Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-11-06
Dodson, Shelley A. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
C424S040000, C424S043000, C424S044000, C424S045000, C424S484000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312701
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to incapacitants, and in particular to incapacitant sprays used in law enforcement.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Incapacitants such as CS, Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), and CN gas are widely used in law enforcement, for military purposes, and by individuals for their own personal security.
Known incapacitants have drawbacks. For instance CS does not always incapacitate the person on which it is used. If the person has been taking drugs the CS may actually make him more violent, OC incapacitant, more commonly known as pepper spray creates undesirable eye, lung and skin effects. In particular OC is known to be a carcinogen.
Oleoresin Capsicum pepper extract is a brown sticky substance, and when mixed with solvents it forms a brown liquid. This brown liquid can mark skin and clothing.
Apart from the problems inherent in the product, known incapacitants also cause operational problems. The incapacitant on an assailant who has been sprayed with an incapacitant may cross contaminate other people, including the very officers who are trying to control him. Clearly this is disadvantageous.
An example of a known incapacitant is disclosed in JP 49035198 B4, where a mixture comprising nonylic acid vannillylamide, ammonia and red pepper combine to provide for the inducement of lachrymatory and sneezing effects.
Known incapacitants affect the respiratory system of those people on which they are used. If a person has a respiratory problem, using an incapacitant on him may pose a serious health risk. Of course, the sprayer of the incapacitant does not know the medical condition of the person he is spraying. The result is that there is a small risk of an incapacitant which is designed to be non-lethal being potentially lethal for some people. Clearly it is most undesirable, from both a social and a financial point of view, to cause death unnecessarily.
Despite the disadvantages of the many known incapacitants, a significant number of countries have taken the view that the risk of death and injury both to assailants and those using the incapacitants is worth taking, given the ever increasing use of violence in today's society.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved incapacitant for use by police forces, peace-keeping forces, the military and also personal use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an incapacitant mixture comprising pelargonic acid vanillylamide capable of inducing temporary blindness in a human or animal.
Hereinafter in this application pelargonic acid vanillylamide shall be referred to as PAVA.
Preferably, the mixture comprises a solvent.
Preferably the mixture is capable of inducing temporary blindness in a human, and more preferably the mixture of the invention is capable of inducing blindness in a human for more than 5 minutes.
The invention provides a mixture suitable for incapacitating a human or an animal, comprising PAVA, wherein application of the said mixture does not cause injury to the skin or mucus membrane of the said human or animal.
The invention provides an incapacitant mixture comprising less than 5 per cent PAVA and a solvent.
Preferably, the proportion of PAVA in the mixture is 1 per cent or less. More preferably, the proportion of PAVA in the mixture is 0.65 per cent or less. Still more preferably, the proportion of PAVA is between 0.01 and 0.65 per cent.
Any suitable solvent may be used, and the solvent may comprise one more of the group comprising ethanol, water, isopropyl alcohol, methylchloride, and methylalcohol.
The incapacitant component in the mixture may consist of PAVA. Alternatively, the incapacitant component in the mixture may comprise PAVA and other incapacitants such as CS, OC, or CN. Advantageously, the primary incapacitant component in the mixture is PAVA.
The mixture may comprise a dye or a marker.
One embodiment of the invention provides an incapacitant spray comprising a means for storing and delivering an incapacitant mixture according to the invention.
The storing means may be a can.
The delivery means may be an aerosol, the mixture of the invention comprising an aerosol propellant, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or Forane 134a. Alternatively, the delivery means may use pressurised air to expel the mixture of the invention from the storing means.
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an incapacitant mixture comprising 0.64 percent PAVA, a solvent being 50 per cent water and 50 percent isopropylalcohol, and a propellant therefor, the said propellant being carbon dioxide.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided an incapacitant mixture comprising 0.01 percent PAVA, 3 percent alcohol, which alcohol may be isopropyl alcohol, and 96.99 percent water.
The provision of alcohol in the mixture aids the solubility of the PAVA in the mixture, and ensures that the liquid can flow through the nozzle of a delivery device such as an aerosol.
The mixture of the invention does not have any significant effect on the respiratory system, yet causes temporary blindness which is exceptionally effective in incapacitating humans. The person must be incapacitated during the journey to a police station for instance until he is locked in a cell. A person may be dosed repeatedly with the incapacitant of the invention, in order to keep him under control when the effects of one application begin to wear off. However, it is important for the person to recover quickly, so that interviewing can take place. It is therefore of great advantage to be able to control with accuracy the time for which a person is incapacitated. Furthermore, there is no need to provide skin and eye washes for the person who has been sprayed, or to give him fluid or access to fresh air. Hence, the cost of dealing with a person who has been incapacitated with an incapacitant according to the invention is much less than one who has been incapacitated with a known incapacitant.
The PAVA, which is the active ingredient in the mixture, is in the form of a liquid rather than a powder or crystals as with most other incapacitants. This reduces the risk of cross contamination. Furthermore, PAVA oxidises very quickly upon contact with air, and this further reduces the cross contamination effects of the mixture of the invention.
The incapacitant mixture of the invention has a lower concentration of active ingredient than known incapacitants but is nevertheless effective in incapacitating individuals.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5500205 (1996-03-01), Abbott et al.
Bauer Eran Nicodemus
Bauer Gerard Miet
Bauer Penelope Jane
Muser Felix
Salvel Renato
Bauer Eran N.
Dodson Shelley A.
Jackson Walker L.L.P.
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