Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
  • A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
  • A61F13/42—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators with wetness indicator or alarm
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
  • A61L15/00—Chemical aspects of, or use of materials for, bandages, dressings or absorbent pads
  • A61L15/16—Bandages, dressings or absorbent pads for physiological fluids such as urine or blood, e.g. sanitary towels, tampons
  • A61L15/42—Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties
  • A61L15/56—Wetness-indicators or colourants

Definitions

• ABSORBENT AR ⁇ CLE THAT CONTAINS AN ACTIVE ADDITlVE AND USE OF A VISUAL INDICATOR IN AN ABSORBENT AR ⁇ CLE
• the present invention relates to an absorbent article that contains one or more active substances, and is characterised in that the absorbent article comprises a visual indicator that shows the activity status of the active substance.
• additives have been included in absorbent articles. These additives, or active substances, are often included to improve the properties of the product in some way.
• active additives are odour-inhibiting additives, or deodorants, such as zeolites and silica for instance, as described for example in WO 97/46188, WO 97/46190, WO 97/46192, WO 97/46193, WO 97/46195 and WO 97/46196.
• active additives shall function mainly in the actual product.
• Other examples of active additives include softeners, such as lotions, in diapers, which softeners are intended to be transferred from the product to the wearer's skin.
• Further examples include the addition of acid superabsorbent polymers (SAP) (SE- 9804390-4, SE-9804360-7), citric acid (US-A-4,583,980, GB-A-1317156), lactic acid (EP-A-0257007), or some form of acid-producing bacteria for preventing the occurrence of malodours in the products.
• SAP acid superabsorbent polymers
• An example of the addition of acid- producing bacteria is the addition of lactobacilli for inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the product. The lactobacilli may also be transferred to the wearer of the article, thereby enhancing defence against undesired bacteria.
• lactobacilli and the effect of such addition is mentioned in, inter alia, SE 9703669-3, SE 9502588-8, WO 92/13577, SE 9801951-6, SE 9804390-4 and SE 9902207-1.
• the invention relates to an absorbent article that contains at least one active additive, characterised in that said article comprises a visual indicator that indicates the activity status of the active additive.
• absorbent article is meant, for instance, a sanitary napkin, a diaper, an incontinence protector, a tampon, a panty liner and similar products that are comprised partially of an absorbent material, for instance a cellulose material such as airlaid, LDA, chemical pulp or CTMP.
• an absorbent material for instance a cellulose material such as airlaid, LDA, chemical pulp or CTMP.
• active additive is meant a substance, an agent, or a composition that is added to the absorbent article in manufacture and that is intended to change or improve the function of the article in some way.
• active additives include odour inhibitors, such as zeolite and silica, softeners such as lotions, lactobacilli for inhibiting the growth of other micro-organisms, and acids, such as lactic acid and citric acid, acid SAP, and partially neutralised SAP, which are intended to lower the pH and thereby inhibit bacterial growth.
• visual indicator is meant a substance, a composition, or a material that gives a visual indication of changed conditions in its environment, for instance changes in pH, moisture content or temperature.
• visual indicators are chemical substances such as methyl red, methyl violet, methyl orange, bromocresol mauve, Acid Blue 80, blue dye Calcocid Blue 2G, ethyl red, bromophenol blue, bromocresol green, crystal violet, cresol red, thymol blue, erythrosine B, 2,4- dinitrophenol, EriochromeTM Black T, alizarin, bromothymol blue, phenol red, m- nitrophenol, o-cresolphthaelin, phenolphthalein, tymolphthalein, alizarin Yellow Reller, and such material as litmus paper.
• an active additive By the activity of an active additive is meant its ability to perform its intended function. If an active additive has impaired activity, this means that its ability to produce lactic acid for instance, as in the case with lactobacilli, is worse than normal. Accordingly, by the activity status of an additive is meant the state of the activity possessed by an active additive on a given occasion.
• the object of the invention is to provide an absorbent article that can indicate the activity status of an active additive included in said article.
• This object can be achieved by including in the absorbent article a visual indicator that will show a change in pH in the absorbent article, said change in pH occurring as a result of a change in the active additive.
• This change may be because the environment in the absorbent article has become more basic, or more acid, depending on the properties of the active additive and/or of the absorbent article.
• the visual indicator will therefore preferably be selected on the basis of the properties of the active additive and the absorbent article.
• this is achieved by including in the absorbent article a visual indicator that will give an indication that an included active additive is active and that it remains active during use.
• the active additive produces acid, which results in a change in colour of the visual indicator.
• This colour change then indicates that the active additive is still active.
• the colour change takes place in the pH range of 4-7, or preferably in the pH range of 5-7.
• the active additive may, for instance, be a micro-organism.
• the active additive is an acid producing micro-organism.
• the active substance consists of lactobacilli.
• the active additive consists of lactobacilli of the strain Lactobacillus plantarum LB 931 (deposition No. (DSM): 41918).
• An active additive that consists of lactobacilli is sensitive to moisture take-up.
• the lactobacilli are activated and consumed when stored over a long period of time in a moist environment.
• a colour change in accordance with the aforedescribed embodiment may indicate that the lactobacilli have been activated prematurely, i.e. prior to use of the product.
• this will be shown by the visual indicator by virtue of a visible colour change.
• the visual indicator will normally show a colour change when use of the product is commenced.
• the visual indicator shows a colour change when the active substance exhibits activity. According to another embodiment, the visual indicator shows a colour change when the active substance has been consumed, either in the package prior to use, for instance as a result of poor storage conditions, or during use of the absorbent article.
• the visual indicator shows a colour change when the absorbent article has taken up moisture, for instance when the absorbent article has taken-up and contains >10 percent by weight liquid.
• the active additive or substance is citric acid.
• Citric acid is activated when wetting the absorbent article, which is indicated by a suitable pH indicator.
• Lactic acid, acid SAP and partially neutralised SAP may also be used as the active additive.
• the visual indicator will preferably be applied in the lowest possible concentration, preferably in a volume of at most 0.1 ml, and more preferably in a volume of at most 0,01 ml. However, the preferred volume depends on the type of visual indicator and the type of absorbent product. Typically, the amount of the visual indicator that is used is approximately 0.1 g/cm 2 . The total surface that will be used for application of the visual indicator is typically 1 cm 2 .
• the visual indicator may be applied in a pattern, such as in stripes, flowers, dots, loops or text that appear when the visual indicator changes colour. The visual indicator may be applied on top of LDA, or preferably in the nonwoven outer sheet (NW) of the absorbent article.
• the visual indicator is placed on one of the uppermost layers in the absorbent article and that the visual indicator can be detected on the surface of said article.
• the packaging unit in which the inventive absorbent article is packaged may be transparent, so that the visual indicator can be seen from outside the package.
• the absorbent article is, for instance, a panty liner that consists of three layers of material, to-wit an upper nonwoven layer (NW), an intermediate LDA layer and a bottom plastic layer.
• This article also includes an active substance, for instance lactobacilli or lactic acid, which is applied in the absorbent article.
• the indicator may be applied on the LDA layer or on the NW layer and will conveniently be visible from outside the package.
• the visual indicator is non-toxic or in not in any way harmful to the person wearing the absorbent article.
• the visual indicator may be printed on the absorbent article with the aid of a print roller, or optionally on packaging film that is in contact with the article. This can be effected by rolling roll material over a print roller that is in contact with a bath of indicator liquid.
• the technique is well known from the printing trade.
• the invention can be applied with absorbent articles such as diapers, panty liners, incontinence protectors, napkins and tampons, and finds the most beneficial use in panty liners, incontinence protectors and diapers.
• One advantage afforded by the invention is that the consumer obtains information relating to the durability of the product and that the quality of the purchased product is fully satisfactory.
• Another advantage afforded by the invention is that it is possible to see when the active substance has been impaired as a result of external conditions, and if so where in the handling chain from the manufacture to the use of the product the impairment has occurred. This enables the various stages in the handling chain to be improved and also enables products whose active substance is no longer fully active to be removed from said chain.
• Another important advantage afforded with the aid of the invention is that it can be seen when an active substance has been active during use. This activity can be observed after use by virtue of a colour change.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26663597

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (21)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-12-17 SE SE9904648A patent/SE514339C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2000
  • 2000-06-07 CO CO00042367A patent/CO5190707A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-07 PE PE2000000563A patent/PE20010003A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-09 WO PCT/SE2000/001206 patent/WO2000076558A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-09 MX MXPA01012520A patent/MXPA01012520A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-06-09 AU AU54377/00A patent/AU5437700A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-09 EP EP00939261A patent/EP1185311A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-09 JP JP2001502889A patent/JP2003501216A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-06-09 SK SK1790-2001A patent/SK17902001A3/sk unknown
  • 2000-06-09 PL PL00352190A patent/PL352190A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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