Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2004-03-16
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06706941
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an absorbent article such as a diaper, sanitary napkin, or the like which can reduce odor and dermatitis (rash) generated when such an absorbent article is worn.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, the capacity of absorbent articles such as a disposal diaper, sanitary napkin, and the like to absorb body fluids such as urine and menstrual blood is increasing through improvements to absorbing materials and surface materials. Wearing sensation of absorbent articles has also been greatly improved, resulting in a tendency to extend the period during which the absorbent article is continuously worn.
The habit of wearing compulsory underwear such as a girdle and panty stockings is being established in recent years particularly among women. In addition, a number of women favoring cleanliness wear an absorbent sheet such as a panty liner during periods other than menstrual days. These tendencies result in leaving the skin near the genital organs always under high humidity conditions.
On the other hand, due to continuously wearing absorbent articles such as a disposal diaper and sanitary napkin there is fear that the skin is stimulated by friction and oppression and reduced the resistivity of the skin.
The skin around the area where an absorbent article is worn and the area inside of the absorbent article (hereinafter may be simply referred to as “absorbent article wearing area”) are maintained in conditions favorable for the growth of bacteria, not only due to high temperature and high humidity conditions, but also due to the presence of body fluids which are nutrition resources for bacteria. The above-described tendency of continuously wearing absorbent articles provides the absorbent article wearing area with favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria, this indicates that an undesirable environment favorable for the production of a bad odor or dermatitis (rash) by undesirable bacteria is also proceeded.
More specifically, bacteria producing a bad odor such as
Corynebacterium xerosis, Staphylococcus capitis,
etc. proliferate in the absorbent article wearing area. This generates an unwanted odor and increases the unpleasant sensation during wearing or replacing the absorbent article.
In addition, the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, such as
Propionibacterium acnes, Gardenerella vaginalis, Corynebacteruim minutissimum,
and
Staphylococcus aureus,
which may induce dermatitis or other diseases in the absorbent article wearing area, or the growth of microorganisms, such as
Propionibacterium avidum, Propionibacterium granulosum, Staphylococcus warneri,
and
Candida albicans,
causing infectious diseases not only increase the risk for the wearer to become afflicted with dermatitis and infectious diseases, but also may induce dermatitis or infectious diseases in the care persons or helpers.
In addition, the conditions under which such microorganisms proliferate involve an increase in the pH due to basic substances such as ammonia and amines produced by metabolism of the microorganisms, resulting in a decrease of function controlling the skin at a weakly acidic (pH4.5-6.5) inherently possessed by the skin. In addition, an increase in the pH make such circumstance that may cause a layer (or coating) of sebum, proteins, and amino acids in the outermost corneal layer of the epidermis which exhibits a barrier function and protects the skin to be easily removed.
In addition, an increase in the pH provides conditions in which microorganisms can easily grow. These act synergistically and a vicious circle is repeated. The environment to the human body continues to worsen.
As a technique for preventing proliferation of bacteria in the absorbent article wearing area, an absorbent article to which a quaternary ammonium salt such as benzalkonium (alkyldimethylbenzylammonium) chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, or the like has been added as an antibacterial agent is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1265/1990. This absorbent article, however, kills not only bacteria growing on the skin and causing contact dermatitis, but also bacteria useful to the human body due to inclusion of an antibacterial agent. As a result, the bacterial flora on the skin is changed so as to allow greater proliferation of harmful microorganisms which cause contact dermatitis. In addition, quaternary ammonium salts used as an antibacterial agent are cationic surfactant causing elution of sebum and natural moisturizing components which are present in the outermost corneal layer of the epidermis if an absorbent article is worn continuously for 24 hours. This may break down the barrier layer, accelerate permeation of body fluids and irritative chemical compounds into the skin, and adversely cause contact dermatitis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is therefore to solve the above problems in the conventional technology. Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article such as a diaper and sanitary napkin which can prevent growth of undesirable bacteria producing a bad odor, dermatitis, infectious diseases, and the like on the skin surface of the wearer, thereby reducing the frequency of problem occurrences such as unpleasant odor and dermatitis (rash) when wearing such an absorbent article.
The present inventors have conducted extensive studies to achieve the above object and have found that if microorganisms in normal flora that are always present on the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body proliferate, growth of other microorganisms which are undesirable can be suppressed and the skin can be maintained in a clean state. The present inventors have conceived that, if this finding is applied to absorbent articles, the above problems can be solved.
Specifically, the present inventors have found that if the microorganisms in normal flora of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body proliferate and the growth of undesirable microorganisms is suppressed in the absorbent article wearing area or inside the absorbent article, the above problems such as odor from the absorbent article and dermatitis (rash) on the wearer's skin can be reduced. This finding has led to the completion of the present invention.
The present inventors have further found that in order to cause only the microorganisms in normal flora of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body to proliferate and to suppress the growth of other undesirable microorganisms, it is effective for the absorbent article to contain a compound assimilated only by the microorganisms in normal flora of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body. This finding has also led to the completion of the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention relates to:
(1) An absorbent article comprising a compound assimilated only by a microorganism in the normal flora of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body,
(2) The absorbent article described in (1) above, wherein the microorganism of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body is one or more microorganisms selected from the group consisting of lactic acid cocci, lactic acid bacilli, and monococci,
(3) The absorbent article described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the compound assimilated only by the microorganism of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body is a compound having an &agr;1-2 glucose skeleton, and
(4) The absorbent article described in (1) to (3) above, wherein the compound assimilated only by the microorganism of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body is a glucooligosaccharide.
In the present invention, the effect of suppressing the growth of undesirable microorganisms by the microorganisms in normal flora of the skin useful and/or harmless to the human body can be explained as follows; the proliferation of the microorganisms is dependent on nutrition resources, water or moisture, oxygen, pH, and the like. However, because the amount of microorganisms grown in a given environment is limited, microorganisms grow antagonistical
Endo Tomoko
Hisanaka Takayuki
Miyazawa Kiyoshi
Anderson C. Lynne
Lo Weilun
Palmer & Dodge LLP
Uni-Charm Corporation
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