CA2424191A1

CA2424191A1 - Composition and method for producing lubricating, germicide foam

Info

Publication number: CA2424191A1
Application number: CA002424191A
Authority: CA
Inventors: David J. Ricketts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-04-01
Filing date: 2003-04-01
Publication date: 2004-10-01

Abstract

A method for producing a foam surfactant, and foam product suitable for a combined bovine teat dip and teat wash comprises air pressurization of a surfactant solution containing a germicide, disinfectant, biocide, etc., passing the air-surfactant mixture through a flow or line mixer to a foam holding cup adjacent the teat area and expanding the mixture to atmospheric in the holding cup to produce an adherent surfactant foam product with reduced run-off, which both protects and reduces infection of the teat, particularly at the teat canal and surrounding udder area.

Description

1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

2 This invention relates to a new and improved foam for animal

3 care such as bovine teat dips and teat washes, and the like.

4 Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined foam teat dip and teat wash. Specifically, it 6 would be highly desirable to provide a foamed bovine teat dip which 7 would cover the outer teat area, and provide protection to the teat 8 canal when the teat sphincter is open following a milking 9 procedure, when the teat canal is exposed and highly vulnerable to immediate infection. Even when the teat sphincter has closed, it 11 would still be desirable to prevent infection from reaching the 12 area of the teat opening, and the teat area in general with reduced 13 run off . This would enable the foam to adhere to and remain in 14 close and protective contact with the teat. Further, it is desired to provide an apparatus with the capability of producing foam using 16 a wide variety of surfactants, such as those disclosed, supra.

1 U. S. Patents 3, 713, 423 and 4, 305, 346 describe an apparatus 2 which coats a bovine teat area with f ine spray or mist , but . these 3 patented devices are hand operated and do not produce any foam, 4 let alone a foam fulfilling the above protective characteristics .
It will also be appreciated that use of foam reduces the amount 6 of liquid used for a bovine teat dip compared to either a spray 7 or liquid dip, and hence an improvement in the, operation of these 8 two patents would be desirable.

THE INVENTION:
11 According to the invention, there is provided a method for 12 producing a combined foam teat dip and teat wash by pressurizing 13 air with surfactant at a relatively high pressure followed by 14 depressurization of the surfactant at atmospheric pressure to produce a foam which penetrates adherent dirt which can then be 16 readily removed by. cloths typically used by. dairymen.

18 IN THE DRAWINGS:
19 FIGS. 1 and 2 are photomicrographs showing the foam products of this invention at low and high magnifications; and, 22 FIGS. 3 and 4 axe photomicrographs showing the foam products 23 of a commercial bovine foam teat dip at a low magnification.

1 The method for producing a foam, and the foam product 2 therefrom for a combined post teat dip and pre milking teat wash 3 comprises pressurizing a surfactant in a container with air, r 4 feeding the compressed air and surfactant to a flow or line mixer under turbulent flow conditions.., and expanding the mixture of air 6 and surfactant from an initial pressurized value, in the flow or 7 line mixer through an open orifice and down to atmospheric 8 pressure into a container cup surrounding the teat and adjacent 9 udder area. A new and improved surfactant foam, or a mixture of surfactant and biocide is formed thereby which adheres to the 11 teat, with reduced run off. Suitable types of equipment which 12 may be employed to provide the method and foam product of this 13 invention are disclosed in U.S. Patent 6, 302, 058 and, U.S. Serial 14 No.: 09/976,745 filed October 13, 2001, Docket: 1962-A, incorporated herein by reference.

17 The foam of this invention is produced with a surfactant 18 alone, or a mixture of surfactant and germicide, bactericide, 19 and sufficient water, and pressuring the mixture with air {~02, nitrogen, propellant, etc.) to produce a lubricating, penetrating 21 foam which may be used directly as a teat or udder wash, without 22 pre-wetting, and following application the foam may be removed by 23 wiping with a cloth.

1 If desired, in a larger use or industrial setting, 2 particularly when used to produce a combined foam teat dip and 3 teat wash, the container may be of larger size, and air is s 4 combined with the surfactant, or surfactant and mixture of germicide,'etc., by pressure c~ntrolled air pumps. One type of 6 equipment which may be modified to produce the desired type of 7 foam is described in U.S. Patents 3,713,423 and 4,304,346. The 8 equipment described in these two patents employ a flow and mixing 9 line for air and surfactant which is connected to the bottom entry of a teat cup, and a spray nozzle ir~ounted at the entry.
11 This equipment may be modified by removing the spray nozzle, 12 thereby forming an open orifice in the teat cup. This 13 modification enables a mixture of surfactant and air to be 14 pressurized in the flow and mixing line. Upon depressurization to atmospheric at the open orifice, the desired quality of 16 combined foam teat dip and teat wash is produced. This foam may 17 then be used as an initial teat dip and a subsequent post dip.
18 Typical flow and mixing line pressures vary from about:20 - 100 19 psi . , and typical flow and mixing line lengths useful in milking operations are up to about 30 feet, and typically 20 - 30 feet.

5 1 The foam produced by the method of this invention is unique 2 in terms of functioning as a combined bovine teat dip and after-3 milking teat wash since it adheres to the teat and udder area 4 without significant run off, and forms a bead at the end of the teat. This area of the teat is~at signs.ficant risk of infection

6 both prior to and subsequent to milking, and the presence of the

7 bead considerably reduces the possibility of infection. Also,

8 since there is little foam run off , a longer period of protection

9 is afforded against bacterial infection. Moreover, following cessation of milking, use of a post-dip which is not wiped off, 11 enables fresh available liquid and foam to cover the teat end for 12 about 8 - 12 minutes. This foam consistency provides sufficient 13 time for the open teat end and teat canal to be covered by a foam 14 bead when the teat sphincter is both open and closed, and hence when the teat canal is at a high risk of infection.

17 The foam produced by the method of this invention is shown 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2 were digitally photographed with a close focus, 19 high resolution Nikon digital camera and a long focus microscope attached to a computer that captured the images in digital mode.
21 The microscopic images were captured by taking a thin slice. of 22 foam and back lighting with a high intensity light to overcome 23 the opacity of iodine germicide used in the teat dip which was 24 contained in the foam. The surfactant used in these photographs is described in Applicant's patents, infra.

1 The micron size of the spherically formed bubbles was 2 determined by taking an image of a fifty micron wire at the same 3 focus as the bubble images and transferring this measured size 4 distance to the _ photomicrographs, shown by the f iducial marking .
Since it was not feasible to phbtograph the foam as it was being 6 formed, the images were made with delay from 45 seconds to 7 several minutes.

9 The size of the newly formed foam bubbles was measured and photographed as between 5 - 200 microns in diameter, and 11 preferably below 200 microns in diameter, the bulk of the bubbles 12 being close to about 50 microns in size. While some of the 13 bubbles (about 15%) in these photographs are greater than 200 14 microns, they were either formed by an imbalance of air with the liquid flow, or formed by the bubbles joining together over time.
16 The bubbles contained in the liquid matrix are at a higher 17 pressure than atmospheric, and the foam .is characterized as being 18 a liquid with spherical air bubble inclusions, without walls, a 19 wall being defined as having inner and outer surfaces. The foam itself is best described as being "stiff".

1 Pressure exceeding atmospheric within the bubbles was 2 calculated using the surface tension of the iodine teat dip which 3 was used when obtaining the microphotographs, the pressure 4 becoming greater as the bubble diameter decreases. This pressure can be calculated by the formula: P (inside bubble) - P(outside 6 bubble) + 2 x (surface tension) /bubble radius, and is measured at 7 a solution surface tension of 32 dynes/cm. (~'he surface tension 8 of pure water is 70 dynes/cm.).

Hence, the pressure difference across the bubble is 11 therefore inversely proportional to the bubble size.
12 Accordingly, the pressure inside a 15 micron bubble is 2.4 psi 13 above ambient pressure (14.6 psi) and a visual observation of a 14 5 micron bubble size would calculate to wn internal pressure of about 7.2 pounds higher than atmospheric. Since the maximum 16 resolution of the long focus microscope is 4~ microns, if bubbles 17 of 1 micron were formed at the actual time of foam generation, 18 they would have internal pressures of about 36 psi over 19 atmospheric, and this would obviously account for the stiffness and persistence of the foam.

1 By contrast, bubbles produced by equipment described in U. S .
2 Patent 5,722,350 (i.e., FIGS. 3 and 4) produced bubbles having a 3 size range of about 600 - 1200 microns. The differential r 4 internal bubble pressure of about 2.4/40 - 0.06 psi, is low enough that result in the bubbles sharing common walls and appear 6 to be hexagonally-shaped, rather than the much smaller, spherical 7 bubbles produced by this invention. This wo~zld account for the 8 "loose" type of relatively short lasting foam produced by the 9 equipment of that patent.
11 In addition to those surfactants described in MeCutcheon's 12 publications, surfactants which may be useful in the foams of 13 this invention are described in U"S. Patents 2,977,315;
14 3,950,544; 4,049,830; 4,258,056; 4,371,517; 4,671,958; 4,678,668;
4,940,702; 5,028,427; 5,175,160; 5,208,257; 5,466,959 (PVP);
16 5,529,770 (C16-ie fatty alcohols); 5,616,348 (polyethoxylated 17 polyoxypropylene block copolymer - POLO~AMER); and German Patent 18 2,936,934, incorporated herein by reference. Also useful 19 surfactants are 9 - 12 mole ethoxylated alkyl phenols; nonyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol surfactant; and, non-ionic fatty 21 alcohol polyglycol ether carboxylic acid.

23 Surfactants such as polyethenoxy detergents and IZ are 24 disclosed in an article by Benjamin Carroll in the Journal of Bacteriology, 69: 413-417, (1955) are useful as foams.

1 Commercial surfactants containing iodine which are known for 2 use as teat dip formulations include 9 - 12 mole ethoxylated 3 phenols. A surfactant of this type is sold by Norman Fox & Co.
4 under the trade name of NORFOX N-P9, and listed in "McCutcheon' s Emulsifiers and Detergents", (1989 and 1994) specifically for use 6 with iodophors. Another type of teat dip is sold by KlenzadeT"' 7 Teat Guard, and contains a nonyl phenoxypolyethoxy ethanol 8 surfactant having 1% titratable iodine. Both of these 9 surfactants may also be used in the foam produc t of this invention, provided they comply with existing regulations.
11 However, producers, distributors and users of nonyl phenoxy 12 surfactants should be continually aware of ongoing regulations 13 governing the use of specific surfactants in this category when 14 used for bovine teat dips due to possible mutagenic effects of a given surfactant.

17 Applicant's U.S. Patents 5,720,984 and 5,534,266 describe a 18 non-ionic, fatty alcohol polyglycol ether carboxylic acid and 19 sold under the trade names of AKYPOT"'RLM-45, AKYPOTMRLM-1a0, AKYPOT"'RLM-160, and mixtures thereof, the preferred composition 21 being AKYPOT'"RLM-100 (Chemical Abstracts Registry 74349-89-6).
22 As noted in these Applicant's patents, supra, the herd life of 23 cows varies from about 3 - 7 years, but there has been no 24 noticeable reduction in herd life in the approximate 2.5 years since the product has been in use.

1 Patents which relate either directly or indirectly to foam 2 or defoamers in connection with bovine teat dips are disclosed in 3 U.S. Patents 2,989,434; 4,945,110; 5,063,249; 5,370,815;
t 4 5,575,993; 5,722,350; 5,843,912; and, 5,967,202. European Patent 077,2973; and, French Patent 2,633,308 also describe bovine teat 6 dip foams.

8 Germicides or bactericides which may be employed in the' 9 foams of this invention include: chlorhexidine, I2, iodides such as I-, HI, or equivalent (e. g., KI, NaI, CaIz, etc.), iodophors, 11 etc., chlorine dioxide, quaternary ammonium compounds, etc.

13 The amount of water employed in the foam compositions of 14 this invention is typically about 78% - 95% by weight, and this enables a sufficient dilution of the germicide in the foam to 16 reduce the amount required and satisfy USDA and FDA requirements 17 for the content of sanitizers, due inter olio to the penetrating 18 capabilities of the foam.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A ready-to-use, penetrating foam for hand and skin care, and the like, comprising a mixture of water, surfactant, soap or detergent and a bactericide or germicide, the mixture being pressurized with air to produce a foam, sufficient water being contained in the mixture to impart lubricity to the foam for application to a user's hands and for skin care, for washing, without requiring pre-wetting, and following washing, the foam is removable by rinsing.

2. A combined foam bovine teat and udder dip, and after milking post teat dip and udder wash formed by admixing a surfactant, water and a bacteria control agent with pressurized air in a flow and line mixer and subsequently depressurizing the admixture from an initial pressurized value in the flow and line mixer down to atmospheric pressure and into an open orifice in a connected teat cup surrounding the teat and adjacent udder area, the consistency of the foam being sufficient to apply penetrating and adherent foam to the teat and adjacent udder area for an effective contact time prior to milking, and without significant run-off, thereby enabling ready removal of deleterious material therefrom; and if desired, following cessation of milking the post teat dip and after milking and udder wash which is not wiped off enables the teat including the teat end, for a sufficient length of contact time, thereby causing fresh available liquid and foam to cover the teat end, and hence the teat canal opening with foam when the teat sphincter muscle is both open and closed, and thereby reduce the possibility of infection through the teat canal.

3. The ready-to-use composition of Claim 1, in which the water content of the foam is about 78% - 95% by weight.

4, The foam of Claim 2, comprising bubbles contained in a liquid matrix, the pressure inside a bubble being greater than atmospheric, and the foam being characterized as being a liquid with spherical air bubble inclusions, without walls.

5. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the bubble size is preferably below about 200 microns in diameter.

6. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the bubbles have a size range of about 5 - 200 microns in diameter.

7. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, inn which the flow and mixing line pressures are at least 20 psi.

8. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the flow and mixing line pressures vary up to about 100 psi.

9. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the flow and mixing line lengths are up to about 30 feet.

10. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the flow and mixing line lengths are about 20 - 30 feet.

11. The combined foam and teat dip of Claim 2, in which the flow and mixing line lengths are up to about 30 feet and the flow and mixing line pressures are greater than about 20 psi.

12. A combined foam teat and udder dip, and after milking post teat dip and udder wash formed by admixing a surfactant, water and a bacteria control agent with pressurized air under turbulent flow conditions and subsequently depressurizing the admixture from an initial pressurized value down to atmospheric pressure into an open orifice in a connected teat cup surrounding the teat and adjacent udder area, the consistency of the foam being sufficient to apply penetrating and adherent foam to the teat and surrounding udder area for an effective contact time prior to milking, and without significant run-off, thereby enabling ready removal of deleterious material therefrom; and if desired, following cessation of milking, the post teat dip and after milking and udder wash which is not wiped off enables the foam to adhere to the teat including the teat end, for a sufficient length of contact time, thereby causing fresh available liquid and foam to cover the teat end, and hence the teat canal opening with foam when the teat sphincter muscle is both open and closed, and thereby reduce the possibility of infection through the teat canal.

13. The foam of Claim 12, comprising bubbles contained in a liquid matrix, the pressure inside a bubble being greater than atmospheric, and the foam being characterized as being a liquid with spherical air bubble inclusions, without walls.

14. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the flow and mixing line pressures are at least 20 psi.

15. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the flow and mixing line pressures vary up to about 100 psi.

16. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the flow and mixing line lengths vary up to about 30 feet.

17. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the flow and mixing line pressure is at least 20 psi, and the flow and mixing line lengths vary up to about 30 feet.

18. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the water content of the foam is about 78% - 95% by weight.

19. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 2, in which the germicide is selected from the class consisting of I2, I-, HI and, iodophors; chlorine dioxide; chlorhexidine; quaternary ammonium compounds; and, hexachlorophene.

20. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the germicide is selected from the class consisting of I2, I-, HI and, iodophors; chlorine dioxide; chlorhexidine; quaternary ammonium compounds; and, hexachlorophene.

21. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 2, in which the surfactant is selected from the class consisting of PVP;
Cls - C18 fatty alcohols; polyethoxylated polyoxyprvpylene block copolymer; 9 - 12 mole ethoxylated alkyl phenols; nonyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol surfactant; and, non-ionic fatty alcohol polyglycol ether carboxylic acid.

22. The foam teat and udder wash of Claim 12, in which the surfactant is selected from the class consisting of PVP;
C16 - C18 fatty alcohols; polyethoxylated polyoxypropylene block copolymer; 9 - 12 mole ethoxylated alkyl phenols; nonyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol surfactant; and, non-ionic fatty alcohol polyglycol ether carboxylic acid.

23. A combined foam bovine teat dip and after milking post teat dip formed by admixing a surfactant, water and a bacteria control agent with pressurized air in a flow and line mixer and subsequently depressurizing the admixture from an initial pressurized value in the flow and line mixer down to atmospheric pressure and into an open orifice in a connected teat cup surrounding the teat area, the consistency of the foam being sufficient to apply penetrating and adherent foam to the teat for an effective contact time prior to milking, and without significant run-off, thereby enabling ready removal of deleterious material therefrom; and if desired, following cessation of milking the post teat dip and after milking wash which is not wiped off enables the foam to adhere to the teat including the teat end, for a sufficient length of contact time, thereby enabling fresh available water and foam to cover the teat end, and hence the teat canal opening with foam when the teat sphincter muscle is both open and closed, and thereby reduce the possibility of infection through the teat canal.

24. The product of Claim 23, in which the foam contacts an udder surface adjacent a teat.

25. The product of Claim 23, in which the flow and line mixer is attached to the connected teat cup and to a flow control means.

26. The product of Claim 23, in which the pressure in the flow and line mixer exceeds about 20 psi.

27. The product of Claim 23, characterized by a stiff foam providing bubble inclusions without walls inside a matrix of surfactant, the bubble sizes varying from mainly about 5 - 200 microns.

28. The product of Claim 26, in which the water content of the foam varies from about 78% - 95% by weight.

29. The product of Claim 27, in which the foam provides consistency sufficient to cover the teat for at least about 8 minutes.

30. The product of Claim 28, in which the surfactant is a non-ionic, fatty alcohol, polyglycol ether carboxylic acid.

31. The product of Claim 23, in which the bacteria control agent comprises a germicide selected from the class consisting of I2, I, HI and iodophors; chlorine dioxide; chlorhexidine;
quaternary ammonium compounds; and, hexachlorophene.

32. The product of Claim 23, in which the surfactant is selected from the class consisting of PVP; C16 - C18 fatty alcohols, polyethoxylated polyoxypropylene block copolymer; 9 -12 ethoxylated alkyl phenols, and, nonyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol surfactants.

33. A method of producing a combined foam teat and after milking post teat dip formed by admixing a surfactant, water and a bacteria control agent with air under pressure in a flow and line mixer and subsequently depressurizing the admixture from an initial pressurized value in the flow and line mixer down to atmospheric pressure, and into an open orifice in a connected teat cup surrounding the teat, the consistency of the foam being sufficient to apply penetrating and adherent foam to the teat for an effective contact time prior to milking, and without significant run-off, thereby enabling ready removal of deleterious material therefrom; and, if desired, following cessation of milking, the post teat dip and after milking wash which is not wiped off enables the foam to adhere to the teat, including the teat end, for a sufficient length of contact time, thereby causing fresh available water and foam to cover the teat end, and hence the teat canal opening with foam when the teat sphincter muscle is both open and closed, and thereby reduce the possibility of infection through the teat canal.

34. A combined foam bovine teat dip and after milking post teat dip, characterized as being a stiff foam providing bubble inclusions without walls inside a matrix of surfactant, the consistency of the foam being sufficient to penetrate deleterious material on the teat for an effective contact time prior to milking, and without significant run-off, thereby enabling ready removal of the deleterious material therefrom; and if desired, following cessation of milking, the post teat dip and after milking wash which is not wiped off enables the foam to adhere to the teat including the teat end, for a sufficient length of contact time, thereby enabling fresh available water and foam to cover the teat end, and hence the teat canal opening with foam when the teat sphincter muscle is both open and closed, and thereby reduce the possibility of infection through the teat canal.

35. The product of Claim 34, in which the bubble sizes vary mainly from about 5 - 200 microns.

36. The product of Claim 34, in which the water content of the foam varies from about 78% - 95% by weight.

37. The product of Claim 34, in which the foam consistency is sufficient to cover the teat for about at least 8 minutes.

38. The product of Claim 34, in which the bubble size of the foam varies from about 5 - 200 microns, the water content of the foam varies from about 78% - 95% by weight, and the foam consistency is sufficient to cover the teat for about at least 8 minutes.

39. The product of Claim 34, in which the bubble size of the foam varies from mainly about 5 - 200 microns, and the water content of the foam varies from about 78% - 95% by weight.

40. The product of Claim 34, in which the bubble size of the foam varies from mainly about 5 - 200 microns, and the foam consistency is sufficient to cover the teat for about at least 8 minutes.

41. The product of Claim 34, in which the water content of the foam varies from about 78% - 95% by weight, and the foam consistency is sufficient to cover the teat for about at least 8 minutes.

42. The product of Claim 34, in which the surfactant is a non-ionic fatty alcohol, polyglycol ether carboxylic acid.

43. The product of Claim 34, in which the bacteria control agent comprises a germicide selected from the class consisting of I2, I, HI, and iodophors; chlorine dioxide; chlorhexidine; quaternary ammonium compounds; and, hexachlorophene.

44. The product of Claim 34, in which the surfactant is selected from the class consisting of PVP; C16 - C18 fatty alcohols;
polyethoxylated polyoxypropylene block copolymer; 9 - 12 ethoxylated alkyl phenols; and, nonyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol surfactants.