FI58060C - MENSTRUATIONSTAMPONG - Google Patents

Description

foIa ^ TI ΓβΙ m, * ANNOUNCEMENT ΓβΛ, η [BJ (11) UTLÄGGNI NGSSKRIFT O 80 6 0 C (4S) Patent jsyonr? tty 10 12 1900 'S (51) K ».lk.Wa ^ ^ 61 F 13 / 20 SUOM I— · FJ N LAN D (21) P * t * nttlhtk * mu * - htantameknlni l60 * + / 73 (22) H «k * mlsptWft - Anaeknlngtd« g 17 -03.73 (23) AlkupiM —GiWfh * t «i * | 17-05.73 (41) Tullut | external - Bllvlt offentilj l8.11.7 3

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Patent · octl registerstyrelsen Ana6km utlagd och utUkrlftwt puMicmd 29.08.80 (32) (33) (31) Requested «tuolkwi-Bagird prloritet 17.05.72 USA (US) 25 ^ 001 + (71) The Procter & Gamble Company, 301 East Sixth Street, Cincinnati,

Ohio ** 5202, USA (72) Jean Edward Schaefer, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (lk) Oy Kolster Ab (5 **) Menstruation Stampong The present invention relates to an absorbent tampon for absorbing body fluids, optionally equipped with an inlet and outlet device and having an absorbent mass consisting of a plurality of absorbent, foam-like cellular components surrounded by a flexible, liquid-permeable cover.

Previously known tampons that the user may place in place are generally rigid, i. they have a high coefficient of elasticity of compression, very low flexibility and are small in cross-section to make them as comfortable as possible during insertion, use and removal. The tampons currently in use are generally valridstet-made of fibrous materials which are strongly compressed into cylinders with a length of approximately H-5 cm and a diameter of 1 cm. These fiber-made tampons are strongly compressed into a pile to facilitate insertion and do not expand, if at all, until they come in contact with the liquids they are supposed to absorb.

Previously known tampons do not allow the absorbent material to function as effectively as possible due to the limited absorbent surface available and / or the stresses exerted on the absorbent material, thereby preventing the full utilization of the potential absorbency of the material as an absorbent.

Previously known tampons have generally been limited in terms of their capacity, amount of tolerance, and rate of absorption. They are limited in capacity in that the tampon contains a relatively small amount of absorbent material that is strongly compressed. Thus, the large "empty! Laa" t.s. an unfilled space inside the absorbent body in the vagina, which space acts as a reservoir for menstrual fluid, does not exist in previously known cases. They have a limited storage capacity because they are small in size and do not completely fill the vagina, so they are also unable to prevent fluid from flowing past or to their sides. They are limited in their suction rate because they have only a small surface area available for contact with the liquid and may only absorb a certain amount of liquid in a given time, even if the capillary porosity within them is good.

Applicant's invention provides a solution to the disadvantages of prior art known tampons by providing and subsequently maintaining a large void space within the vagina, with the result that the invention has a larger capacity than known structures, the device is large enough to fill substantially the entire vaginal cross-section, so liquids cannot leak past the tampon , has a wide available suction area, resulting in an unexpectedly high absorption rate and is comfortable to put in place, use and remove.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent device which provides a large void space very soon after being placed in a body cavity and in which said void space is subsequently maintained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent device having a large volume and cross-sectional area in its dry state.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent device having high initial and total values of absorbency.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent device that is easily disposed of in conventional sewers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tampon having the above properties which is comfortable for the user to apply and which is comfortable during use and removal.

The invention is mainly characterized in that the inner surface of the casing is the outer boundary of the pulp and its particles and that the pulp is flexible and resilient and has a dry compressive strength of 0.2 ° to 3.5 P / cni ~ at night.

58060 Although this specification ends with claims which specifically set forth and define the scope of the present invention, it may be more readily understood from the following description, which refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the thickness of certain materials is exaggerated for clarity and in which figures: Fig. 1 is a side view of a tampon according to the present invention with the surface curve partially cut away to clarify the interior of the tampon; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment in a forming step in which the surface curve is cut away for clarity; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 2 a sectional view taken along line U-1 + in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a plurality of polyurethane cells, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment, Fig. 7 is an enlarged view. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tampon of Fig. 1 in a telescopically extending insertion tube, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 1+ showing an alternative embodiment.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a tampon 21 according to the present invention as it is formed from a mass 2h of individual and discrete particles 22 of absorbent foam. This mass 2k is completely surrounded by the cover 23 and the discharge rope 25 is firmly attached to the cover 23.

A tampon according to the present invention as shown in Fig. 1 can be made as follows. The cover can be made of a rectangular body of material by fitting two opposite edges of the rectangular body together to form a tube having a longitudinal seam such as e.g. seam 50 attached by any method well known per se, such as by sewing or gluing. The other end of this shaped tube can then be radially collected in a pile and fastened together to form a closure member such as the head 37. This closure member can be held in the pile by various means known per se, such as by sewing, gluing or tying it to the pile. The cover is tubular at this stage with its end 37 closed and the other end 38 open. The particles 22 forming the mass 2h are then placed in this bag and the end 38 of this tubular cover is collected radially inwards and fastened together to form a closure part so that both ends of the finished surface wrapper are closed. Thus, the cover is substantially tubular and the tampon itself is cylindrical.

The removal rope 25 is attached to the tampon cover according to the invention of the team, because the actual mass 2h itself does not have the required strength. This removal cord 25 naturally provides a means of pulling this tampon out of the vagina after the tampon has become stained. The removal rope 25 can be attached or otherwise attached to the sheath in a number of different ways, some of which are: threading a double wire through the sheath, most preferably through a pile of sheathing at its closed end to form a loop, and passing the free ends of the wire 25 through this loop as shown in detail. in Figure 7, or attaching the wire 25 to the surface of the cover by sewing or. attaching it strongly enough to withstand the forces encountered upon removal or by tying a wire 25 around the assembled end of the cover. In the construction of the tampon according to Fig. U, i.e. in the case where the cover has an inwardly turned portion 28, the wire 25 can also be threaded, if desired, through the inwardly turned end 31 to ensure that the inwardly turned end 31 remains adjacent to the closed end 29.

By "assembled" as used herein is meant to include any stacking of the wrapper at its longitudinal end to form a wrapper portion of the wrapper at that end, e.g., a wrapper in which the wrapper is assembled radially inwardly by pulling on a spool, to one particular defined plane using forces acting perpendicular to that plane, a corrugated double seam with the extreme end bent inwards and the opposing portions of this end then superimposing each other, etc. The end portion of the cover or any other part of the cover may be any edge or edge such as Figure 2 shows the case of the head 31.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a tampon according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a cup) having a cavity formed by an inwardly turned portion 20 of the cover. The tubular cover used for this cup is somewhat longer than the cover 23 of Figure 1 and consists of an outer portion 27 and an inwardly facing portion 28 as shown in Figure 2. The outer end 29 of this cup is assembled and secured by a taxi known per se. means for forming the closure part, e.g. by sewing or gluing the assembled end. The cover is approximately twice as long as the cover 23 for the tampon of Figure 1, and the outer portion 27 and the inwardly turned portion 28 are each about 50 percent of the length of this tubular cover. An absorbent body, in the form of a mass 2k of particles 22 5 58060, placed in the cover and, depending on the tightness coefficient (which factor is defined later) as desired in each case, this mass 2h completely or partially fills this cover. The extreme end of the inwardly turned portion 28 in the inwardly turned portion 31 of the cover may be, but is not necessarily, assembled and closed. This inwardly turned portion 28 is bent inwardly along the longitudinal axis of this tampon and the mass 2 ^ is shaped to form a cavity in the tampon of Figure 3. The surface of the cavity inside this tampon is formed by an inwardly turned portion 28, i.e., the inwardly turned portion 28 is bent around the cavity end 30 of this mass 2k and inwardly through the mass 2U to form a cup structure. This structure is shown in cross-section in Figure U, where the inwardly turned end 31 is located next to the closed end 29. Thus, a tampon is formed in which the absorbent body, formed by the mass 2h of the particles 22, is inside the cover and the cover includes an outer portion 27 which forms the outer surface of the tampon and an inwardly turned portion 26 which forms the surface of the cavity. My remover 25 may have been attached as already described above.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is another cup structure similar to Fig. 3 in that it has a mass of the absorbent body 2kt inside the cover including the outer portion and the inwardly turned portion, but the shape of the cover before the inwardly turned portion is bent inwardly. is essentially such that it is in the form of two truncated cones which are connected to each other by their larger cross-sections. Thus, the embodiment of Figure 6 is substantially conical in shape and includes a cavity. It may also have an outlet attached as already described above.

The shape of the cup is preferred because its lateral widening is greater than the lateral widening of the tampon without the central cavity, i. lateral widening of the cylindrical tampon when subjected to a force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tampon. This larger lateral extent is advantageous because the vagina develops a force perpendicular to the tampon that causes this tampon to widen outwardly toward the side walls of the vagina, and this widening prevents menstrual fluid from leaking past the tampon. Another advantage of the shape of the cup is that it provides a greater circumferential line length for a given amount of material than is obtained with a tampon without a cavity therein.

The tampon of the present invention can be inserted into the vagina using an elongate insertion tube known per se to those skilled in the tampon art. One such insertion tube with inwardly tapering resilient blocks at its front end to form a normally closed, 58060 smooth, openable front end is shown in Figure 8 and the tampon 21 of Figure 1 is inserted therein. The insertion tube used in connection with the tampon of the present invention was molded from polyethylene, but may also be made of other materials known per se to those skilled in the art of tampon. This tampon 21 is resiliently compressed and held in this state before and during insertion by insertion into the setting tube 35 · The phrase "resiliently compressed" as used herein means compressed to such an extent that this absorbent article enters an easily openable temporary space , i.e. to a state that changes even without the presence of fluids after the tampon has been removed from the device restricting it, such as a setting tube. The cover 23 of the tampon 21 is in contact with the inner surface of the setting tube 35. The protruding part, such as the pusher 36, removes the tampon from the setting tube. In the embodiment of Figure 8, the pusher 36 pushes the tampon 21 against the rear end, pushing it forward in the insertion tube and opening the closure at the front end of the insertion tube and removing the tampon from the insertion tube 35 · The tampon inside the used insertion tube forces open the front ends of the tube. This insertion tube 35 is inserted into the vagina and the tampon 21 is removed from the outer tube by pushing it with the pusher 36 so that it moves inside the insertion tube 35. The insertion tube 35 and the pusher 36 inside it are removed from the vagina after the tampon 21 has been completely removed from the insertion tube 35 and placed inside the vagina.

Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a tampon according to the present invention in which the particles 39 of the auxiliary absorbent material are placed inside a mass of foam-like particles 22. The aided absorbent material is more rigid, i.e. has a higher compression modulus than it has. with the absorbent material from which the particles 22 are made. '

Several different auxiliary absorbents can be used for different purposes. One of these purposes is to keep the liquids inside the absorbent body after they have been sucked in and thus reduce the amount of squeezing out when the liquid-saturated tampon is compressed into a pile.

The auxiliary absorbent material which has been found to function satisfactorily in the tampon of the present invention is cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose as disclosed in U.S. Pat. 3,589,364 to Dean et al., Issued June 29, 1971, which is incorporated herein by reference. Other absorbent materials may be used. for this purpose, e.g. carboxymethylcellulose, essentially insoluble type, polyacrylamides, primarily cross-linked, specific starch derivatives, all of which are known to those skilled in the art. Of course, there are 7,58060 other absorbent materials that can be used as an aid in the tampon of this invention and none of these should be excluded from the scope of the invention.

The auxiliary absorbent particles 39 present in the tampon of the present invention may be of several different sizes and shapes and located at different locations within the tampon. In a preferred embodiment, the particles 39 are small, i.e., regular rectangular faces approximately 3 mm x 3 mm square cut from a 1.5 mm thick sheet of cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose. These particles 39 are then substantially evenly distributed throughout the mass 2k. The 39% by weight of these particles relative to the 2U weight of the pulp ranges from about 10% to 50% and is most preferably between about 15% and 30%. The most preferred percentage of crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose used in many cases was about 20-25%.

Alternative designs of the small auxiliary absorbent particles 39 include granules and individual cellulosic fibers. Thin rods or rods can also be used as an aid. These alternative shapes of the particles 39 may be located at several locations within the absorbent body of this tampon, such as evenly distributed over the entire mass 2h as shown in Figure 9, or may be concentrated at specific locations in the mass 2U, such as near the inwardly turned portion 23 of the cover.

The fit of the cover, i.e. the surface wrap 23, around the mass 2h is most preferably loose up to a certain amount instead of being tight. This can be described by a compaction factor or a volume-to-length factor in the case of a surface wrap with a certain cross-sectional area (which will be defined later). The loose surface wrap makes the tampon soft and fluffy in appearance and feel. The loose surface wrap also promotes its absorption properties and ease of use and removal, as will be demonstrated with the data in Table III later.

The suitability of this surface wrap 23 around the mass 2k also affects its removal force, so that when equal amounts of absorbent material are used, the removal force is generally lower if the tightness factor is higher, it means if the surface wrap is tighter. This is seen in Table III below. For this reason, and for other reasons that will be explained later, the looseness of this wrapping, i.e. the tightness factor, is a critical quantity to achieve the best possible balance for certain desirable properties of the 8 58060 tampon. A loose surface wrap around the mass 2h with a low compression coefficient (to be defined later) in the parts 22 so as to obtain a tightness coefficient in a certain later defined range to promote removal comfort, i. makes tampon removal more comfortable. The comfort of removal is believed to increase because the particles 22 are able to move relative to each other as they are compressed into the pile according to the vaginal opening, thus expanding the opening during removal is gradual and easier due to the low elastic modulus 2k and relative movement possible between adjacent particles 22. The relative movement between the particles 22 occurs because the particles 22 are relatively loose inside the surface wrapper 23 rather than being tightly packed within this surface wrapper. Thus, since the pubic opening is a zone of expandable, limiting muscle, a soft adaptive tampon is formed in the shape of a wedge with a gradually increasing diameter, thus gradually opening this opening instead of expanding rapidly, making removal of the tampon of the invention more comfortable. During removal, as can be seen in Figure U, the closed end 29 is the front end and the cavity-side end 30 is again the last outgoing end. The eccentric portions of the closed end 29 are forced towards the rear end by the contraction of this pubic opening so that the end 29 forms a conically shaped front end. The mass 2k is thus compressed closer to the closed end 29 and moves backwards to form a tampon with a gradually increasing diameter so that the largest diameter occurs elsewhere than at the front end during removal.

The looseness of the surface wrap can be further defined using the volume tightness factor. This bulk density factor is the volume of the one-piece, i.e. non-cut absorbent material used to make the mass 2h, divided by the maximum possible volume of the surface wrapper, i.e. the volume of the absorbent material relative to the volume inside the surface wrapper. The volume of absorbent material as used in the tightness factor can be calculated for any particular tampon by dividing the weight of the mass 2k by the density of the absorbent material before it is cut. The weight tightness factor can also be determined for the tampons of this invention by dividing the weight of the mass 2U by the value of the maximum possible volume of the surface wrap.

A tampon that adapts and gradually opens the pubic opening as it exits, improving the comfort of removal, should have a tightness factor that allows some adaptation of this mass in the pubic opening, but should not be so loose as to allow all of the mass 9 58060 to migrate to this surface. to the rearmost part when this tampon is removed. Moving the mass 2 * + to the posterior part of the surface wrap too much could lead to accumulation in the back of the tampon, which would require a sudden expansion of the pubic opening, which would make removal more uncomfortable.

The particles 22 were cut or made of an absorbent foam having a low compression modulus of elasticity in the mass, most preferably in the range of 0.01U to 0.1 lp / cm, and more particularly in the range of about 0.01U to 0.00 kj / cm. The term "dry" when used in connection with a compression modulus of elasticity refers to the moisture situation of the material when it is compressed inside the insertion tube or before it is generally removed from this insertion tube as defined in ASTM Test DI56H, "2. Test Conditions". The term "wet" as used in connection with the elastic modulus of compression means a substance which is completely moistened using excess water and which is then compressed or centrifuged to remove excess water. The lowest value of the compression elasticity value is necessary to increase the absorption capacity and the highest value of the compression elasticity value is required to implement a comfortable tampon. This compression modulus of elasticity can be determined using the ASTM test DI56H, the compressive load endurance test (type D) using a 25 ί compression value. "Insulating foam" in this context means three-dimensional absorbent materials having a three-dimensional structure, such as gas-blown foams, natural sponges, cellulosic sponges, and composite fiber-based structures such as those disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,311,115 and 3 ** 30,630.

The compressive modulus of elasticity for the two foam absorbents as a mass is given in Table I below. The batches from which the value of the modulus of elasticity was obtained were 5 cm at each edge. . . . TM ........

in the case of Hydro-Foam and were 2.5 cm in size.

,. TM

rye in the case of unwashed Hydro-Foam or the Greek silk sponge known per se in the art. All chimera coefficients in wet mass were based on the dry dimensions of the samples because these samples swelled when wetted.

. . TM. . .

All Hydro-Foam that will be mentioned below is washed in quality unless specifically mentioned as being of unwashed quality. The inactive material was washed by using it through the rinsing cycle of a standard household washing machine using distilled water for about 20 minutes and then drying it in a standard household clothes dryer for about 3 hours.

10 58060

Table I

2

Coefficient of elasticity of compression of foamy absorbent materials (kp / cm)

Dry Wet ________________kcskim. upper limit lower limit average upper limit lower £ 25 compressed

Hydro-FoamTM 0.027 0.013

Hydro-Foam TM (unwashed) 0.0 ^ 3 0.0 ^ 5 0.0k2 0.018 0.019 0.017

Greek silk sponge (wash) 0.1 * 8 0.32 0.32 0.063 0.081 * 0.035 30% compressed

Hydro-Foam 0.091 0.077

Hydro-Foam (wash) 0.193 0.197 0.190 0.182 0.21 0.11

Greek silk sponge (wash) 2.86 3.5 + 1.88 0.1 * 3 0.79 0.197

Another and possibly more valid measure of the stiffness of an absorbent material is the compression modulus of the mass 2k of the particles 22, the particles being formed of that absorbent material (this modulus of elasticity will hereinafter be referred to as the structural modulus of elasticity). This modulus of elasticity of the structural mass indicates the compressive force required to effect a certain amount-of-magnitude deviation of the absorbent mass of the pieces. This mass, measured at equilibrium, must be unmodified as Seia is defined in ASTM D156U, Test Conditions 2. This modulus of elasticity of the structural mass is perhaps a more valid measure to use because it is the actual modulus of elasticity of the absorbent mass forming the tampon of this invention. and this value thus more easily affects the amount of removal force of this tampon from the setting tube as well as the comfort of using and removing the tampon tampon.

In the case of foamed absorbent materials, there is a certain difference in both degree and quality between the coefficient of elasticity of a one-piece mass and the coefficient of elasticity of a particulate mass. The coefficient of elasticity of a one-piece substance is quantitatively different in that its numerical value is substantially higher than the value of the coefficient of elasticity of the particulate mass. One unit of polyurethane foam used had a coefficient of elasticity of 25% compression using ASTM test D156U (subtype D) of 0.03 kp / cm while the particle mass had a coefficient of elasticity of 0.002 kp / cm for the same material at 25% compression. The coefficient of elasticity of a one-piece mass is qualitatively different due to the behavior of this material, i.e. the absorbent foams of one mass 11 58060 operate under compression such that the compression force and stress dependence curve of this piece is initially steep, i.e. with a large amount of deformation then it appears in its general form to change with respect to the deformation into a log (force) dependence of the equation K + L, where K and L are constants. In contrast, the curve between stress and force for the particulate mass immediately follows the general deformation dependence obtained from the dependence K '+ L' log (force) where K 'and L' are also constant.

The modulus of elasticity of the structural mass for the construction of the tampon of the present invention was measured using ASTM test DI56I *, a compression load deflection test (subtype D), modified as follows: a cylinder-piston device with a small height to diameter ratio was used to examine the mass. This cylinder was filled with pulp to uniformity. In the case of this experiment, the cylinder was made of transparent plastic, i.e. plexiglass, its bottom was closed at one end, it had an inner diameter of 2 x 0 millimeters and was 10 cm deep. The piston was also made of plexiglass and consisted of a hk mm diameter rod about 13 cm long glued to a 239 mm diameter 5 mm thick plexiglass plate. This plate, i.e. the piston head, was provided with holes drilled through it so that the air trapped under this cylinder and the piston head could have escaped without generating considerable force on the piston head.

Measurements of force and deflection rate from which the compression modulus of elasticity could be determined were performed using an Instron Universal test gauge. The cylinder was attached to the Instron compression cell and the piston was attached to the crosshead of the Instron meter.

Each sample of the absorbent mass of the pieces used to measure the coefficient of elasticity of compression was pre-compressed twice at 75-0% of its original volume inside this cylinder and then allowed to rest without load for 10 minutes before testing. Three different samples of the absorbent mass were measured to determine the modulus of elasticity of a given mass (i.e., for a particular sample of this structure mass). In each sample, the compression cylinder was refilled to a depth of at least 2.5 cm. The modulus of elasticity of the absorbent mass was the average of the samples. If any compressive modulus of the sample structure deviated from the mean by more than 20%, two additional experiments were performed. The modulus of elasticity of the absorbent mass of the pieces was then reported as the average of all five samples.

12 58060

The coefficient of elasticity of the mass from any of these samples was determined as follows: first the Instron apparatus was preheated and the compression cell here

The Instron gauge was calibrated with a known weight and an empty compression cylinder with the compression cell on the surface. The piston was attached to the crosshead of this meter. The speed of the plotter paper was then adjusted to 13 cm per minute and the crosshead speed was set to 5 cm per minute. Next, the cylinder was filled with sample mass to a depth of 2.5 cm, allowing the mass to fall from a height of about 13 cm above the bottom of the cylinder. All lumps formed inside the sample were broken before they were allowed to fall into the cylinder. The top surface of the sample inside the cylinder was made as smooth as possible. The depth of the absorbent mass of particles was measured by placing a spare plate, i.e. a plate identical to the plate used as the piston head but not including a 13 cm long, mm diameter rod attached thereto, on this sample and measuring the thickness of the sample from this cylinder to the bottom of this cylinder. This depth should not be less than 2.5 cm. The meter pen was then reset while holding the filled cylinder on the compression surface of this Instron meter. Next, the piston was brought into contact with the sample and a 2 0.0015 kp / cm preload was placed to act on this sample. The thickness of this sample was then measured at the effect of this 0.0015 kp / cm preload, and the amount of crosshead movement required to perform the desired percentage compression was determined from the thickness of the particular preloaded sample. The sample was then compressed to the desired percentage of compression and held at this degree of compression for 1 minute. The load required after 1 minute to perform the desired percentage compression was recorded. Finally, the sample was returned to 0% compression rate by pulling the plunger up on top of the sample.

The modulus of elasticity of this sample was then determined by dividing the load measured by the desired percentage of compression by the area of the piston contact surface.

In the shampoo of the present invention, the dry modulus of elasticity of the pulp used as a release agent must be below a certain upper limit in order to obtain an acceptable tampon. If the coefficient of elasticity of the pulp when dry is too high then the tampon is too hard, thus causing high removal forces and / or discomfort during use or removal. Most preferably, the coefficient of elasticity of the dry particulate composite at the 25% compression level should be in the range of 0.0003 to 0.0035 kp / cm * and most preferably in the range of 0.0003 to 0.002 kp / Crf.

13 58060 The mass 2b of the present invention should most preferably be, but need not be, menstrual bleeding fluid retention, i. its surface properties should be such that menstrual fluids tend to spread even spontaneously to its surface or into capillary spaces. Since the menstrual fluid is primarily an aqueous solution, the materials to and on which this fluid readily spreads can generally be described as hydrophilic, i.e., hydrophilic. However, with respect to prior art wetting of materials, a more detailed description can be used based on the contact angles and surface tensions in the liquids and solids in question. Such a description is detailed in the American Chemical Society publication Contact Angle Wettability and Adhesion, edited by Robert F. Gould, printed in 1964, which is why this publication is incorporated herein by reference.

The menstrual fluid has surface tension values in the range of about 35-60 dynes per centimeter. Its contact angle is less than 90 ° and it tends to spontaneously propagate to solids with a critical surface tension value greater than its own surface tension value. Because the value of the surface tension of water is higher than the surface tension of menstrual fluids, any solid that is hydrophilic is also generally free of menstrual fluid.

The absorbent material used to make the pulp 2b should most preferably have a critical surface tension value of at least greater than 35 dynes per centimeter, most preferably greater than 60 dynes per centimeter, and most preferably greater than about 72 dynes per centimeter.

The absorbent foam material and the mass 2bt made from these materials and used in the tampon of this invention should be flexible in quality. One flexibility test is a compression stability test modified from the ASTM DI56H Compressibility Stability Test using an Instron Universal Test Gauge, in which a specimen is compressed to 80% of its dry height, released, and then the percentage recovery of this specimen is measured. The recovery percentage can be measured by placing a certain amount of mass 2b in a 10 cm diameter cylinder, placing a piston connected to the load cell of the Instron meter inside the cylinder, pressing the mass to its 20% dry height, pulling the piston back out of the compressed mass and measuring the rebound height. The percentage of return is then the return height divided by the original height one hundred times. The percentage recovery for the dry structure of the particles 22 should be at least 1) 4,58060 about 91% and most preferably about 97% to allow the resiliently compressed tampon to expand before it is moistened after insertion into the vagina so that the tampon fills the entire vaginal cross-section shortly after insertion .

Absorbents that function well as components 22 of this tampon in accordance with the present invention are those in which adjacent cells, such as cells 32 and 33 shown in Figure 5, are those that may be in contact with each other if a common wall 3 ^ ruptures. in which case the liquid inside the cell 32 is able to move from the cell 32 to the adjacent cell 33. Hydrophilic or water-retrievable polyurethane foams have adjacent cells »such as e.g. cells 32 and 33 which can be contacted by treatment by breaking the walls between the cells in this foam and such foams is described in detail in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 172 69) 4, filed 18.

August 1971 and referred to in this connection. One such TM. . . .

polyurethane foams, i.e. The Hydro-Foam material used to provide a satisfactory tampon in the case of this invention is available from Scott Paper Company, Foam Division, Eddystone, Pensylvania, TM. . - USA. The Hydro-Foam ‘team is hydrophilic and swellable when wet. Its number of cells can be found to be approximately 30 cells per cent, a density of about 30-37 kp / m

O

and the compressive modulus of elasticity in the dry mass is about 0.03 kp / cm 2 after the product is washed.

In a successful embodiment of the tampon of the present invention, the above foam was used to form an absorbent body, i.e., Hydro-Foam ', having a density of about 0.0365 grams per cubic centimeter, weighing about 2.5 grams, and cut into particles 22 of 10 mm and smaller. The phrase "size" when used herein to describe particles 22 means the size of a particle that can be made to pass through a U.S. standard screen using vibration, where the mesh opening size is a certain size but not through a smaller screen. Thus, a particle 22 having a size of 10 mm passes through a screen having a 10 mm screen opening but not through a smaller screen, i.e. 6.5 mm. The size of the weather particles 22 can vary widely with a maximum size of about 2.5 cm but is most preferably in the range of about 1.6 mm to 16 mm. The minimum acceptable size is determined by whether the particle 22 still absorbs liquid and remains on the surface wrap. inside. The maximum acceptable size of the particle 22 is determined by the ability of this particle to conform to form the overall structure of the soft absorbent article.

'5 58060

Of course, the absorbent body may be a mass of particles of different sizes or substantially uniformly sized particles together. When using uniformly sized particles 22 as the absorbent body, there is a minimum acceptable size for these particles 22 so that this tampon has the flexibility necessary to fill the cross-section of the vagina and has the compression modulus value necessary to maintain void space for fluids within the vagina. Cup-shaped tampons were measured with a tape compression modulus (to be defined later) in which the largest outer wrapper diameter of the tampons was

•. ,,. - TM

about 5 cm and the length of the cup was about 6 cm. Unwashed Hydro-Foam foam was used as the absorbent and the particles 22 inside any cup were substantially uniform in size with each cup provided with special particles 22 and the mass 2b weighed about 2.5 grams per portion of each cup.

The tape compression module for each tampon having uniformly sized particles 22 is shown in Table II below. The smallest acceptable particle size 22 for a tampon according to the present invention is about 1.5 mm in size. The mass 2k of the particles 22 does not have to be self-adhesive because the surface wrapper holds it together.

Table II

Tape module obtained in the case of uniformly sized pieces

TM

Hydro-Foam cup type bandage

Piece size Compression force kp to reduce circumference by 25%

Unwashed_Washed_ 25 mm 0.2U0 19 mm 0.136 15 mm 0.21 * 9 12.5 mm - 0.15 ** 9> 5 mm 0.217 0.190 Penetrates screen size Stay on screen size_Washless_Washed_ 19 mm 6.731 mm 0.181 0.150 6.731 mm l *, 7l * 9 mm - 0.113 btjk9 mm 3.353 mm - 0.127 3.35 mm 1.378 mm - 0.127 6.731 mm 1.378 mm 0.113 1.378 mm 1.679 mm 0.109 0.098 1.679 mm 1, lllmm 0.077 0.082 1.181 mm 0.500 mm 0.05 ^ 0.059 16 58060

The particles 22 also do not necessarily have to be of uniform shape, but in fact they are most preferably of any irregular shape which may result from splitting using a Waring kitchen mixer.

The particles 22 were cut for a tampon of the present invention using Waring. .... TM

kitchen mix by placing Hydro ^ -Doam pieces mixed with this. Section 22

... .... TM

has also been made in irregular shapes by reducing Hydro-Foam or other similar polyurethane foams to the desired size and with a solid blade reducer such as the Fitz Mill refiner available from Fitzpatrick Co. The part 22 is also made by cutting the polyurethane foams with scissors into regular pieces, i.e. in the shape of cubes of different sizes.

The material used as the surface wrap according to the present invention is most preferably a soft, flexible, liquid-permeable material having small holes through it throughout. Biodegradable material should be considered the most preferred for the surface wrap because it facilitates the disposal of discarded tampons. The two nonwovens that have functioned well as surface wraps and are believed to be biodegradable are:

Dexter X-2172, a non-woven fabric consisting of approximately 60: 1 + 0 cotton and rayon blended with a mixture of HA8 and HA2U, which are Rohm & Haas acrylic binders, with a measured weight of approx. 20-2k gr / m, it is hydrophobic and is available from CH Dexter & Sons Co., Windsor Locks, Connecticut USA and, secondly, Viskon, a 100% rayon nonwoven line-glued material and hydrophilic, has a measured weight of 2 to about 16 gr / m and is available from Chicopee Mills, address 1U50 Broadway,

New York, N.Y. Also, the material Reemay, which is a hydrophobic, spun-bonded low basis polyester nonwoven fabric having a measured weight of about 13.5 g / m 2 and available from E.I. Du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware USA is another nonwoven product that has functioned satisfactorily as a topsheet for the tampons of this invention. The use of highly hydrophobic agents as a surface wrap for absorbent articles may be advantageous in that it isolates the vaginal wall from accumulated menstrual fluids and thus maintains somewhat acidic conditions in the vagina during menstruation, as is the case between menstrual periods.

The above-mentioned nonwoven fabrics do not have any detectable openings per se but some materials with detectable openings have been used satisfactorily. The purpose of keeping the openings small is to prevent small particles 22 from escaping through this surface wrap and also to prevent the corners or edges of the larger particles 22 from protruding through this surface wrap. These nominal and potential openings, e.g. the open areas or areas surrounded by adjacent fibers in this surface wrap should not exceed a size that prevents particles 22 from escaping from or protruding through this surface wrap to such an extent as to interfere with the removal force of this tampon from the tubular insertion tube. Some foam materials, e.g. polyurethane, have a high coefficient of friction with respect to the materials of the setting tube, such as polyethylene or paperboard. The static coefficient of friction between the polyurethane and the polyethylene is about 1.05 · As a result, the nominal and possible openings in this surface wrap should not be larger than what is the smallest particle 22 in the mass 2h. The potential openings can be much larger than what the nominal openings at the fiber cruise points are when the surface wrapper is not completely glued. It has been found that woven surface wraps with a fiber spacing of about 3 mm in each direction and no joining portion at the cruise points are unacceptable in that the amount of removal force from the elongate setting tube increases for this tampon (as seen in Table V below). For such an insertion tube, it should be preferred to separate the particles 22 from the outer surface of this tampon in order to maintain a smooth outer surface therein and thus a low coefficient of friction. It has been found that surface wraps with apertures as large as 1.5 mm have not been shown to be detrimental to the operation of this tampon when the particles 22 are miscellaneous in size from 1.5 mm to about 10 mm.

It should be considered most advantageous to keep the outer surface of this tampon as smooth and as low in coefficient of friction as possible for at least two reasons: thus, a low removal force can be achieved, i.e. the force required to push the tampon 21 out of the insertion tube, such as the insertion tube 35 (cf. Figure 8), and to prevent scratching of the soft, delicate tissue inside the vagina during insertion, use and removal. In general, it is the absorbent material from which the particles 22 are made with a coefficient of friction greater than that of the surface wrap, and thus any protrusion of the particles 22 through this surface wrap will increase the removal force and scratch the tissues inside the vagina.

This surface wrap should have a static coefficient of friction with the inner surface of the setting tube of less than about 0.1 * 0 and most preferably less than about 0.37 to provide acceptable ejection forces in the case of larger tampons of this invention. Surface wrappers in which the coefficient of friction of 18,58060 is substantially higher than 0, Uo, result in ejection forces that are substantially higher and have proven to be embarrassing in use.

The strength of the surface wrap should be such as to prevent the nonwoven fabric from cracking when removed from the vagina or under the effects of the pressures developed therein. This surface wrap should have a wet strength in the machine direction of at least about 2 x 0 grams per centimeter and a strength in the transverse direction of the machine of at least about 100 grams per centimeter. The minimum internal tear strength measured when wet using the TAPPI standard test Τί + lb ts-65 should be at least about 100 grams in the machine direction with this surface wrap to tear 16 layers of 5 cm strips to prevent the surface wrap from tearing during removal of the tampon from the vagina.

One material that has worked well as a drain rope is my water-resistant cotton, which has 5/3 threads and has a tensile strength of h kp. Such a string can be purchased from Bibb Manufacturing Company, Macon, Georgia USA and sold under the name 5/3 stranded Sno-Spun, bleached in my 108 cotton.

Any yarn that is strong enough to withstand the removal forces may be suitable as a removal cord 25 · Polyester yarns generally have a higher breaking strength and can be used if a stronger cord is desired. Polyester blend and can be obtained from UniRoyal Fiber & Textile Division UniRoyal, Incorporated at 350 Columbia Road, Winnsboro, South Carolina, 29180 USA.

A tampon according to the present invention prepared using previously. . TM ....

said Hydro-Foam as absorbent requires at least about 1.00 grams and most preferably more than about 1.5 grams of this absorbent to provide satisfactory performance with the tampon. Satisfactory operation includes at least an adjustment of both the suction capacity and the bypass of this tampon. In order to implement the bypass adjustment, this tampon should preferably have a nominal outer diameter of at least about cm, thus providing a nominal circumference of at least about 13.75 cm. This nominal diameter, circumferential length, cross-sectional area and available volume within the surface wrapper (hereinafter referred to as) are intended to apply to the dimensions of the surface wrapper in its fully radially expanded shape, resulting in a generally circular cross-section instead of a partially compressed shape which occurs when the structure is not large enough to fill the surface wrap. Also, the cross-sectional area or volume available within the surface wrapper does not include the surface area or volume that is in the cavity of the cup portion. The surface wrap of this cup-shaped tampon was made of the aforementioned Reemay fabric and was a rectangular piece measuring approximately 16 cm and 17 cm. This surface wrap material was formed as a tube in the manner described above where the 17 cm longitudinal edge formed a circumferential portion of the surface wrap and then allowed about 12 mm of this 1? cm for the seam. A cup made of a surface wrapper of the above size is about 6 cm long and about 5 cm in diameter.

. . . TM

The maximum amount of Hydro-Foam that can be applied to the tampon of the present invention appears to be limited to the largest diameter of the insertion tube that allows the user to comfortably position the tampon. Thus, limited to a setting tube having an inner diameter of about 18 mm, the maximum amount of absorbent material that could be used in a 6.1 cm long tampon according to the present invention was about 5.25 grams when a size distribution of 1.5 mm to 10 mm was used to mix the particles 22. The size of the setting tube limits the amount of absorbent material because the force required for removal becomes too great to allow comfortable removal even if the tampon has a tight low coefficient of friction surface wrap. The removal force that occurs when using 5 to 25 grams of absorbent material and a Reemay surface wrap in a polyethylene insertion tube such as that shown in Figure 8 with an internal diameter of about 18 mm was about 1.6 kp.

A preferred embodiment, which is by no means the only useful embodiment, was prepared as follows. Cup parts were made according to the structure shown in Figure 3 using 16.25 cm times 17> 25 cm rectangles

. . . . . TM

the aforementioned Reemay surface wrap material, 2.5 grams of the aforementioned Hydro-Foam absorbent material and a 5/3 strand removal cord. The surface wrapping material was formed into a tubular shape by bending this rectangle in the direction of 17 cm, placing the opposite edges on top of each other and sewing the overlapping edges together and one of these edges so that a bag was formed. This bag was then turned upside down and the suture along the edge formed a seam as shown in Figure 3 and the suture along the end formed a closed end such as the outer end 29 of Figure 3. 2.5 grams of absorbent material was cut as described above using a Waring food mixer so that the particles 22 varied in size and the largest particles 22 were about 10 mm in size. This absorbent material was placed in an inverted bag and the extreme end of this bag, such as the inwardly turned end 31 in the case of Figure 2, was sewn closed. This inwardly turned end 31 was then moved inwards along the longitudinal axis of this tampon through the mass 2b until the inwardly turned end 31 was located next to the closed end 29. The removal rope 25 was then threaded through the closed end 29 with a surgeon's needle and secured to the surface wrap. The cups prepared as described above were about 5 cm in diameter and about 6 cm long. They have been used as tampons in both 20,58060 natural (in vivo) and synthetic vaginal vaginas. The removal force required to remove from the set tube is low and their absorption properties are unexpectedly good. The properties of these are shown in Table III below as an example VIII.

An artificial vagina is an artificial test device that simulates a vagina. It forms-. . . . . The 'C' comes from a thin rubber film that holds the tampon and is this film inside a particular outer housing so that water can be supplied between this film and the outer housing so that a hydraulic water column pressure can be developed outside this film. This film has a tube at its inner end such that. the tube terminates in this membrane mimicking the cervical passage. A certain suitable reservoir of artificial vaginal fluid having a viscosity and salinity similar to that of menstrual fluid is connected to this tube using an intermediate flow regulator so that vaginal fluid can be delivered to this membrane through this tube at a known and adjustable rate. There are both static and dynamic artificial vaginas. The pressure of the hydraulic water column is the state when a static artificial vagina is used and this hydraulic water column pressure is varied in the case of a dynamic artificial vagina. All absorption capacity and rates, which will be described below, were determined in a dynamic artificial vagina in which the pressure in the water column varied between 10 cm and U0 cm of water at a regular cycle rate of about 1+ cycles per minute. Artificial vaginas are known per se by a person skilled in the art of tampon manufacturing.

Cups of different diameters and different large amounts were then prepared. . . ......

using the Hydro-Foam absorbent material previously described in Example VIII

were described as using surface wraps of different sizes to give tampon sizes according to Examples I-X in Table III. These tampons of Examples I-X have been tested both in vivo and in the artificial vagina. Physical properties, unexpected absorption properties, in particular the fact that the absorption properties depend on the density factor and the weighted average comfort values for these tampons are also presented in Table III below and are commented on. The aforementioned "tape layer" was measured by sliding a 2.5 cm wide Teflon tape around this tampon and measuring its force using an Instron Universal Testning Machine, which reduces the circumference of this tampon to 75% of its normal circumference. The "plate density" was measured by placing the tampon between the flat plates with the longitudinal axis of the tampon parallel to the plates and measuring its force using the Instron Universal Testing Instrument, which is necessary to reduce the diameter of the tampon to 75% of its normal diameter.

58060

The removal force was measured as the force required to remove this tampon from the polyethylene insertion tube as shown in Figure 8 when this insertion tube was 18 mm in internal diameter, had four block barrier sheets at its front end, and had a nominal wall thickness of about 0, U-0. , 7 mm in the area of these reeds. These tampons were flexibly squeezed into a tube for at least two hours. Static force is the force required to set this tampon in motion and dynamic force is the force required to open these leaves and overcome dynamic friction. The "density factor" quantity was calculated for both weight and TM. . .... ...

Based on the volume of Hydro-Foam material per unit of volume that was available inside the surface wrapper. The volume of the structure was calculated by dividing the density of the one-piece foam by the weight of the amount of foam used. It is interesting to note that the dependence between the tape factor and the volume density factor is a substantially straightforward function. Absorption properties were determined using an artificial vagina. The fluid from this vagina was "fed" into this tampon as quickly as the tampon could absorb it, and the experiment was stopped as soon as the fluid from the vagina came out of the end of this tampon located opposite the end to which the fluid was fed. The large "weight gain" was calculated by subtracting the initial weight from the final weight of this tampon, the "initially effective" rate being obtained from the time required for the tampon to absorb the first five milliliters of fluid. The "average" rate was calculated from the weight gain and the time required to absorb this amount of fluid. The "efficiency" was calculated by dividing the amount of weight gain by the weight of the absorbent. Each of the quantities "weighted average comfort values" was calculated using the formula:> n «8 g = 0 where n = the number of subjects who gave a comfort value g to the tampon being tested and g = a degree of comfort according to a certain scale.

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The comfort scale values used were 0, 1, 2, and 3 where 0 meant no discomfort, 1 meant mild discomfort, 2 meant moderate discomfort, and 3 meant severe discomfort. These values were subjective estimates given to them by tampon users after each user used at least one complete set of case studies I-X.

The convenience of use and removal for 3.75 gram and 5> 00 gram tampons was unexpected for such large tampons and is naturally advantageous because when they are comfortable they can be used and have excellent protection due to their large size which develops a lot of suction capacity and also the ability to prevent leakage and clog the vagina. Also, the fact that the tightness coefficient affects comfort is unexpected and advantageous because comfort can be adjusted by optimizing the tightness factor for a particular weight of absorbent, the compression coefficient of compression of the absorbent, and the cross-sectional area of this tampon. This density factor can be expressed according to the volume-to-length ratio as a function of the cross-sectional area available within the surface wrapper.

The comfort of the tampon of the present invention depends on the size of the particles 22, the modulus of elasticity of compression of the absorbent material, the size of the cross-sectional area available inside the surface wrap, and the amount of mass 2k within this surface wrap. The amount of mass can be expressed using the ratio of volume to length, the volume of this mass per unit length of this tampon, which depends on the density factor for a given tampon made according to the present invention and is this relationship: volume to length ratio factor area for the tampon in question. The volume used in this respect is the same volume used in connection with the volume density factor, i.e. the volume of the absorbent material in one piece and not the volume of the mass itself. The coefficient between volume and length is thus expressed in units of volume for the one-piece absorbent material from which this mass is formed inside the tampon for each unit of tampon length. The tampon of the present invention was comfortable and provides a user-acceptable level of protection, i.e., absorption, thus having the following structure: The size of the particles 22 ranges from about 1.5 to about 15 mm, and most preferably ranges in size from about 1.5 mm to about 10 mm. The value of the modulus of elasticity 22 of these particles as a dry piece of structural mass is in the range of about 0.003 to 0.0035 kp / cm 2 and is most preferably in the range of about 0.0007 to about 0.002 kp / cm 2.

25 58060

The cross-sectional area inside the surface wrapper is greater than about 2. 2 8 cm and is most preferably greater than about 11 cm. Based on volume ... ... ... 3. . ..

the tightness layer is equal to or less than 32.7 cm of absorbent material for each corresponding unit of volume available inside the surface wrapper. The coefficient between volume and length is about 6.9 to 26 cubic centimeters of absorbent material for each centimeter of the longitudinal axis of the tampon, but is most preferably between 6.9 and 19.5 cubic centimeters of absorbent material per centimeter of the longitudinal axis of this tampon when the surface of this tampon the area is between 11.3-23.2 cm and the coefficient between volume and length is again between 6.9 cm - (19.5-2.5U Vo, 99 (x-23.2] ^ cm ^ absorbent material for each tampon). per longitudinal axis 2 per 2 cm, when x, the cross-sectional area of the cover is 23.2 cm to 38.7 cm.

The sealing factor of this tampon surprisingly affects the absorption properties of the tampon of the present invention, as can be seen when comparing cup tampons of the same weight with different sealing factors, as shown in Table III. The weight of this amount of foam is equal in the series consisting of tampons I, II and III, as well as in the series consisting of tampons IV, V and VI and also the same in the series consisting of tampons VII, VIII and IX. Looking now more closely at the series of tampons, from the group VII, VIII and IX by way of example only, it can be seen that the volume density factor for these tampons is 2, 3, 0, 69 and 0.1 + 1 *, respectively. i.e. tampon VII is packed in the tightest and tampon IX is packed in the loosest. The weight gain inside the artificial vagina for tampon VII with the highest density factor in this series, i.e. 18.8 grams, is less than that for tampon IX, which in turn has the lowest density factor in this series with an increase of 20.9 grams.

It is also unexpected and surprising to find that the absorption rates for differently packaged tampons are also affected by the tightness coefficient in that the rate of absorption per unit area of the menstrual leakage of the surface wrap cross-section decreases as it decreases. In addition, it can be stated that the tightness factor affects the "efficiency" of the absorbent material. This dependence appears to be such that the "efficiency" is inversely proportional to the density factor.

The tampon of this invention has several unexpected advantages over one-piece tempos made of foamy materials, i.e., over-milled tempos, e.g., higher absorption rate, lower removal force from the set tube, faster 26.58060 removal, and greater outward and outward rotation. during.

Thus, Table IV shows the properties and absorbency of 2.5 x 2.5 x 5 cm rectangular faces for solid bodies and cups made of two different types of foam absorbent, measured in a dynamic artificial vagina, to illustrate the benefits of operating within the limited scope of this invention. The higher rate of absorption for the tampon of particulate mass can be observed by comparing the initial effective and average rate of absorption for the particulate masses compared to the solid bodies. E.g.

. TM .... .

in the case of Hydro-Foam the effective absorption rate of the sample initially increased from 2.0 grams of vaginal fluid per minute with a solid tampon to 25, * + grams of artificial vaginal fluid per minute in the case of a particulate tampon and the average rate increased from 0.8 grams per minute to 15 » * + grams per minute when switching from a solid tampon to a tampon consisting of particles. This increase in the rate of absorption in particulate tampons is unexpected and inexpensive. The high rate of absorption is an important feature of the tampon to prevent the kind of disintegration defect that occurs when the rate of fluid flow into the tampon exceeds the rate of absorption of the tampon. In this case, the excess fluid flows past the tampon and along the walls of the vagina and is not absorbed into the tampon.

27 58060

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Another unexpected advantage of a tampon consisting of a mass of particles is that the removal force, i. the force required to remove the tampon from the setting tube is less than the removal force for a tampon of equal weight and approximately equal length in one piece. The ejection forces for the four different types of tampons, i.e., truncated cones, cup-shaped, round bags, and closed cylinders, are shown in Table V. detailed in another patent application entitled "Hollow Foam Swab Made of Smooth Blanks", U.S. Patent Application No. 353,058, filed August 20, 1973. Cup parts were prepared as previously described in the case of Example VIII except that the amount of partial mass varied. Round bags were made by taking a square of surface wrapper material, placing the mass in the center of this square, and enclosing the mass within this square by bringing together the corners and edges of this square around the mass on the neck that was attached to prevent this square from opening. The surface wrap of the 3 mm gauze fabric is made of a cotton-type material with a distance between the fibers of about 3 mm in each direction from the gauze fabric and the cruise points are not glued here. The cylinders were cut from a piece of absorbent material. Table V includes tampons outside the scope of this invention to illustrate the effect of operating outside the scope of this invention.

The removal force for a mass cup-shaped tampon with the correct sealing factor is substantially less than the removal force for a truncated cone from an absorbent material of equal weight even if this truncated cone is wrapped in a Reemay fabric identical to that used in the cup case. This can be seen by comparing the

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forces in the case of a 2.5 gram truncated cone using Hydro-Foam foam

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Reemay the surface arc and compare tata to a 2.5 gram Hydro-Foam cup. The conventional setting tube had a static discharge force for this cup part of 800 p while the discharge force for the truncated cone was 1.15 kp and the oversized setting tube had a static discharge force of 600 p for the cup case while 700 p was required for the truncated cone. is a tubular partial mass tampon, has a lower removal force than a round partial mass tampon

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if a 2.5 gram cup made of Hydro-Foam foam is compared to the case-. . . TM .. ...

with 2.5 grams of Hydro-Foam foam as a round bag, with a static discharge force of only 800 p in a conventional setting tube for a cup, while a static discharge force for a round bag in the same tube is 29 58060 delta 1, U kp. A corresponding reduction in the removal force in the case of a cup compared to a bag-shaped tampon consisting of a partial mass is also shown for an oversized insertion tube.

30 58060

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x) H-F = Hydro-Foam as absorbent S = Greek silkworm as absorbent Cup-shaped = structure according to Figure 3 consisting of pieces R-0 = the tampon had a Reemay surface wrap S-0 = the structure formed by the pieces had a 3 mm mesh gauze surface wrap.

Also, the coefficient of elasticity unexpectedly affects the force of removal in a tampon consisting of particles. This can be seen from the tampons IV, V and VI in Table III which have equal amounts of foam inside and in which the removal forces increase as the sealing factor decreases. Thus, in order to achieve the best possible tightness factor, the effect of this tightness factor on absorbency, comfort and removal force must all be taken into account.

The tampon of the present invention also provides a faster dry expansion from the temporary form forced on the foam-like absorbent material used in the case of the present invention, this absorbent material being resiliently compressed inside the set tube. The particle tampon spreads more rapidly to its froth than a one-piece tampon made of the same absorbent material because the particle mass reaches its unobstructed size faster after removal from the insertion tube. This difference in temporal flexibility, i. the ability of the tampon to return

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has been shown by placing several cup parts made of Hydro-Foam foam prepared as in Example VIII and several 2.5. TM. . ..... .

grams of one-piece Hydro-Foam tampons, which in particular were truncated cone tampons without a surface wrap as shown above, placing them in two different situations, i. in a closed chamber with an outlet cord suspended above water at room temperature (2k ° C) so that the moisture content of this chamber approaches 100% and also "in vivo" at times other than menstrual bleeding. Before these tampons were placed in either of these situations, they were stored for more than 2.5 months in a resiliently compressed manner within an insertion tube having an inner diameter of about 18 mm. The tampons used in vivo were removed at predetermined intervals to determine the percentage of expansion, i.e., the expansion toward the original uncompressed size that had occurred, while the temples in the chamber were photographed at specific intervals so that their expansion could be recorded. The amount of expansion under both conditions for the time intervals in question is shown in Table VI below.

32 58060

Table VI

Flexibility over time

In vivo in the chamber

Elapsed Full Enlargement Pro- Elapsed Percentage of Full Enlargement Time Cents_ Time Amount_ (min). Cup-shaped Cut off (min). Cup-shaped Truncated cone cone

Experimental test experimental test person.

fr 1 # 2 # 1 ^ 2_ 15 35 65 17 15 10 12 0 20 36 10 30 1 + 3 10 90 01 10 120 92 15 150 100 2b The tampon of the present invention results in greater convenience of use and removal due to the ability for relative movement between the members 22 in this mass 2b. This tampon has essentially no cohesive forces within this absorbent body and as a result the absorbent body may more easily conform to the vagina or vaginal opening, whereas a single piece tampon has a certain strength that holds it together and prevents it from conforming as easily as it adapts to particles. a tampon consisting of a mass consisting of. A tampon consisting of a particulate mass which does not have structural cohesiveness like a one-piece tampon is thus somewhat amorphous and is more easily deformed to adapt to its structural environment. The amorphous nature of the tampon of the present invention can be adjusted by varying the amount of absorbent material within this surface wrap, i.e., the tightness factor. In order to achieve ease of use and removal, the tightness factor should be less than about 2.0 and most preferably less than about 1.38. The tampon of this invention also does not need to rely on the strength of the absorbent material to ensure complete removal of the tampon from the vagina after tamponing. has been used. In a one-piece type tampon, the breaking strength of the absorbent material itself must be sufficient for the tampon to exit the vagina, since the removal cord is attached to only one or more points of this absorbent body. In a tampon consisting of a particulate mass, the breaking strength that is reliably relieved upon removal is associated with 33 58060 surface wraps and, as a result, the breaking strength of the absorbent material is not a critical factor. It is desirable to exclude tensile strength as a requirement for an absorbent article because certain other advantageous properties for certain absorbent materials, such as polyurethane foams, are inversely proportional to the tensile strength of that material, i. as the absorption properties improve, the tensile strength decreases. Thus, it is preferred that the tensile strength of the absorbent material be removed as such a requirement.

Thus, it is apparent that an absorbent body of a particulate mass of particles has now been provided in accordance with the present invention which fully satisfies the previously stated objects, aims and advantages of the invention. Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that many alternatives, variations, and modifications may be practiced by one skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Accordingly, all such alternatives, variations, and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

3fc 58060 Pat entt i see suction et An absorbent tampon for absorbing body fluids, optionally provided with an insertion and removal device, the absorbent mass of which is comprised of a plurality of absorbent, foam cell components (22) surrounded by a flexible, liquid-permeable cover (23), characterized by u that the inner surface of the casing (23) is the outer boundary of the mass (2 ^) and the particles (22) therein and that the mass (2k) is flexible and resilient and has a dry compressive strength of 0.28 to 3 in the silicon compression, 5 P / cm ". Tampon according to Claim 1, characterized in that the degree of compaction of my absorbent mass (2 ^) in the volume determined by the cover is less than 2: 1. Tampon according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the particles (22) are irregular in shape. A tampon according to claims 1-2, having a substantially tubular cover which is radially assembled from both end parts (29, 31) so as to form closed ends, characterized in that the second end part (31) is taken together with the cover part in an absorbent manner. inside and through the mass (2h) and fixed near the opposite end portion (29), the portion (28) of the casing forming the inner walls of the funnel-shaped cavity. Tampon according to Claims 1 to U, characterized in that an absorbent excipient is arranged inside the absorbent material. Tampon according to Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the size of the particles (22) is 1.5 to 25 mm. Tampon according to Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the absorbent material of the particles (22) is porous, the adjacent pores being connected to one another, and that the critical surface tension of the material is more than 35 dynes / cm. Tampon according to Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the circumference of the cover (23) is at least 13.8 cm in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tannin (21). Tampon according to Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coefficient between the volume and the length of the absorbent body is between 6.9 and 19.5 cm 3 of absorbent material per cm of the longitudinal axis of the material when the cross-sectional area of the radially fully expanded cover is 11.3 - 23.2 cm 2, and the coefficient between volume and length is between 6.9 cm 2 - (19> 5 - 2.5 ^, 99 (x-23.2) ^) em ^ absorbent material for each cm of the longitudinal axis of the tampon: ä 2 2, when x, the cross-sectional area of the cover is 23.2 cm to 38.7 cm.