteins degradation occurring in, the bodily fluids when they come into contact therewith.
A further advantage associated with the peroxyacid according to the present invention is that it also provides the absorbent article into which it has been incorporated with a better feeling and more acceptable cleanness level. Indeed, the present invention provides an absorbent article capable of changing the color of the menstruation (red blood color) to a pale red color and even to a whitish color.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention that the peroxyacid used herein as the odour control material, ensures prolonged shelf life time of the absorbent article where it is contained in comparison to other oxidants like alkali metal peroxides (e.g., sodium, potassium, lithium, cerium peroxides) and/or superoxide salts (e.g., sodium , potassium, rubidium, cerium, calcium, strontium, barium superoxides). Indeed, it has been surprisingly found that the peroxyacid as described herein present in the absorbent article of the present invention does not react readily with carbon dioxide or vapour air, and thus retains its whole ability to control malodour for a prolonged period of time, up to the time when the absorbent article is used, i.e., comes into contact with bodily fluids.
Whereas the present invention is preferably directed to absorbent articles like pantiliners, feminine napkins, incontinent pads, diapers, tampons, interlabial pads, perspiration pads, surgical pads, breast pads and the like, other articles may include the peroxyacids as described herein too for the purpose of effective odour control. Indeed, other applications include other articles designed to be worn in contact with the body such as clothing, bandages, thermal pads, acne pads, cold pads, compresses, surgical pads/dressings and the like, body and household cleansing articles like impregnated wipes (e.g. baby wipes, wipes for feminine intimate hygiene), impregnated tissues, towels, articles for absorbing perspiration such as shoe insoles, shirt inserts, carpets and the like, and articles for animals like litters and the like.
BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,322 discloses deodorising and disinfecting liquid-absorbing products such as a
Carlucci Giovanni
Cintio Achille Di
Gagliardini Alessandro
Scialla Stefano
Ammons Bridget D.
Johnson Kevin C.
Ruhl Dennis
The Procter & Gamble & Company
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