Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2002-02-26
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S420000, C424S405000, C424S406000, C424S070100, C514S512000, C514S703000, C514S739000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06350724
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the removal of pests and their ova. Specifically, the present invention relates to the cleansing of an individual of pests and their ova.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pests present a persistent problem to humans and animals alike. A multitude of products and strategies have been developed to attempt to deal with the problems presented by pests. Unfortunately, most of these products have undesirable side effects. Many of the products make use of pesticides which are often toxic to some extent to humans and animals, those the products are designed to protect. Toxicity problems presented by products containing pesticides can pose risks to those using the products and prevent use by some who are especially sensitive to pesticides. These problems can limit the frequency with which the product can be used and thereby limit the effectiveness of the products in cleansing an individual of a pest infestation. These problems can frequently be exacerbated in children who comprise a significant portion of the population afflicted with pest infestations. Other products designed to repel pests often have unpleasant odors making them undesirable options for dealing with pest problems.
One example of the persistent problems caused by pests is the problem caused by the louse. Lice infestations are a persistent problem worldwide. For example, the annual incidents of lice infestations is estimated to be 10 million cases. Furthermore, many of those infected are school age children. Epidemics can occur in school age children, frequently when schools open in the fall. Because a large number of children are brought together in close proximity for prolonged periods, the chances that lice infestations can spread from child to child greatly increase.
Head lice feed on the blood of their hosts by attaching to the scalp and introducing an anticoagulant under the skin during feeding. This feeding frequently induces erythema and pruritus. The resulting scratching by the host may lead to secondary bacterial infections in addition to causing great discomfort.
Because of the wide spread nature of and the problems caused by lice infestations, many products have been developed to try and treat lice infestations. Most of these products are designed to kill and/or repel the lice. Many of these products contained pesticides which are by their nature toxic to some degree. For example, one common active ingredient in prior commercial products is N,N-diethyl-M-toluamide (DEET). However, DEET has recently been associated with causing various undesirable side effects, such as stinging, damage to mucous membranes, and possibly seizures. In 1989, the Centers for Disease Control issued a cautionary statement regarding the use of DEET. Many other prior art compounds proposed for use as lice treatments have also proven unsuitable for topical application to humans or other animals due to their toxic or noxious effect on the infested individual.
Many of the prior products designed to repel lice have had the disadvantage of having an unpleasant smell. Aside from the discomfort associated with the unpleasant smell, this disadvantage also decreases the likelihood that the treatment product will be used with the recommended frequency. Thus, the efficacy of such products is decreased.
Furthermore, many of the prior art products kill or repel only the pests and not their ova. If a treatment does not rid the individual of the pests' ova, the individual is then faced with re-infestation when the ova hatch.
What is needed in the art is a product that is free of pesticides, but which is still capable of cleansing an individual of a lice infestation. What is needed is a pesticide-free composition and a method of use for that composition that cleanses an individual of pests and their ova. The present invention answers this need by providing a product and a method of use for cleansing an individual of a lice infestation while being substantially free from the disadvantages of the prior commercial products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a composition, and a method of use thereof, for cleansing an individual of pests and their ova. By substantially aiding in the removal of undesired pests and their ova, such as lice and their nits, the composition of the present invention acts to cleanse an individual of a pest infestation. The composition of the present invention contains an acid, an alcohol, an aqueous detergent and water. In use, the pest-removing composition can be administered topically to humans, animals or any infested areas.
It is object of the present invention to provide a pesticide-free composition efficacious at removing pests and their ova from infested individuals.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pest removing composition consisting essentially of an acid, an alcohol, an aqueous detergent and water.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of removing pests and their ova from infested individuals using a pesticide-free composition.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of using a pest removing composition consisting essentially of an acid, an alcohol, an aqueous detergent and water to cleanse individuals of pest infestations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A “pest,” as used herein, is meant to include all parasites, such as arthropods, arachnids, triatomes, insects, bugs, flies, lice, fleas, mites, gnats, knits, chiggers, mosquitoes, and ticks, for example. The composition of the present invention is, therefore, intended to be used against all such pests which can be removed by the use of the present invention.
The present invention provides a pest removing composition consisting essentially of an acid, alcohol, an aqueous detergent and water. It should be understood that the composition of the present invention can include other ingredients so long as those ingredients do not interfere with the pest removing ability of the composition.
The invention contains an acid in a concentration of between about 0.01 and 10% w/w. More preferably, the invention contains between about 1 and 8% w/w, and most preferably contains about 5 to 6% w/w. The acid is an ionic or organic acid. Preferably, the acid is hydrochloric acid or acetic acid. More preferably, the acid is glacial acetic acid.
The composition of the present invention also includes an alcohol. Preferably, the alcohol is a short chain alcohol, such as ethanol, propanol or isopropanol. The amount of alcohol in the present invention can range from 1 to 40% w/w. Preferably, the concentration is between about 10 and 30% w/w, and more preferably between about 15 and 25% w/w. Most preferably, the concentration of the alcohol is about 20%. The alcohol is preferably isopropanol.
The composition of the present invention also includes an aqueous detergent. The concentration of the aqueous detergent within the present invention is preferably between about 7 and 21% w/w and more preferably between about 14 and 18% w/w. Preferably, the aqueous detergent is a surfactant, such as sodium laureth sulfate. Sodium laureth sulfate is available in commercial preparations such as Steol® CS-230, which is available from Stepan (North Field, Ill.). Steol® CS-230 is an aqueous preparation of sodium lauryl ether sulfate derived from fatty alcohols, ethoxylated to an average of two moles, and sulfated via a continuous SO3 process. Steol® CS-230 is about 25.5% sodium laureth sulfate. The concentration of Steol® CS-230 within the present invention is preferably between about 30 and 80% w/w and more preferably between about 55 and 70% w/w.
The composition of the present invention may be suitably preserved. Any suitable preservative may be used so long as it does not interfere with the pest removing ability of the composition. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, methylparaben and propylparaben are included in the composition as preservatives.
The composition of the present invention can contain other ingredients so
Kiel Jeffrey S.
Ping Jeffrey H.
Effcon Laboratories, Inc.
Ogden Necholus
Sutherland & Asbill & Brennan LLP
LandOfFree
Lice removing composition does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lice removing composition, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lice removing composition will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2957909