Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material applied to or removed from external...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-29
2003-09-09
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material applied to or removed from external...
C442S059000, C442S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616641
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a treated matrix and method for making and using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a matrix treated with at least one lipid, emollients, lubricants, antimicrobial agents, skin protectants or medicaments and a surfactant. This matrix transfers the lipid to a skin surface as a thin film on contact.
2. Description of the Art
Heretofore, emollients, protectants, medicaments and lubricants that are slightly, or not, soluble in water have been applied using emulsions oil and water. Examples of such emulsions include skin lotions and other skin care products. However, such emulsions are non-uniform, separate, and are susceptible to bacterial growth. While the addition of surfactants improves and extends the life of emulsion, such additions do not solve the problems since oil and water simply do not mix. Moreover, such compositions are difficult to formulate and apply.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, entitled Method of Making a Dry Antimicrobial Fabric, issued to Sheridan, the applicant herein, on Feb. 25, 1992, and was assigned to the same assignee as the present application. This patent is directed to a method of making a substantially flexible dry matrix or towel for use in cleaning a surface by removing dust and/or organic film products. The Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102 matrix includes a glycol compound, a cationic surfactant, and antimicrobial agent and, in a preferred form, a nonionic surfactant, each of which is water soluble
As disclosed in Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, in example 1 thereof, at col. 9 line 40-col. 10 line 23, commercially available dust cloths cannot clean a surface because they are incompatible with water and leave an oil-in-water smear behind. Even hen squeezed dry, they are oily and create more dirt to be cleaned. The invention described in Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102 solved the problem by being able to clean with water. Because the components are water soluble, they are able to clean the surface with water. Sheridan's, success was attributable to restricting the cleaning components to water soluble materials.
Sheridan U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, however, did not address the specific problem confronted herein, namely providing a vehicle or matrix for transferring an emollient, lubricant, protectant, and/or medicament where at least one of the components was water insoluble as defined in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. i.e., an emollient, petrolatum, zinc oxide, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc carbonate, etc., or of low water solubility, i.e., slightly soluble
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in water such as zinc citrate, zinc phenate, sulfadiazole, sulfa-guanidine, citronellol, hydantoin, etc. As used herein, the terms soluble and slightly soluble are used in the conventional sense (see Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, for example). This is particularly applicable to transferring a skin care product to the skin from the matrix.
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Slightly soluble—soluble in water on a relative scale: 1=insoluble, 2=slightly insoluble, 3=soluble, 4=very soluble. 5=miscible (CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 75th Edition, David R. Gide, page 1-3). Soluble—capable of mixing with a liquid (dissolving) to form a homogeneous solution. The degree of solubility may conventionally be expressed: very soluble—less than 1 part solvent freely soluble—from 1 to 10 parts solvent soluble—from 10 to 30 parts solvent sparingly soluble—from 30 to 100 parts solvent slightly soluble—from 100 to 1000 parts solvent very slightly soluble—from 1000 to 10,000 parts solvent insoluble—more than 10,000 parts solvent needed to dissolve 1 part substance (solute). (Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 3d Edition, p.787.)
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a dry matrix which is impregnated with a mixture of at least one liquid surfactant and a lipid such as an emollient, a lubricant, a medicament and/or a skin protectant
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.
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“[L]ipids are material which are soluble in organic solvents and essentially insoluble in water.” R. M. Burton & F. C. Guerra. FUNDAMENTALS OF LIPID CHEMISTRY, 2 (1974).
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of making the impregnated matrix of the present invention.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially water-free treated matrix for shipping.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a treated matrix that does not require packaging effective to prevent the evaporation of water or solvents.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a treated matrix that is microbially stable, even when not packaged within a moisture migration barrier.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a matrix which, when exposed to water and pressure, will substantially instantaneously form an emulsion which can serve to transfer the surfactant, the emollient, lubricant, medicament and/or protectant from the matrix to a skin surface.
To accomplish these and other objects of the present invention, the composition of the present invention comprises a substantially flexible, dry matrix having a moisture content not exceeding about 3%, impregnated with a water-free treatment mixture. The matrix is adapted to transfer lipid components in said treatment mixture to a skin surface on contact. The treatment mixture preferably includes at least one liquid surfactant and at least one lipid. The lipid is preferably selected from the group of emollients, lubricants, medicaments and skin protectants. A method for forming said impregnated matrix is further provided as is a method for applying a lipid emollient, lubricant, medicament and/or protectant mixture to skin.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to a substantially dry matrix or matrix of the type which is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,102, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto. Such matrix is substantially dry and is devoid of any water other than the water which may be naturally present in the matrix as manufactured and the matrix remains dry to the touch after impregnation with the treatment mixture. A typical matrix for use in the present invention is a cellulosic material, which while dry to the touch, may contain up to about 3% water.
As used herein, the term matrix may further include the finished matrix, cloth or towel product, i.e., a wipe, garment, etc.
A useful matrix may contain natural or synthetic fibers, processed into woven, non-woven or knitted form, a flexible foam, or combinations thereof, in a basis weight range generally of between 5 and about 200 grams per square yard and preferably between 15 and about 100 grams per square yard. A preferred matrix is comprised of woven or non-woven thermoplastic filaments or fibers, preferably of polypropylene, with a basis weight range of between about 5 and about 100 grams per square yard, preferably between 15 and 40 grams per square yard. The tensile strength of such a matrix must be sufficient to enable the wipe to be used without shredding or disintegrating and should generally be between about 0.5 and about 1.5 pounds per inch of width. The matrix can consist of a single layer of the filaments or fibers or a foam layer or it can consist of a plurality of layers of the same filaments or fibers and/or foam which have been adhered by using any suitable method such as sonic, thermal or mechanical bonding, etc. Final selection of the matrix will of course, depend upon its actual intended application.
Particularly preferred matrices include fibers selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, nylon and cellulosics, such as cellulose, cotton, rayon, hemp, etc. and foams selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, etc.
A treatment mixture preferably consists of at least one surfactan
Honig Milton L.
Lo Weilun
Truong Linh
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA , division of Conopco, Inc.
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