MXPA00012983A - Absorbent article including a reducing agent for feces - Google Patents

Abstract

An absorbent article adapted to receive feces having a first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising:a liquid pervious topsheet;a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet;an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and an effective amount of a feces reducing agent disposed in the article such that the reducing agent is available to contact at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article.

Description

ABSORBENT ARTICLE THAT INCLUDES A REDUCTION AGENT FOR FECAL FECES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to articles that absorb and / or contain body exudates, including disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine pads and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to disposable absorbent articles that include one or more reducing agents that act to modify the physical properties of faeces or other bodily wastes that may be deposited in the article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The main function of absorbent materials such as diapers and underpants for adult incontinence is to prevent body exudates, wet or otherwise contaminate clothing or other items such as bedding, which may be in contact with the user. In recent years, disposable diapers, such as those described in United States Patent No. 5,151,092 issued to Buell et al., Have become very popular and have generally replaced absorbent articles of durable clothing due to their 0 convenience and reliability. However, despite the effectiveness of such disposable absorbent articles, body exudates frequently spill or are stored in the diaper so that exudates stain or irritate the wearer's skin. Additionally, body exudates frequently aggressively adhere to the skin, increasing the difficulty of cleansing and increasing the likelihood of chronic residual contamination. The fundamental causes of this and other key problems with the absorbent articles of the technique lie in the high viscosity of the .? but. stool and the tenacity with which they adhere to their constituent water. These factors greatly inhibit the absorption of stool by conventional absorbent articles. fl) The undesirable effects of the spill and / or inadequate containment, the difficult cleaning, and / or residual contamination of the skin are especially evident with respect to fecal matter deposited in the diaper. The feces contained in the diaper can damage the wearer's skin over time and the feces that are released from the diaper almost invariably require a difficult and unpleasant cleaning. Therefore, several attempts have been made to add features to the diapers in a manner such as barriers, , | bags, spacers, transverse barriers, upper covers with openings and the like to limit the movement of the fecal material through the upper cover and / or to better confine the fecal material in the diaper. However, such attempts have generally been unsuccessful because they do not solve the root causes of these problems (ie, the stool properties) and, because of their cost and complexity. In addition, many of the means to isolate or contain feces are directed to fecal material with certain physical properties (eg, viscosity, free water content and particle size) and are not effective with exudates with physical properties outside of a range. very small. Chemical agents have been used in polymer articles superabsorbent to try to increase the osmotic potential of the polymer for purposes of increasing the effective capacity of the superabsorbent for urine. For example, EP 0420248 A1 describes the use of osmotic materials enclosed in chambers within the superabsorbent polymer particles to increase the absorption capacity. However, in such cases, the osmotic material is not available contact with any fecal material and therefore, does not function as a stool modification agent as described herein.

U.S. Patent 4,556,560 teaches the use of certain metallized salts such as lipase inhibitors. These agents are fixed to the upper cover by means of deposition using a volatile solvent. As ? it was taught, a urine drain is required to moisten the top cover and release the lipase inhibiting agent. Likewise, lipase inhibitors can be washed into the absorbent core as part of the urine discharge. These factors clearly limit people's ability to access fecal matter. U.S. Patent 4,790,836 discloses a diaper that includes a medical powder layer located between the absorbent core and a , jttj water soluble film. The medical powder is used to promote the drying of the infant's skin after the user moistens the diaper. However, as shown in Table II, below, the embodiments described in this patent do not function to provide the stool modification benefit of the present invention. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an absorbent article with improved stool management properties. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide an inexpensive disposable article with the ability to minimize the negative effects of faeces or other viscous body wastes on the user or the person attending it. It would also be advantageous to provide an article that is designed to interact chemically or physically with the feces and to change the stool properties in order to improve the acceptance of feces within the article and / or immobilization of feces within the article and / or reduce contamination of the user's skin with feces. Also, it would be desirable to provide an article having sufficient effective and retaining capacity to store physically or chemically modified feces safely and cleanly away from the user's skin and / or clothing during the expected use time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to help solve at least some of the problems described herein and found in another way in the absorbent articles of the fl fl technique. above, the present invention provides an article that includes a reducing agent to the which is available in an effective concentration to physically or chemically modify some or all of the fecal materials or other body exudates deposited in the article. The modification of the feces can improve the acceptance and / or retention of the exudates within the article to reduce the dispersion of the fecal material and / or reduce the tendency of the fecal material to adhere to the user's skin. The present invention also provides an absorbent article capable of accepting, storing and / or immobilizing the exudates in their modified form to reduce the likelihood that the waste will migrate back into the wearer's skin once the waste is infiltrated into the article. . Accordingly, the absorbent article of the present invention can reduce the likelihood of damage to the wearer's skin and / or the inconvenience to the person who attends normally associated with bowel movements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with the claims particularly indicating and claiming differently the material in question that is considered as the present invention, it is considered that the description will be better understood from the following descriptions which they are taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the designations are used to designate substantial identical elements. Figure 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article embodiment 5 of the present invention having portions cut away to reveal the underlying structure, the surface facing towards the body of the diaper facing towards the observer. Figure 2 is a plan view of one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention having portions cut away to reveal the underlying f) structure, the surface facing towards the body of the diaper facing towards the user. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an absorbent article embodiment of the present invention taken through section lines 3-3. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an absorbent article of the present invention. fl > Figure 5 is a plan view of a sanitary napkin embodiment of the present invention with portions cut away to check the underlying structure. Figure 6 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one embodiment 15 of the present invention. Figure 8 is a plan view of one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention having portions cut away to reveal the underlying structure, the surface facing towards the body of the diaper facing the wearer. Figure 9 is a schematic front view of an apparatus that can be used to measure the Acceptance Under Pressure characteristics of certain structures. Figure 10 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 5 As used herein, the term "absorbent article" refers to devices that absorb and contain body exudates, and more specifically, refers to devices that are placed against or in proximity to the body of the body. user to absorb and contain the different exudates discharged from the body. The term "disposable" is used herein to describe absorbent articles that are generally not intended to be washed or otherwise restored or reutilized as an absorbent article (ie, they are intended to be discarded after a single use and, preferably, to be recycled, composted or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner). (As used herein, the term "discarded" is used to represent that a diaper element or elements are formed (joined or placed) in a particular location or position as a unitary structure with other diaper elements. or as a separate element attached to another element of the diaper As used herein, the term "attached" encompasses configurations by which one element is directly secured to another element by fixing the element directly to the other element and configurations at the that an element is indirectly insured to another element fixing the element to an intermediate member which in turn is fixed to I another element. A "unitary" absorbent article refers to absorbent articles that are formed of separate parts joined together to form a coordinated entity so that they do not require separate handling portions such as a separate support and liner. A preferred embodiment of an absorbent article of the present invention is the unitary disposable absorbent article, diaper 20, shown in Figure 1. (As used herein, the term "diaper" refers to an absorbent article generally used by infants. and incontinent people around the lower torso). However, the present invention is also applicable to other absorbent articles such as incontinence briefs, incontinence undergarments, absorbent inserts, diaper supports and linings, feminine hygiene garments, handkerchiefs, isopos, bandages and the like. The present invention is also applicable to absorbent and non-absorbent stool collection devices which can be applied separately to the perianal region of the user. fl) Figure 1 is a plan view of the diaper 20 of the present invention in a flattened state with portions of the structure that are cut away to more clearly show the construction of the diaper 20. The portion of the diaper 20 with the wearer's stools is facing the viewer. As shown in Figure 1, the diaper 20 preferably comprises a liquid-permeable top cover 24; a back cover impermeable to liquid 26; an absorbent core 28, which is preferably fl located between at least a portion of the top cover 24 and the back cover 26; side panels 30; elastic leg cuffs 32; a characteristic of elastic waist 34; and a generally designated fastening system 40. The diaper 20 is shown in Figure 1 to have a first waist region 36, a second waist region 38 opposite the first waist region 36 and a crotch region 37. located between the first waist region and the second waist region. The periphery of the diaper 20 is defined by the outer edges of the diaper 20 in which the longitudinal edges 50 move generally parallel to the longitudinal center line 100 of the diaper 20 and the end edges 52 move between the longitudinal edges 50 generally parallel to the lateral center line 110 of the diaper 20. The structure 22 of the diaper 20 comprises the main body of the diaper 20. The structure 22 comprises at least a portion of the absorbent core 28 and preferably an outer cover layer that includes the top cover 24 and the back cover 26. If the absorbent article comprises a separate support and coating, the structure 22 generally comprises the support and the coating. (By For example, the support may comprise one or more layers of material to form the outer covering of the article and the coating may comprise an absorbent assembly that includes a top cover, a back cover, and an absorbent core. In such cases, the support and / or the liner may include a fastener that is used to hold the liner in place during the time of use). F) For unitary absorbent articles, the chassis 22 comprises the main structure of the diaper with other added features to form the structure of the composite diaper. While the top cover 24, the back cover 26, and the absorbent core 26 can be assembled in a variety of well-known configurations, preferred diaper configurations are generally described in United States Patent No. 3,860,003 entitled "Contractible Side fli Portions for Disposable Diaper" which was issued to Kenneth B. Buell on January 14, 1975; U.S. Patent No. 5,151,092 issued to Buell on September 9, 1992; and U.S. Patent No. 5,221,274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993; and U.S. Patent No. 5,554,145 entitled "Absorbent Article With Multiple Zone Structural Elastic-Like Film Web Extensible Waist Feature "which was issued for Roe et al., September 10, 1996, United States Patent No. 5,569,234 entitled" Disposable Pull-On Pant "which was issued for Buell et al., On October 29, 1996, and United States Patent No. 5,580,411 entitled "Zero Scrap Method for Manufacturing Side Panels for Absorbent Articles" which was issued 0 to Nease et al. each of which is incorporated herein by reference The back cover 26 is generally that portion of the diaper 20 positioned adjacent the facing surface toward the garment 45 of the absorbent core 28 which prevents the exudates absorbed and contained. in the same case, the articles that may be in contact with the diaper 20, such as bedclothes and underwear, are in the preferred embodiments, the cover 26 is impermeable to the liquid. s (e.g., urine) and comprises a thin plastic film such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm to about 0.051 mm. The back cover films include those fl) manufactured by Tredegar Industries Inc. of Terre Haute, IN and sold under the names commercial X15306, X10962; and X10964. Other suitable backsheet materials may include breathable materials that allow vapors to escape from the diaper 20 while preventing exudates from passing through the backsheet 26. Illustrative breathable materials may include materials such as woven wefts, non-woven wefts, etc. woven, composite materials such as non-woven wefts fl) coated with film and microporous films such as those manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Co., of Japan under the designations ESPOIR NO and by Exxon Chemical Co. of Bay City, TX under the designations 1X, under the designation EXXAIRE. Suitable breathable composites comprising polymer blends are available from Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, OH under the name HYTREL trademark P 18-15 1597. Some breathable composites are described in greater detail in PCT Application No. WO 95/16746, published on June 22, 1995 in the name of EI DuPont and US Patent Application Serial No. 08 / 744,487, filed on November 6, 1996 in the name of Curro. Other breathable back covers include nonwoven webs and films formed with 0 openings which are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,571,096 issued to Dobrin et al. on November 5, 1996. Each of these references is incorporated herein by reference. The back cover 26, or any portion thereof, may be elastically extensible in one or more directions. In one embodiment, the rear cover 26 may comprise a weft of structurally similar film ("SELF"), as described in the Patent of the United States of America No. ,518,801 entitled "Web Materials Exhibiting Elastic-üke Behavior." Which was issued for Chappell, et al., On May 21, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. .}. elastomeric, foams, filaments, or combinations of these or other materials suitable with non-woven or synthetic films. The back cover 26 may be attached to the top cover 24, the absorbent core 28 or any other element of the diaper 20 through any fastening means known in the art. For example, the fastening means may include a uniform continuous layer of adhesive, a patterned adhesive layer, or a fl) arrangement of separate lines, spirals or spots of adhesive. Alternatively, the joining means may comprise thermal joints, pressure joints, ultrasonic joints, dynamic mechanical joints, or any other suitable joining means or combinations of these joining means as is known in the art. The upper cover 24 is preferably compliant, soft touch and not irritant to the user's skin. In addition, at least one serving day covered top 24 is permeable to liquid, allowing liquids to easily penetrate through its thickness. A suitable top cover 24 can be manufactured from a wide range of materials, such as porous foams; reticulated foam; plastic films with openings; woven or nonwoven webs of natural fibers (for example, wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers (for example, polyester or polypropylene fibers), or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. If the top cover includes fibers, the fibers can be spin-spun, carded, wet-stretched, melt-blown, hydroentangling, or otherwise processed as is known in the art. A suitable top cover 24 comprises a fiber length polypropylene fiber web that is manufactured by Veratec, Inc., a Division of International Company, of Walpole, MA under the designation P-8.

Suitable top covers of formed films are described in U.S. Patent No. 3,929,135, entitled "Absorptive Structures Having Tapered Capillaries" which was issued to Thompson on December 30, 1975; U.S. Patent No. 4,324,246 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Stain Resistant Topsheet" which was issued for Mullane et al. on April 13, 1982; U.S. Patent 4,342,314 entitled "Resilient Plástic Web Exhibiting Fiber-Like Properties", which was issued for Radel, et al. on August 3, 1982; U.S. Patent No. Flfe ^ 4,463,045 entitled "Macroscopically Expanded Three-Dimensional Plástic Web Exhibiting Non-Gloss Visible Surface and Cloth-Like Tactile Impression "which was issued for Ahr, et al., July 31, 1984, and United States Patent No. 5,006,394" Multilayer Polymeric Film "issued to Baird April 9, 1991. Other suitable top covers 30 are made in accordance with the Patents of the United States of North America Nos. 4,609,518 and 4,629,643 which were issued for Curro et al. on September 2, 1986 and December 16, 1986, respectively, and which are incorporated by reference. Such formed films are available from The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio as "DRI-WEAVE" and of Tredegar Corporation of Terre Haute, Indiana as "CLIFF-T". The top cover 24 may be made of a hydrophobic material or to be treated to be hydrophobic in order to isolate the user's skin from the liquids contained in the absorbent core 18 If the top cover 24 is made of a hydrophobic material, preferably at least the top surface of the top cover 24 is treated to be hydrophilic so that liquids are transferred through the top cover more rapidly. This decreases the likelihood that the body exudates will flow out of the top cover 24 instead of being drawn through the top cover 24 and being absorbed by the absorbent core 28. The top cover 24 can be made hydrophilic by treating it with a surfactant. or by incorporating a surfactant into the top cover. Suitable methods for fl) treating the top cover 24 with a surfactant or incorporating an agent surfactant on the top cover is described in the United States Patent of North America No. 4,988,344 entitled "Absorbent Articles with Multiple Layer Absorbent Layers" issued for Reising et al. on January 29, 1991 and U.S. Patent No. 4,988,345 entitled "Absorbent Articles with Rapid Acquiring Absorbent Cores" issued to Reising on January 29, 1991, and the Invention Registry < fl | Statutory Auditor of the United States of America No. H1670, published on July 1, 1997 in the name of Aziz et al. Each of these references is incorporated herein by reference thereto. Alternatively, the top cover 24 may include a web or film which is hydrophobic. This can be achieved by eliminating the hydrophilization treatment step from the production process and / or by applying a hydrophobic treatment to the topcoat 24, such as a polytetrafluoroethylene compound such as SCOTCHGUARD or a hydrophobic lotion composition, as described below. In such embodiments, it is preferred that the openings be large enough to allow the penetration of aqueous fluids such as urine without significant resistance. Any portion of the diaper cover 24 can be coated with a lotion as is known in the art. Examples of suitable lotions include those described in U.S. Patent No. 5,607,760 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing an Emollient and a Poiyol Polyester Immobilizing Agent" which was issued to Roe on March 4, 5 of 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,609,587 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotion Topsheet Comprising A Liquid Poiyol Polyester Emollient And An Immobilizing Agent" which was issued to Roe on March 11, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,635,121 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing A Polysiloxane Emollient" which was issued to Roe et al. on June 3, 1997; and U.S. Patent No. 5,643,588 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet" which was issued for Roe et al. on July 1 1997. The lotion can work alone or in combination with another agent as hydrophobization treatment described above. The top cover may include or be treated with antibacterial agents, some examples of which are described in PCT Publication No. WO 95/24173 entitled "Absorbent Articles Containing Antibacterial Agents in the fl) Topsheet For Odor Control" which was published on September 14, 1995 on behalf of Theresa Johnson. In addition, the top cover 24, the back cover 26 or any portion of the top cover or back cover may be etched and / or matte finished to provide a more garment-like appearance. The upper cover 24 is preferably positioned adjacent to the body surface 47 of the absorbent core 28 and can be attached thereto and / or to the back cover 26 through any joining means known in the art. Suitable attachment means were described above with respect to the means for attaching the back cover 26 to the other elements of the diaper 20. The absorbent core 28 can comprise any absorbent material known in the art. The absorbent core 28 can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (eg, rectangular, hourglass-shaped, "T" -shaped, asymmetrical, etc.) and can comprise a wide variety of absorbent materials of liquids commonly used in disposable diapers and other absorbent articles such as crushed wood pulp, which is generally referred to as an air felt. Examples of other suitable absorbent materials include folded cellulose wadding; meltblown polymers, which includes coform; chemically stiffened, modified or interlaced cellulose fibers; tissue paper, which includes tissue paper wrappers and tissue paper laminates; absorbent foams; sponges fl) absorbers; superabsorbent polymers; absorbent gelling materials; or any other material or combination of known materials. The configuration and construction of the absorbent core 28 may also be varied, (e.g., the absorbent cores or other absorbent structures may have zones of varying gauge, a hydrophilic gradient, a superabsorbent gradient, or a lower average density and acquisition zones. weight of fl) lower average base; or may comprise one or more layers or structures). However, the total absorbent capacity of the absorbent core 28 must be compatible with the design load and intended use of the diaper 20. Illustrative absorbent structures for use as the absorbent core are described in U.S. Patent 4,610,678 entitled "High-Density Absorbent Structure" issued for Weisman et al. September 9, 1986; U.S. Patent 4,673,402 entitled "Absorbent Articles With Dual-Layered Cores" issued to Weisman et al. on June 16, 1987; U.S. Patent 4,834,735, entitled "High Density Absorbing Members Having Lower Density and Lower Basis Weight Acquisition Zones", issued for Alemany et al. on May 30, 1989; the United States Patent of North American 4,888,231 entitled "Absorbent Core Having A Dusting Layer" issued for Angstadt on December 19, 1989; U.S. Patent No. 5,137,537 entitled "Absorbent Structure Containing Individualized, PolycarboxylicAcids Croslinked Wood Pulp Cellulose Fibers" issued to Herron et al. on August 11, 5 1992; U.S. Patent 5,147,345 entitled "High Efficiency Absorbent Articles for Incontinence Management "issued to Young et al., September 15, 1992; United States Patent 5,342,338 entitled" Disposable Absorbent Article For Low-Viscosity Fecal Material "issued to Roe on August 30, 1994 U.S. Patent No. 5,260,345 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials For Aqueous Body Fluids and Absorbent Articles Containing Such Materials "issued for DesMarais et al. On November 9, 1993; U.S. Patent No. 5,387,207 entitled "Thin-Until-Wet Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Body Fluids and Process for Making Same" issued to Dyer et al. on February 7, 1995; and U.S. Patent No. 5,625,222 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials For Aqueous fl | Fluids Made From high International Phase Emulsion Having Very High Water-To-Oil Ratios "issued to DesMarais et al. On July 22, 1997. Each of these patents is incorporated by reference herein The diaper 20 may also comprise one or more waist features 34 to assist in providing improved fit and containment. The characteristic of elastic waist 34 can be considered in a number of different configurations including those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,515,595 issued to Kievit et al. on May 7, 1985; U.S. Patent No. 4,710,189 issued to Lash on December 1, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 5, 151, 092 issued to Buell on September 9 September 20, 1992; and U.S. Patent No. 5,221, 274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993. Other suitable waist configurations may include waist covering features such as those described in the United States Patent. No. 5,026,364 issued to Robertson on June 25, 1991 and United States Patent No. 4,816,025 issued to Foreman on March 28, 1989. All references mentioned above are hereby incorporated by reference.

The diaper 20 may also include a fastening system 40. The fastening system 40 preferably maintains the first waist region 36 and the second waist region 38 in an overlapping configuration to provide lateral stresses f) around the circumference of the diaper 20 to hold diaper 20 on the user. He fastening system 40 preferably comprises tape tabs and / or hook and loop components, although any other known fastening means are generally acceptable. Some illustrative fastening systems are described in United States Patent 3,848,594 entitled "Tape Fastening System for Disposable Diaper" issued to Buell on November 19, 1974; United States of America patent B1 4,662,875 entitled "Absorbent Article" issued to Hirotsu et al. on May 5, 1987; U.S. Patent 4,846,815 entitled "Disposable Diaper Having An Improved Fastening Device" issued to Spripts on July 11, 1989; U.S. Patent 4,894,060 entitled "Disposable Diaper With Improved Hook Fastener Portion "issued to Nestegard on January 16, 1990; United States Patent 4,946,527 entitled" Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Fastner and Method of Making Same "issued to Battrell on August 7, 1990, and referred to hereinafter hereby U.S. Patent 5,151,092 issued to Buell on September 9, 1992, and U.S. Patent No. 0 5,221, 274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993. The fastener may also provide means for holding the article in a disposable configuration as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,963,140 issued to Robertson et al. on October 16, 1990. Each of these patents is incorporated in the present by reference Some illustrative hooks are available from Aplix under the trade names 960E and 960D.The appropriate clips are available from 3M under the trade name commercial EBL and Guilford under the trade designation 18904. In alternative embodiments, the opposite sides of the garment may be sewn or welded to form a pair of pants to allow the article to be used as a training-type diaper. fl) The diaper 20 may also include side panels 30 constructed and joined to the structure in a suitable configuration. Examples of diapers with elasticized side panels are described in United States Patent 4,857,067, entitled "Disposable Diaper Having Shirred Ears", issued to Wood, et al. on August 15, 1989; U.S. Patent 4,381,781 issued to Sciaraffa, et al. on May 3, 1983; United States Patent of fl) North America 4,938,753 issued to Van Gompel, et al. on July 3, 1990; the Patent of the United States of America hereinafter referred to in No. 5,151,092 issued to Buell on September 9, 1992; and U.S. Patent No. 5, 221, 274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993; U.S. Patent No. 5,669,897 issued to LaVon, et al. on September 23, 1997 entitled "Absorbent Articles Whit Provedíng Sustained Dynamic Fít "; EPO Publication No. WO 95/13775 A1, published May 26, 1995 entitled" Absorbent Article Whit Multi-Directional Extensible Side Panels ", each of which is incorporated herein by reference. diaper 20 preferably includes leg folds 32 to assist 0 provide improved containment of liquids and other body exudates Leg folds can also be referred to as leg bands, side flaps, barrier folds or elastic folds, Patent US Pat. No. 3,860,003 discloses a disposable diaper that provides a contractile leg opening having a side flap and one or more elastic members to provide an elasticized leg crease (a fold of gaskets). North America Nos. 4,808,178 and 4,909,803 issued to Aziz et al. on February 28, 1989 and March 20, 1990, respectively, describe disposable diapers having "upright" elastified fins (barrier folds) that improve the containment of the leg regions. The United States patents of North America Nos. 4,695,278 and 4,795,454 issued to Lawson on September 22, 1987 and Dragoo on January 3, 1989, respectively, disclose disposable diapers having double pleats, including tie folds and barrier folds. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to treat all or a portion of the leg folds with a lotion, as described above. The embodiments of the present invention may also include bags f) for receiving and containing waste, separators that provide waste spaces, barriers to limit the movement of waste in the article, hollow compartments that accept and contain the waste materials deposited in the diaper. and the like, or any combinations thereof. Examples of bags and sappers for use in the absorbent products are described in the United States Patent North America 5, S14,191 issued to Roe et al. on May 7, 1996, entitled "Diaper Having Expulsive Spacer; "US Pat. No. 5,171,236 issued to Dreier et al. On December 15, 1992, entitled" Disposable Absorbent Article Having Core Spacers ", United States Patent 5,397,318 issued to Dreier on December 14, 1992. March 1995, entitled "Absorbent Article Having 0 A Poket Cuff"; U.S. Patent 5,540,671 issued to Dreier on July 30, 1996, entitled "Absorbent Article Having A Poket Cuff With An Apex"; and PCT Application WO 93/25172 published December 3, 1993, entitled "Spacers For Use In Higienic Absorbent Articles And Disposable Absorbent Articles Having Such Spacer"; and U.S. Patent 5,306,266, 5 entitled "Flexible Spacers For Use In Disposable Absorbent Articles", issued for Freeland on April 26, 1994. Examples of compartments or voids are described in U.S. Patent 4,968,312, entitled "Disposable Fecal Compartmenting Diaper," issued to Khan on November 6, 1990; U.S. Patent 4,990,147, entitled "Absorbent Articles With fl) Elastic Liner For Waste Material Isolation", issued to Freeland on February 5, 1991; , United States Patent 5,62,840, entitled "Disposable Diapers ", issued to Holt et al on November 5, 1991, and United States Patent 5,269,755 entitled" Trisection Topsheets For Disposable Absorbent Articles And Disposable Absorbent Articles Having Such Trisection Topsheets ", issued for Freeland et al. December 1993. Examples of suitable transverse fl) barriers are described in the US Pat.

North America No. 5,554,142 entitled "Absorbent Article Having Multiple Effective Height Transverse Partition" issued on September 10, 1996 in the name of Dreier et al .; PCT Patent WO 94/14395 entitled "Absorbent Article Having An Upstanding Transverse Partition" published July 7, 1994 in the name of Freeland, et al .; and the Patent of the United States of America 5,653,703"Absorbent Article Having Angular Upstanding Transverse Partition, issued on August 5, 1997 for Roe, et al. All references cited above are incorporated herein by reference. The article of the present invention may also include one or more stool modifying agents ("FMAs", "body waste modifying agents").

Viscous "," modifying agents "or" agents ") in an effective concentration capable of modifying the chemical or physical properties of viscous body wastes, such as feces and menstrual discharges. "faeces" (or FMA) refers to any chemical composition capable of increasing the hardness of a certain faecal analogue, or preferably real faeces, by at least approximately 100% or decrease the hardness of a certain faecal analog or preferably real faeces, by at least about 25%, as measured in the Hardness Method described below. Depending on the particular article design and the type of stool, the modalities are contemplated to increase or decrease the effective viscosity of the feces, increase or decrease the ease of fl) dehydration of the feces, decrease the stickiness or adhesion characteristics of the feces. stools, or any combination of the above. Although the stool modifying agents of the present invention may be capable of modifying the properties of solid stool, FMAs are generally more effective in altering the properties of viscous fluid feces which generally have a viscosity of more than about 10 cP and less than about 107 cP at a speed of fl | shear stress of 1 / sec, (at approximately 35 degrees C), and more particularly between approximately 102 CP and 107 CP at a shear rate 1 / sec, in a controlled voltage rheometry using parallel plates on a rheometer controlled tension. (For reference, the water is at 1.0 cP at 20 degrees C and Jif Creamy peanut butter (available from Procter &Gamble Co., Cinti., OH) is at approximately 4 X105 cP at 25 degrees C at the same shear rate). The method for determining viscosity, as used herein, is described in detail in the test methods section below. Regardless of the specific effect of the chemical agent on the stool, the agent must be available for stool in order to perform its function. How is it used in the present, in the context of the FMAs. the term "available" indicates that the agent is placed within the article or presented by the article or a component of the article during the course of normal use of the article to make direct contact with at least a portion of the stool deposited in the article or on the user's skin. The agent is placed inside a structure (for example, in an absorbent layer under a top cover), the structure must be substantially penetrable in the feces. In such cases, the agent is "available" if the structure has Acceptance Under Pressure greater than about 0.50 g / cm2 / J, and preferably greater than about 1.0 g / cm2 / J, as measured by the measurement of acceptance described in the Methods section below. If the agent is encapsulated, it must ^ be released by the article at or approximately at the time when the stool impact the article. For example, the FMA can be retained by a water soluble film, which, upon contact with urine or fecal water, dissolves and releases the FMA for contact with the feces. An "effective concentration" of an FMA, as used herein, refers to the relative amount of agent required to have a median effect on fl} Hardness (as measured by the Hardness Method described below) of at least a portion of the stool in the article or on the wearer's skin. The data illustrating an "effective concentration" are given below. Preferably, a concentration of an FMA of at least about 0.01 weight percent of the feces to be treated is desirable, and most commonly between about 0.1 and approximately 50 percent by weight of stool is available for stool. For example, to treat a fecal load of 25 grams in a diaper (ie, a "volume" treatment) at a percentage level of 5 percent, 1.25 grams of FMA should be available for fecal mass (assuming that the specific gravity of the stool is 1.0). Therefore, the FMA is preferably present in the article in 0 concentrations ranging from about 0.001% to about . 0% by weight of the article. However, commonly the concentration is between about 0.01 and about 20 weight percent of the article. The FMA is preferably capable of reducing the hardness of a fecal analogue, and preferably actual feces, by about 25% (and preferably 5 about 50%) at a concentration of no more than about 20 weight percent of the faeces that are they will treat at room temperature (20-25 ° C). More preferably, the FMA is capable of reducing the hardness of a fecal analogue or actual feces by about 25% (and preferably about 50%) at a concentration of no more than about 10 weight percent of the faeces to be try. Even more preferably, the FMA is able to reduce the hardness of a fecal analogue or actual feces in approximately 25% (and preferably at least 50%) at a concentration of no more than about 5 weight percent of the faeces to be treated. In other preferred embodiments, the FMA is capable of reducing the hardness of the faecal analogue or actual feces by 25% (and preferably about 50%) at a concentration of not more than about 1 weight percent of the fl} stools that are going to be treated. In other preferred modalities, the FMA is able to reduce the Hardness of a fecal analogue or actual feces in about 25% (and preferably about 50%) at a concentration of no more than about 0.5 weight percent of the faeces to be treated. Commonly, the FMA is able to reduce the hardness of a fecal analogue or real feces by approximately 25% (and from preferably around 50%) at a concentration of between about 0.1 and about 10 weight percent of the faeces to be treated. Preferably, the reduction defined in Hardness is carried out in the range between about 30 minutes, more preferably in about 15 minutes, even more preferably in about 5 minutes, even more preferably in about 3 minutes, and most preferably in about 3 minutes. about 1 minute after contact with the stool. Commonly, the desired Hardness change is made within the range of about 1 minute to about 10 minutes. In the most preferred embodiments, the decrease defined in Hardness is effected in about 3 minutes at an FMA concentration of 5 no more than about 5% by weight of the faeces to be treated or in 3 minutes at a concentration of FMA of about 1.5% by weight of the stool to be treated. In other preferred embodiments, the FMA is capable of reducing the hardness of a fecal analog, or actual feces by about 50% in about 3 minutes at a concentration of no more than about 5%. fl) The reference hardness values of two fecal analogue materials synthetics are presented in Table I. (Hardness has been found to be closely related to the complex stool module.) Analog A represents the water content, hardness and adhesion properties of "dripping" feces, in so much so that analog B represents typical "pasty" stools. Two consistencies of the feces are simulated to better illustrate the activity of the FMAs. The analogous flk preparation methods A and B are described in the Test Methods section below.

TABLE 1 Fecal analogue Fecal analogue hardness A 8.6 B 620 Fecal analogues A and B provide strong and repeatable means to evaluate the performance of FMA. However, real stools are a very material complex. For certain chemical treatments, the FMA effect may be greater for real stools than for any of the analogues described above. For one of the evaluated agents, the hardness data are presented in terms of change in hardness for analogues of faeces and real faeces, in order to demonstrate similarity in the response relative to the treatment, the actual feces used in the experiments consist of a compound of 0 stools "dripping". The sample of faeces that drip composed was deposited using several intestinal movements (not contaminated by urine) produced by two male infants of four months of age fed by the mother, North Americans. Stool deposition was achieved by Seward Stomacher 400 Lab System from Seward Medical, Ltd. of London, UK. For reference, the hardness of the faeces that drip untreated spills, (ie, how they were collected) was 28 fl) grams. 5 The effect of combining several comparative examples with fecal analogues is illustrated in Table II below. All materials were mixed with the faecal analogue as described below in the Sample Preparation Method. As is evident from the above data, the desired changes in a Hardness were not achieved through comparative materials.

• TABLE II Concentration Hardness Analog Fecal Analogue Comparative Additive (% by weight) Fecal Treated (g) To Corn Starch 1.0 12.6 (Dietary Fiber Control, 5.0 8.6 Sigma Chemical Co., 14.4 St. Louis, MO, S-2388) 1.0 7.1 A Talc Infantile of Starch 5.0 10.2 Pure Maize (Johnson &1.15 643 Johnson, Co., Skillman, NJ) 1.1 533 A Talc infant (tale) 4.9 (Johnson &Johnson, Co) 854 B Corn Starch 1.0 679 (Dietary Fiber Control, 5.0 Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO, S-2388) B Infantile talc (Johnson &Johnson, Co) The stool modification agent of the present invention may include one or more "water release" agents for separation of the liquid portion of the stool (ie, water) from the solid structure of the stool and / or reducing the degree 15 of "union" of the water of the faeces to the solid components of the same. Without wanting to link theory it is considered that faeces comprise water in several states. For example, feces include free water, bound water (bound water can be maintained in a "colloidal" structure by means of an electric double layer on the surface of the particles, organized in a polymeric "gel" structure, associated with others charged elements in the fecal matter, and trapped water (for example, inside ^ p! of bacteria). It is also considered that the solid and polymer components of the faeces act to organize the linked water in higher energy states (ie, it requires more energy to separate the water from the matrix compared to free water or "unbound" water.) (The solid components of feces (soluble and insoluble) generally include one or more of the following undigested food materials (eg fiber), bacteria, mucins in the form of macromolecular glycoproteins, long chain polysaccharides, fats, soaps, protein globules and It is considered that mucins are a primary contributor to the structure (ie, water retention capacity, viscosity, and elasticity) of low viscosity stools such as bowel movements in motion. Long-term effects of mucins are significantly improved by the polymerization of glycoproteins by entanglement by disulfide bonds. The water content of viscous body wastes such as fecal material is relatively high, and generally greater than 50%, and often between about 60% and about 95% by weight. However, conventional absorbent articles are unable to separate too much water from the fecal matrix 0 or significantly interrupt the fecal matrix. (As used herein, the term "fecal matrix" refers to feces in their entirety, including any solid or soluble components such as biopolymer). Therefore, very little of the feces (usually only a portion of the free water) is actually absorbed so that it can be adequately contained. In order to improve the efficiency of the absorbent structure with respect to faeces, the FMAs of the present invention can include "water release" agents that act to remove the binding and / or trapped water from the fecal matrix and / or interrupting the fecal matrix structure, thereby increasing the relative amount of feces that can break the structure of the fecal matrix and increase the relative amount of stool that an absorbent structure can penetrate. "Released water" in the stool or the like can remain within the mass of the feces resulting in reduced stool viscosity, or completely separated from the feces, forming two distinct phases, water and the remaining faeces. If the water is completely separated, the remaining faeces (that is, the phase without water) becomes significantly harder. In the absence of absorbent materials in contact with feces, the release of water from fl} Fecal matrix decreases the viscosity of the general fecal mass allowing the liquid portion of the fecal material to flow more freely. The decrease in stool in the viscosity promotes its penetration into an acceptance element or absorbent structure. The greater penetration of the absorbent structure, in turn, increases the likelihood that the absorbent article will be able to store and / or immobilize the waste away from the user's skin. Accordingly, the overall performance of the absorbent article can be significantly improved. The release of water may be caused by destabilization of the colloidal or gel nature of the feces and preferably decreases the viscosity of the feces and increases their ability to flow in the absorbent structure, and 0 may improve the ability of any absorbent materials in contact with the stools treated to dehydrate and immobilize them. However, in some embodiments it may be undesirable to have the immobilization on the surface of the absorbent structure because the solid fraction of the stool may be accessible to the user. Therefore, it may be preferred to limit the contact of the feces with the absorbent medium until the feces have penetrated the structure to the desired depth or location for immobilization away from the user. In such embodiments, the viscosity of the feces is preferably lessened on the surface of, or prior to contact with, the absorbent structure, and dehydrated and / or immobilized once it has sufficiently penetrated the structure. The Stool Modification Agents that act to decrease the The viscosity of the feces as described above include, but are not limited to, reducing agents. For example, agents that reduce disulfide bonds, (-SS bonds) as found in the colonic mucosa (the colonic mucosa generally comprises macromolecular glycoporteins bound by disulfide bonds) can effect a significant viscosity reduction in the stool that fl) has high mucosal content. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is considered that the reduction of mucin disulfide bonds (which function as entanglements between the mucin polymer chains) significantly reduces the average molecular weight of the glycoprotein structure in the stool. such as faeces that drip to a level well below the "gel point" of the mucin (ie, the long distance structure becomes impossible due to the relatively small size of the glycoproteins). Illustrative reducing agents include sulfites such as sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite and sodium dithionite, thiols and thiol alcohols (eg, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and dithioerythritol), mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thiolactic acid, thioglycoamide, glycerol monothioglycolate, borohydride (for example sodium borohydride), ternary amines, thiocyanates such as sodium thiocyanate, thiosulfates such as sodium thiosulfate, cyanides, such as sodium cyanide, thiophosphates such as sodium thiophosphate, arsenites, such as sodium arsenites, phosphines, such as triphenylphosphine, phenols, such as thiophenol and p-nitrophenol, betaines and others including but not limited to lithium aluminum hydride, aluminum chloride, guanidine hydrochloride, stannous chloride, hydroxylamine and LiHB ( C2H5) 3. The viscosity reduction performance of the representative reducing agent (mixed with a faecal analogue and actual feces as described in the Sample Preparation Method in the Test Methods section below) is illustrated in the data in Table III: Any of the reducing agents described above can be used to improve the ease of penetration of feces into an absorbent structure and by releasing water from the solid matrix of the feces by reducing the macromolecular gel character of the feces, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the stool. the stool before contact with the absorbent medium. While in certain embodiments it is desirable to treat the entire mass of the feces within the article (ie, "volume" treatment), in some preferred only a portion of the feces is treated with the FMA. This may be preferable from a point of view of using FMA or to eliminate the need for mixing of the FMA within the fecal mass. For example, it may be suitable to treat only feces at the skin / stool interface (for example to reduce adhesion and / or promote cleaning or reduce dispersion through the user's skin or to promote absorption or to reduce dispersion. within the article). Therefore, to treat a 1 millimeter thick layer of a fecal mass over a 30 cm square area of the skin or the top cover of the article at a level of 10 weight percent, 0.30 grams of FMA should be available for the stool in the region of contact with the feces (assuming that the specific gravity of the feces is 1.0). In various embodiments, the FMA can be organic or inorganic, of low molecular weight or polymeric nature and / or can be liquid, solid (eg, powder, fiber, film, weft), semi-solid or combinations thereof. The FMA can be presented in a water / oil or oil / water emulsion, a suspension or mixture. The FMA may be placed in the article as an individual discrete element (eg as a fibrous cotton sheet or layer within or attached to the article) or may be held in or on a carrier vehicle, such as a lotion. or skin care composition (described below), a weft, or can be releasably encapsulated in a package, cell or shell structure. In the modalities where the FMA provided by means of a The skin care composition may be soluble in the skin care composition or it may be kept in suspension or as a simple mixture. The larger FMA particles (eg, preferably greater than about 250 microns in their largest dimension), can be at least partially embedded in or adhesively held by the skin care composition. Some illustrative materials useful in skin care compositions that can be used in the embodiments of the present invention include Category I assets as defined by the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) about Pharmacological Skin Protective Products for Sale and Human Use, which currently includes allantoin, aluminum hydroxide gel, calamine, cocoa butter, dimethicone, cod liver oil (in combination), glycerin, kaolin, petrolatum, lanolin, mineral oil, shark liver oil, white petrolatum, talc, topical starch, zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide and the like. Other potentially useful materials are Category III assets as defined by the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration's on Skin Pharmaceutical Products for Sale and Use Human which include: derivatives of live priming cell, aldioxa, aluminum acetate, microporous cellulose, cholecalciferol, colloidal oat, cysteine hydrochloride, dexpantanol, balsam oil from Peru, protein hydrolysates, racemethionine, sodium bicarbonate, vitamin A and similar. Many of the skin care ingredients cited in the FDA monograph are currently used in care products} for commercially available skin, such as Ointment A and D®, Petrolato Jelly VASELINA®, Ointment Against Diaper Urticaria DESITIN® And Daily Care Ointment, GOLD BOND® Medicated Baby Talcum, AQUAPHOR® Healing Ointment, BABY MAGIC® Infant Lotion, Johnson's Infant Lotion, JOHNSON'S ULTRA SENSITIVE® Baby Cream, balms labials, etc. Other compositions of skin care are described in detail in the US Patent No.5, 643, 588, North American Patent No. 5, 607, 760, North American Patent No. 5,609,587, and US Patent No. 5,635,191. The descriptions of each of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. The skin care compositions useful in the present invention preferably have a melting profile so that they are relatively immobile and located on the surface which makes contact with the user of the article at room temperature, are easily transferable to the user at room temperature. environment and are not even completely liquid under extreme storage conditions. Preferably, the compositions are easily transferable to the skin by means of normal contact, user movement and / or body heat. In preferred embodiments, the skin care compositions useful herein are solid or more frequently semi-solid, at 20 ° C, ie at room temperature. By "semi-solids" it is implied that the composition has a typical rheology of pseudoplastic liquids or plastics. When shear is not applied, the compositions may have the appearance of a semi-solid, although they can be made to flow as the shear rate increases. This is due to the fact that, while the compositions may contain mainly solid components, they may also include some minor liquid components. Preferably, the compositions of the present invention have a zero shear viscosity between about 1.0 X 106 centipoise and fl} approximately 1.0 X 108 centipoise. More preferably, the zero shear viscosity is between about 5.0 X 106 centipoise and about 5.0 X 107 centipoise. As used herein "zero shear viscosity" refers to a viscosity measured at very low shear rates (eg, 1 / sec) using a plate and cone viscometer (a suitable instrument is available from TA Instruments of New Castle, DE HOW model number CSL 100). One skilled in the art would recognize that by using means other than high melting point components that can be used to provide comparable viscosities. For example, the lotion could be provided with a structure having a zero or high shear viscosity, although, in the application of shear, such structure collapses with a resultant reduction in viscosity (compositions of this type are said to have an elastic value). This structure can be provided through certain clay materials, such as ventonite clays, or montmorillonite clays and by smoked silica. Particularly preferred are the fumed silicas as available from Cabot Corp., Cab_o-Sil Div. Of Tuscola, IL as CAB-O-SIL. An experienced person would also recognize that the zero shear viscosity of such compositions can be measured by extrapolating a viscosity plot versus shear rate to a shear rate of zero. Such viscosity measurements should be conducted at a temperature of approximately 20 ° C. ) The carrier vehicle of skin care composition may include a useful active ingredient such as one or more skin protectants or emollients. As used herein, the term "emollients" refers to a material that protects against moisture or irritation, softens, mitigates, soothes, coats, lubricates, moisturizes, protects and / or cleanses the skin. (It will be recognized that several of the assets in the monograph listed above are "emollients" since that term is used herein). In a preferred embodiment, the emollients will have a plastic or liquid consistency at ambient temperatures, i.e. about 20 ° C. Such consistency allows the composition to impart a feeling similar to lubricating and gentle lotion. Representative emollients useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, emollients that are petrolatum based; ester fatty acids sucrose; polyethylene glycol and derivatives thereof, humectants; type of fatty acid ether; type of alkyl ethoxylate, fatty acid ester ethoxylates; type of fatty alcohol; type of polysiloxane; propylene glycol and derivatives thereof, glycerin and derivatives thereof, including glycerides, acetoglycerides, and ethoxylated glycerides of C12-C28 fatty acids; triethylene glycol and derivatives thereof, whale sperm or other waxes; fatty acids; fatty alcohol ethers; particularly those having from 12 to 28 carbon atoms in their fatty chain, such as stearic acid; propoxylated fatty alcohols; other fatty esters of polyhydroxy alcohols; lanolin and its derivatives; Caolina and its derivatives; Caolina and its derivatives; and any of the skin care agents in the monograph listed above; or mixtures of these emollients. Another preferred component with carrier vehicles of skin care composition useful in the present invention is an agent capable of immobilizing the composition (includes the preferred emollient and / or other conditioning, therapeutic or skin protecting agents and / or FMA (s) present in the composition) in the desired location or in the treated article. The immobilization agent can counteract the tendency of an amygid emollient to flow keeping the emollient localized mainly on the surface or in the region of the article to which the composition is applied. This is considered to be due, in part, to the fact that the immobilization agent raises the melting point and / or the viscosity of the composition over that of the emollient. Since the immobilizing agent is preferably miscible with the emollient (or solubilized in the emollient with the aid of the appropriate emulsifier or fl am dispersed therein), it traps the emollient on the user's contact surface of the article or on the region to which it applies. It is also advantageous to "lock" the immobilization agent on the contact surface of the user or the region of the article to which it is applied. This can be achieved through the use of immobilizing agents which quickly fix (is say solidify) to the application to the article. In addition, the external cooling of the treated article by means of blowers, fans, cold rollers, etc., can expedite the crystallization of the immobilization agent. In addition to being miscible, (or solubilized in) the emollient, the immobilizing agent preferably has a melting profile that provides a composition that is solid or semi-solid at room temperature. In this regard, the preferred immobilizing agents have a melting point of at least about 35 ° C. This prevents the immobilizing agent from having a tendency to migrate or flow. Immobilizing agents will have melting points of at least about 40 ° C, and more typically on the scale from about 50 ° C to about 150 ° C. Immobilization agents suitable for use in the present invention can be solved from any of a number of agents, while the preferred properties of the skin care composition provide the benefits described above. Preferred immobilizing agents generally ^) comprise a member selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohols CH-C22, C? 2-C22 fatty acids and C12-C22 fatty alcohol ethoxylates having an average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 2 to about 30, and mixtures thereof. Preferred immobilizing agents include C 6 -C 8 fatty alcohols, preferably high crystalline melting point materials selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and mixtures of fl) thereof. (The linear structure of these materials can expedite solidification on the treated absorbent article). Other preferred immobilizing agents include C16-C18 fatty acids, preferably selected from the group consisting of palmitic acid, stearic acid, and mixtures thereof. Blends of palmitic acid and stearic acid are particularly preferred. Other preferred immobilizing agents include C18-d8 fatty alcohol ethoxylates having an average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 5 to about 20. Preferably, the fatty alcohols, the fatty acids and the fatty alcohols are linear. Importantly, those preferred immobilizing agents such as C 16 -C 18 fatty alcohols increase the rate of crystallization of the composition causing the composition to crystallize rapidly on the surface of the substrate. Other types of ingredients suitable for use as immobilizing agents, either alone or in combination with the above-mentioned immobilizing agents, include waxes, such as carnauba, ozokerite, beeswax, candelilla, paraffin, ceresin, esparto, ouricuri, rezowax, Isoparaffin and other known mineral and mineral waxes. 5 The Stool Modifying Agent can be supplied to the stool directly by transferring the FMA to the stool or it can be transferred initially to the user's skin or other item of the article before being transferred to the stool. The carrier vehicle may be integral with the disposable article or may constitute or be a component of, a separate item to be applied to the user (preferably at least over the perianal region) before, or in lieu of a diaper, underpants, underwear or other item. The means for attaching the FMA to a carrier vehicle can include any means known in the art, such as adhesives (particularly water-soluble adhesives), hydrogen bonding, releasable encapsulation, spraying, coating and the like. The hydrogen bonding of the FMA to the substrate can be effected f) by a light station of either the FMA or at least a portion of the substrate with water. Upon drying, the FMA is releasably fixed to the substrate (ie, subsequent contact with liquid water will break the bond). This effect is improved by those FMAs that become "gel" and become sticky when moistened (for example alginic acid and derivatives, etc.). Moistening can be achieved by submitting be the FMA, substrate or both in a high humidity environment (for example a relative humidity of 80% or higher) before or at the time of contact. Alternatively, water may be dispersed, sprayed, or atomized on at least a portion of the agent or substrates prior to or at the time of contact. In such cases, the structure is preferably dried before incorporation into a article. In other preferred embodiments, the FMA may be associated with a seal such as a leg fold, waist barrier, waist band, waste bag or with separate stool elements. In embodiments where the FMA is associated with a joint element such as the leg fold, the waistband or the waste bag, it is preferable that the FMA be associated with the portion of the joint placed closer to the point. of the waste from the user (for example, the rectum for the stool). In certain preferred embodiments, the FMA is releasably attached to the surface of the joint material to promote the treatment of stool contacting the joint. The FMA can be releasably attached to the surface of the joint through any of the means described above or others means known in the art. In other embodiments, the FMA is releasably encapsulated at or near at least a portion of the joint surface. In embodiments that include stool separator elements, any portion of the spacer element may comprise one or more FMAs. The separating element can be releasably coated with the agent as described above can comprise fl} cells, tacks, or pouches of the covered agent, at least in part, with a film soluble in water or with feces (as described above). The FMA can make contact with the feces on or near the surfaces of the article (for example in the upper cover / stool interface), within the article (as in the waste management element 120 as described below) or in a lateral surface of the body of the fecal mass (ie, that has been transferred first to the skin or other surface on the plane of the article). Typically, the FMA will make contact with the feces in the article region associated with the user's rectum (e.g., the crotch region in a diaper context). Faeces may alternately contact the FMA as it passes through a hole, flank, valve or similar on or near the user's rectum. In such cases, the FMA can be expressed or extracted from the orifice or valve (for example from containers) by the pressure of the passing of the feces as they are extruded from the body. The orifice may comprise a slot, slit or perforation in a sheet, envelope, package or other structure containing the FMA or composition comprising an FMA positioned in proximity to the exit point of the stool from the body. The orifice can be sealed initially by soluble film which is dissolved by contact with the feces, releasing the agent or composition. Alternatively, the orifice may be opened as the structure is deformed by the passage or pressure of the feces. The pressure of stool, in addition to body pressure and movement can help in the expression of P! FMA through the hole to the stool. 5 The FMA can be supplied passively (eg the feces flow and make contact with it during normal conditions of use), actively (eg an item in the item responds to a signal and supplies / releases the FMA to the stool ) or by means of a secondary carrier (for example a powder or other skin care composition transferred to the user's skin). The supply of fl) FMA to the faeces can occur as a result of the extrusion pressure of the feces, the temperature, the weight, the enzymatic activity, the water content and / or the pH; the presence of urine (for example, sudden release of urine from the agent in response to or in anticipation of defecation); body movements, pressure or heat; or any other activator or event during the use cycle of the article. The FMA may initially be stored within or in the article or in any portion thereof and be subsequently released by any of the activating events described herein. In certain preferred embodiments, the FMA is releasably encapsulated under a film, in cells, plugs, shells and the like to prevent migration and / or loss of the agent before the article is impacted by the stool and / or to assist in the placement of the FMA for contact with the stool during use. The film cover, cells, studs or other "containers" for the agent may comprise a water soluble film on at least the surface area that contacts the stool of the container. Water from urine, feces, or other dissolved stools dissolves the film releasing the agent (for example, the release activation) to make contact and treat feces. An example of a water soluble film useful in the present invention is a polyvinyl alcohol film available as MONOSOL M7031 from Chris Craft industrial products of South Holland, IL or HL1636 from H. B. Fuller Co. of St. Paul, MN. Alternatively, the film may be soluble only in the presence of certain fecal enzymes (such as trypsin) or in ^ P certain pH ranges. 5 The release of the agent can be rapid (as in the case of the release of explosive gas created by contact urine or faecal water with a composition that surrounds the gas) to embed or coat the feces with the agent. The composition that surrounds the gas may comprise particles, globules, etc., of one or more substances that surround the gas when it is mixed together with or together with water (sodium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate and citric acid) . The particles can be embedded in a water-soluble matrix (e.g., PVA). The FMA can be placed on or attached to the surface that contacts the waste film or can be embedded in the water soluble film between the composition that surrounds the gas and the surface that makes contact with the feces. Therefore, when the water present in the stool dissolves the For example, the composition that surrounds the gas is activated (ie the components are mixed with the water) and the gas is rapidly wrapped, forcing the mixture of the FMA and the feces. The particles may comprise combinations such as citric acid and sodium bicarbonate which, when mixed with water, rapidly release the carbon dioxide gas. Alternatively, the The composition comprising the gas may comprise water-soluble capsules containing compressed gas and the FMA. The water from the feces that make contact with the capsules can act to dissolve the film and release the gas in an explosive manner, again forcing the mixing / incrustation of the agent in the feces. Other compositions and gas wrapping systems or releasers thereof are contemplated and included within the scope of this invention. The article of the present invention can also include a response system 65 comprising a detector 66, actuator 67 and the stored energy used to transport the FMA to the faeces, mix the agent with the feces or cause the agent to be expressed for contact with the feces. One modality | preferred comprises a shaped compressed macroporous foam 68 held in compression under a polyvinyl alcohol film soluble in water as shown in Figure 8. The foam 68 further comprises an FMA 75. Contact with the fecal water results in the dissolution of at least a portion of the PVA film resulting in the release of the mechanical energy stored in the foam and the mechanical transport of the agent to and within the fecal mass. In certain embodiments, the mixing can occur by means of a mechanism incorporated in the article as described above (eg, response system), mechanical action from the user's weight and / or movement, and / or the flow of stool during or subsequent to the act of defecation (especially low viscosity stools) to facilitate the treatment of a greater proportion of fecal mass. Other appropriate response systems are describe in more detail in the co-pending US patent applications serial number titled Disposable Article Having A Discontinuous Responsive System "(P &G Case 7197) filed on behalf of Roe, et al., June 29, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein In alternative embodiments, the FMA may be placed in or associated with 0 three-dimensional structures attached to or detached from the other elements of the absorbent article For example, the absorbent article may include an element with projections, ridges, loops or the like which help to make the FMA available for contact with feces. , "hair" or filaments of a hot melt resin include the stool modifying agent which can be printed on a substrate 82. (An example of a substrate including hair 80 comprising a stool modifying agent is shown in Figure 7) The agent can be incorporated into the resin so that it moves to the surface of the hair and is available for stool Alternatively, the agent can be attached to the hair. releasably way to the hair by means of any of the techniques described above. Examples of suitable hair and hooks are described in greater detail in the Patent North American No. 5,058,247 issued to Thomas et al. On October 22, 1991; the US Patent No. 5,116,563 issued to Thomas et al. On May 26, 1992; U.S. Patent No. 5,326,415 issued to Thomas et al. On July 5, 1994; and U.S. Patent No. 5,762,645 issued to Peck et al. June 9, 1998. Each of these patents is incorporated by reference herein. fl) In yet another embodiment, the FMA may be supplied to the feces by means of a brush structure, an example of which is shown in Figure 6. A brush structure 60 may include a multiplicity of filaments, fibers, twisted yarns, ropes or other substantially aligned filamentary materials attached to a substrate. The substrate can be flat, curved, ribbon-like or have a curvature of compound and can be porous or non-porous. The brush filaments 62 are preferably flexible under the forces exerted by the feces during excretion to allow the feces to pass easily through or between the filaments 62. The brush filaments 62 can be fixed permanently or releasably to the substrate. The filaments 62 can be of a vegetable or animal origin (for example cotton, etc.), or cellulosic or synthetic and can have different or similar lengths. The FMA is releasably fixed to the filaments 62 of the brush structure 60 so that the feces are pushed to pass the brush filaments 62, the agent is released and mixed with the feces. The brush structure 60 may be integral with the article or may be applied separately to the user's perianeal region and may optionally comprise an adhesive or other attachment means for dividing the structure of the user or the article. The brush structure 60 may be mounted on a spacer (as described above) having a gap under the filaments 62 to provide a space for the treated feces to occupy. FMA can also be supplied through the use of "smart" gels that undergo a phase transition or a geometric change or volume in response to certain changes in pH, water content and / or some other activator. Shape memory materials (ie, metal or classical alloys that return to a preset geometry or shape when the temperature reaches a predetermined threshold) can also be used to move the agent into position for contact or mixing with the feces, given the change of appropriate temperature. fl) Additionally, expandable materials, such as super absorbent polymers or foams, can be used to promote fecal contact with the FMA. As a structure containing such expandable materials absorbs water, either stool or urine feces, it can transport an FMA associated with the surface that confronts the body of the structure to a fecal mass and / or promote mixing with the feces.

Foam deformation materials can also transport the FMA and promote contact with the feces in the article. In this case, the foam forming material comprises the FMA (or is associated with the agent) and covers the fecal mass as the foam is generated and its volume is increased. FMAs can also be held on or within macroparticle elements, as described below. These macroparticle elements may be contained in a waste management element 120, attached to an upper cover, fold, or other feature of the article (releasably or otherwise), or loose in a separate article attached independently to the body. (Some illustrative macroparticle structures are shown in Figures 2-4). In addition, any of the 5 structures that support, transport, supply or mix the FMA may comprise protrusions or other three-dimensional geometries designed to increase the contact area of the FMA and the feces and / or to promote mixing. In preferred embodiments, the FMA is associated with the top cover of the absorbent structure or article. However, the FMA may be associated with fl) an underlying to the top cover, such as an acquisition layer. In modalities where the FMA is placed in an underlying layer below the top cover in a waste management element 120, as described below, the faeces can easily penetrate the top cover, sublayer and any other overlying structure so that the agent is available. Therefore, it is preferred that such structures have Acceptance Under Pressure of at least about 0.50 fl) g / cm2 / J, and preferably at least about 1.0 g / cm2 / J, as described in the methods section test below. In any case, the agent is preferably located near the region of the article generally associated with the perianeal region of the user. As shown in Figure 2, the present invention may include a Waste management element 120. The waste management element 120 is designed to help manage the acceptance, storage and / or immobilization of viscous fluid body waste. The waste management element 120 can be located anywhere in the article, including the crotch region or in the waist region, or it can be associated with or be included in any structure or element 0 such as the core 28, a fold of leg, etc. In preferred embodiments, the waste management element 120 is located in the region of the article that is close to the perianeal region of the user when it is used. This helps to ensure that any discharged waste is deposited on or near the waste management element 120. Although structures accepting, storing and immobilizing viscous fluid body wastes are preferred, in certain embodiments of the present invention, the element Disposal management 120 may comprise only one acceptance element, a storage element or an immobilization element or may include a combination of two of the elements but not the third. Likewise, in certain modalities, an element can develop more than one function (for example, a storage element can execute storage and immobilization functions). For example, the absorbent article of the present invention may include an acceptance and storage element for viscous fluid body wastes without separating the immobilization element per se. The acceptance element 150 can be any material or structure fl) capable of accepting body exudates. (As used herein, the term "accept" or "acceptance" refers to the penetration of a structure by materials deposited therein.) Penetration is defined by the passage of materials through the structure surface onto the structure. which the material was deposited The penetration of non-uniform structures can be defined as the passage of a material through a plane that defines the surface on which the material was deposited). The element of acceptance 150 may include an individual material or a number of materials operatively associated with each other. In addition, the acceptance element 150 may be integral with another element of the diaper 20 or may be one or more separate elements attached directly or indirectly to one or more elements of the diaper 20. In addition, any or all of the Acceptance element 150 may be removable from the absorbent article for separate removal if desirable. The acceptance member 150 is preferably at least partially removed in the crotch region 130 of the diaper 20 adjacent to the body surface 47 of the core 28, although in some alternate embodiments, the element of Acceptance 150 may include at least a portion of a leg fold, waistband, fecal waste containment bag or the like or may be operatively associated with any features. Preferably, at least the portion of the acceptance element 150 located in the region of the diaper 20 that is close to the user's rectum during use is not obstructed by overlying layers of structures, such as the top cover 24. Therefore, it can be desirable to cut a portion of the top cover 24 in the region of the article intended to be located near the user's rectum and to provide an acceptance element 150 as the body side covering in that region. Alternatively, any or all of the top cover 24 may be made or treated to act as an acceptance element 150. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the fl-acceptance member 150 includes at least a portion of the top cover 24. In other embodiments, the acceptance element 150 may include at least a portion of other diaper elements such as the absorbent core 28 or the storage element (described below). In some embodiments, it may be desirable to provide the diaper 20 with different acceptance capacity in different portions of the diaper. This can be achieved by providing different acceptance elements in the different regions of the diaper 20 or by providing an individual acceptance element 150 that has been manufactured or treated to have regions of different acceptance characteristics. In addition, the acceptance element 150 can be raised above the plane of the surface facing the body of the article to be in better control of exudated viscous fluid body wastes. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to have the acceptance member 150 contact the wearer's skin in proximity to the source of viscous body waste (e.g., the perianeal region). Suitable materials and structures for use as the acceptance member 150 may be absorbent or non-absorbent and may include nonwoven webs with openings, apertured films, apertured films, woven wefts, canvas, netting, thin macroporous foams and the like . A particularly preferred material is a woven web available as a Toy Tub Bag from Dollar Tree Dist., Of Norfollk, VA. In addition, the acceptance element 150 or any portion thereof, may be coated with a lotion or other known substances to add, improve or change the performance or other characteristics of the element. For example, the acceptor element 150 can be hydrophobic or hydrophilic or treated as any of them. As described above, the FMA may be associated with the acceptance element preferably in the perianeal region of the user. In certain preferred modes, the FMA is releasably linked to the acceptance element by the means described above. In alternative embodiments, the agent is releasably encapsulated in a structure associated with at least a portion of the acceptance element 150. The agent can be released into the faeces upon contact with water, heat or pressure / user movement. . The agent can alternatively be transferred first to the user's skin or other portion of the article (for example the leg fold) before deposition on the stool. For example, urine can effect the release of a releasably encapsulated agent or composition. The agent can be transferred to the user's skin by body contact and / or pressure. Upon subsequent contact with the stool, the agent will be transferred from the skin to the surface of the stool. Once the viscous body waste has penetrated the waste handling element 120, it is desirable to store or retain the waste away from the user for the remainder of the use cycle and away from the person providing the care during the changeover process. As used herein, the term "store" refers to the physical separation of the material deposited in a diaper from the surface facing the body of the article so that the material deposited in the diaper is not brought into contact with or is accessible to the user's skin. Adequate storage capacity is essential to reduce the likelihood of spillage and the area of skin contaminated by viscous body waste because the viscous body waste that has been stored is less likely to be available for storage.

^ P surface that confronts the body of the structure for spill and migration within the article The storage element 152 can be located anywhere in the diaper. However, it is preferred that the storage element 152 be operatively associated with the acceptance element 150 and / or the top cover 24, if any, so that the viscous body waste accepted by the f) acceptance element 150 can enter. to the storage element 152. (The modalities are contemplated where the diaper 20 does not have top cover 24 or acceptance element 150. In such cases, the body waste can enter the storage element 152 directly, without going through any structure overlying). In any case, it is preferred that the storage element 152 is located in the region of the diaper 20 which is located near the user's rectum when the diaper 20 is worn. Accordingly, it is preferred that at least a portion of the element 154 be placed in the crotch region 37 of the absorbent article. However, in some alternative embodiments, the storage element 152 may include at least a portion of either the waist region, a leg fold, the waist band, a fecal waste containment bag or the like or may be operatively associated with what characteristics. In addition, the storage element can be raised above the plane of the surface facing the body of the article in order to be in better control of the exuding viscous body waste. In some embodiments, it may even be desirable to have the storage element 152 in contact with the wearer's skin in proximity to the source of viscous body waste (e.g., the perianeal region).

The storage capacity of the storage element 152 may be uniform or may vary through the diaper 20. Such variations may be achieved by employing multiple storage elements 152 in the diaper 20 or) providing an individual storage element 152 with regions of different storage properties. In addition, any or all of the storage element 152 may be removable from the absorbent article for separate disposal if desired. The storage element 152 may be any material or structure capable of storing body exudates, as described above. Because of fl} both, the storage element 152 may include an individual material or a number of materials operatively associated with each other. In addition, the storage element 152 may be integral with another element of the diaper 20 or may be one or more separate elements attached directly or indirectly to one or more elements of the diaper 20. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the element of The storage 152 includes a structure that is separate from the core 28. However, embodiments are contemplated wherein the storage element 152 includes at least a portion of the core 28. Materials suitable for use as the storage element use 152 may include open-cell large foams, high-fluxiness element, non-woven, compression-resistant, macroporous, large-sized particle shapes of open and closed foams (macro and / or microporous), high-strength non-woven materials, polyolefin , polystyrene, polyurethane foams or particles, structures comprising a multiplicity of vertically oriented crimped filaments, absorbent core structures, described above having perforated or pressurized orifices or the like. (As used herein the term "Microporous" refers to materials that are capable of transporting fluids by capillary action. The term "macroporous" refers to materials that have pores that are too large to effect capillary transport of fluid, generally having pores greater than about 0.5 mm in diameter and more specifically, that have pores greater than about 1.0 mm in diameter). One mode includes a mechanical clamping loop pick-up element, having an uncompressed thickness of about 1.5 mm available as XPL-7124 from 3M Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Another embodiment includes a 6 denier bonded with resin and folded having a basis weight of 110 grams per square meter and decompressed thickness of 7.9 millimeters which is available from Glit Company of Wrens, fl) Georgia. The storage element 152, or any portion thereof, may include or be coated with a lotion or other known substances to add, improve or change the performance or other characteristics of the element. An alternative embodiment of a storage element 152 includes a macroparticle structure 170 comprising a multiplicity of particles discrete 172, non-limiting examples of which are shown as Figures 2-4. The macro particles 172 preferably have a nominal size, preferably between 1.0 mm and approximately 25.4 and more preferably between approximately 2 m and approximately 16 mm. However, particles as small as 0.5 mm and smaller, and particles greater than approximately 25.4 mm are contemplated. 0 Particles having a nominal size of about 1.0 mm or greater are those which are generally retained on the surface of a North American Standard No. 18 mesh screen sieve. Particles having a nominal size of less than about 25.4 are those They usually pass through a sieve of sieve screen North American Standard. The particles that have a nominal size of 16 mm are larger than those that are generally retained on the surface of a mesh screen of North American Standard No.16. The particle size ??? the particles in a storage element 152 for testing or use. Particles having a nominal size of 8 mm or greater are those that are generally retained on an 8 mm North American Standard mesh screen.

^ The macro-particle structure 170 may include any number of particles 172. In addition, particles 172 may be separated and free to move within structure 170 or may be joined together by known means. Alternatively, the structure 170 may include an external support, such as a hot melt blown glue under melting, a weft, a net, a canvas, a yarn or other adhesive or non-adhesive entanglement supports. Any of the particles fl) 172 can be joined with any other portion of the diaper structure, such as the top cover or the core. The particles 172 may also be restricted in patterned three-dimensional regions, such as folds, "cushions" and bags. The individual particles 172 can be made from any suitable for use in absorbent articles, including the materials described above with respect to the absorbent core 28 or the storage element 152. The materials used in the particles 172 can be absorbent, non-absorbent, microporous, macroporous, elastic, non-elastic, etc., or they can have any other desirable characteristics. Examples of macroporous absorbent materials suitable for use in particles 172 include high-fluff or non-woven materials, open cell foams, fiber groups, sponges, and the like. Other absorbent materials include cotton in cellulose sheets, capillary channel fibers, osmotic storage materials such as superabsorbent polymers, etc. The non-absorbent particles 172 may comprise plastic, metal, ceramic, glass, closed cell foams, column packing materials, synthetic fibers, gels, encapsulated gas, liquids and the like. In addition, any or all of the particles 172 may include odor absorbers, lotions, skin care formulations, antimicrobials, pH regulators, enzyme inhibitors, and the like. The storage material 152 may comprise an individual type of particle 172 (size, shape, material, etc.) or may include a mixture of different ^) particles 172. The mixture can be homogeneous; like when particles 172 have different properties and are arranged in certain areas of the storage element 152; in layers; or any other desirable configuration. In some embodiments, more than one type of mixture may be used (for example, macroporous and nonabsorbent particles 172 may be mixed homogeneously in one layer as long as a layer includes only absorbent particles). Different layers fl) of particles may be directly adjacent to each other or may be separated by one or more materials, such as net, canvas, woven or nonwoven webs, film, foam, adhesive and the like. The macro-particle structure 170 preferably includes an interstitial hollow space 174 which is defined by the space between the particles 172. Varying the size and / or the shape of the particles 172, the interstitial hollow space 174 can be controlled. The particles can be of any known form, including spheres, ovoidal spheroids, rectangular and polygonal solids and the like. In addition to its storage function, the storage element 152 can transport viscous body waste within the absorbent article 0 in directions generally parallel to the plane of the sheet of the rear cover 26. The transport can be active, such as that of capillaries or other forces that result in movement of the viscous body waste or component thereof (e.g., free water). In other embodiments, the transport can be passive so that the body waste of viscous fluid or components thereof moves through the structure under the influence of externally applied forces, such as gravity, water pressure or user movement. In the case of passive transport, the storage element 152 should have relatively large interconnected channels, or the like, so that the viscous body waste can be easily moved through the structure with minimal input energy. fl) The FMA of the present invention may be associated with any portion of the storage element 152, including the macro-particle structures. In certain preferred embodiments where the storage element 152 has elevated regions, the FMA is associated with the elevated regions of the element. The viscous body waste penetrating the acceptance element can contact the FMA and transport it to the "lower" regions of the storage element fl} 152, providing improved mixing. For example, the raised tops of the curl-type storage elements may be slightly dampened or wetted and substantially contacted with the FMA to releasably fix the FMA to the raised, and subsequently dried portions. The releasable connection can also be effected by means of water-soluble adhesives. In modalities of In the case of a macroparticle, the agent can be sustained within a macro-porous particle. In alternative embodiments, the agent can be releasably fixed to the outer surface of the particle elements. The fecal contact with the FMA preferably effects a release of the agent from the storage element and allows mixing with the feces. The viscous body waste that is accepted by, or penetrates, the absorbent article is preferably retained in the diaper away from the wearer. A preferred way to retain body waste, especially viscous body waste, is to immobilize the waste at a location away from the user. As used herein, the term "immobilize" refers to the ability of the material or structure to retain a viscous body waste stored under an applied pressure and / or the influence of gravitational forces.

The immobilization element 154 can be any material or structure capable of reducing the propensity of the viscous body waste that has penetrated the immobilization element 154 to leave the structure. Therefore, the element of ^) Immobilization 154 can include an individual material or a number of materials associated with each other. In addition, the immobilization element 154 can be integral with another element of the diaper 20 or can be one or more separate elements attached directly or indirectly to one or more elements of the diaper 20. For example, the immobilization element 154 can be a non-removable layer. attached material placed under the storage element 152 or may include all or a portion of the storage element 152 which is capable of immobilizing and retaining the viscous body waste as described above. In any case, it is preferred that the immobilization element 154 be operatively associated with the storage element 152 and the acceptance element 150. This is necessary to ensure that the viscous body waste accepted and / or stored by the article passes or enters into. contact with the element of Immobilization 154. Accordingly, it may be desirable to locate the immobilization element 154 below the storage element 152 and the acceptance element 150, in at least a portion of the crotch region 37 of the article. However, as noted above if the storage element 152 has transportation capabilities, the immobilization element 154 may be located at Any part in the diaper so that the accepted and / or stored viscous fluid waste can be transported to the immobilization element 154. In addition, like the acceptance and storage elements 150 and 152, the diaper can have an immobilisation capacity uniform or not uniform. Therefore, one or more immobilization elements 154 may be incorporated in the article having regions of immobilization and / or retention performance. In addition, any or all of the immobilization element 154 may be removable from the absorbent article for separate disposal if desired. Suitable materials for use in the immobilization element include microporous foams, particles or fibers of super absorbent polymer, fibers • cellulose, capillary channel fibers, sheets of entangled synthetic fiber and the like. Some preferred materials include foam absorbent materials such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,260,345; 5,387,207 and 5,625,222. Other preferred materials include absorbent gelling materials such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 5,147,345 entitled "High Efficiency Absorbent Articles for Incontinence Management" issued to Young et al. On September 15, 1992. Each of the patents is incorporated herein by reference. The FMA can be associated with the immobilization element 154. In these embodiments, the modifying agent can act to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the immobilization element 154 by facilitating the removal of water from the stool and thus increasing the speed of the immobilization process and / or reducing the final mobility of the remaining solid fraction of feces. The FMA can alternatively serve to increase the viscosity of the feces within the immobilization by means of a mechanism of direct thickening. The FMA may be associated loosely with the immobilization element or it may be fixed or releasably (i.e. so that the water in the feces can affect its release) for the immobilization element 154.

Preferred Modes As noted above, the present invention is applicable to many types of absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence briefs, incontinence undergarments or pads, absorbent inserts, diaper supports and linings, hygiene garments female, handkerchiefs, disposable isotopes, bandages and the like and separate articles attached to a user on the perianeal region. Therefore, the following examples of the embodiments of the present invention should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. 5 A preferred embodiment of the present invention is the absorbent article illustrated in Figure 2. The absorbent article 20 has a first waist region 36, a second waist region 38 and a crotch region 37 located between the first waist region 36 and the second waist region 38. The diaper 20 it includes a top cover 24, a back cover 26 and an absorbent core 28 positioned between fl} the top cover 24 and the back cover 26. The top cover 24 is positioned in at least a portion of the first waist region 36 adjacent to the surface facing the body 47 of the core 28. The diaper 20 also includes an underlay element. acceptance 150 joined with the upper cover 24 and extending longitudinally away from the upper cover 24 through at least a portion of the crotch region 37 and at least a portion of second waist region 38. Acceptance element 150 includes a woven net available as Tub Toy Bag from Dollar Tree Dis, of Norfolk, VA. The diaper 20 preferably includes a storage element 152 located between the acceptance element 150 and the back cover 26. The element of The storage 152 is located in at least a portion of the crotch region 37 and at least a portion of the second waist region 38. In this embodiment, the storage element 152 includes a macroparticle structure 170 comprising the particles 172, specifically, the microparticle structure 170 includes about 2 grams of purifying particles mixed with about 0.35 grams of foam absorbent strips having a basis weight of 45 grams per square meter, as described in US Patent No. 5,260,345. (The scrubbing particles can be made by cutting the high non-woven abrasive side of a scrubber pad (eg available as Light Work Scrubbers # 00065 from Libman Company of Areola,? T and IL) into particles of about 8 mm x about 7 mm x about 5 mm). The strips have dimensions of approximately 19 millimeters in length, 6.4 millimeters in width and 2 millimeters in thickness. The purifying particles are distributed over an area of 6.35 x 16.25 cm (103.22 square cm) placed along the longitudinal axis of the article of approximately 0.8 mm thickness of absorbent foam material "thin until moistened" fl) (described in U.S. Patent No. 5,387,207 which is incorporated herein by reference, having a basis weight of 126 grams per square meter The purifying particles are mixed relatively homogeneously with the strips of absorbent foam and are free to move within the area circumscribed by the layer of absorbent foam material "thin until it is moistened". particles and the strips are preferably not bonded to the woven net top cover or any other layer. An FMA is preferably associated with the particle elements of the storage layer by means of any of the means described herein. The acceptance member 150 is attached to the underlying layers outside the periphery of the "thin until wet" absorbent foam layer. In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the absorbent article of the present invention may be an insert 21 or sanitary napkin which is intended to be applied separately to the wearer or to be placed in the wearer's underwear, a cover external or similar. Therefore, the insert 21 is generally not intended to have the shape of a trouser, although instead it can be used in conjunction with a trouser or other structure that holds the insert 21 in place around the wearer. The absorbent insert 21 has a pair of opposed end regions 135 separated by a central region 137 and includes an absorbent assembly 27 which may include an absorbent core 28, an acceptance element 150, a storage element 152 and / or an immobilization element 154. The insert 21 may also include one or more attachment elements 41 to hold the insert 21 in place in the outer jacket or cover 29 during the use. The attachment element 41 may comprise adhesive, cohesive, hooks, press fittings, curls, buttons, joints, magnetic, electronic and other known means for attaching absorbent articles to the inner garments. Test Methods Viscosity Viscosity can be determined by a controlled voltage rheometer. A suitable rheometer is available from T.A. Instruments, Inc. of New Castle, as model number SC2100. The rheometer uses a parallel plate stainless steel device. The rheometer has a rigid first horizontal plate on which the plate is placed and a second plate mounted on the first plate so that the axis of the second plate is perpendicular to the first plate. The second plate is 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter. A parallel plate of 2 cm is used for firm, pasty or highly mucous samples, while the 4 cm parallel plate is used for faecal samples with too much dripping or "water-like". The first and second plates are separated up to 2000 microns during the measurement process. The second plate is connected to a drive shaft for axial rotation. The drive shaft and tension sensor are mounted on the drive shaft. A suitable sample (typically 2 to 3 grams) of an analog to be tested in the first plate and generally centered behind the axis of the second plate. Before testing, any large pieces of undigested food material (for example seed) are removed. The first plate is raised in position. The quantities without excess of the sample that with placed beyond the diameter of the second plate are removed using a spatula. Water is dispersed around the edges of the sample to avoid edge effects due to moisture loss ^ |) during the measurement process. A programmed application of an effort stress cutting, from 50 to 50,000 dynes / cm2 for pasty and firm samples, is applied to the sample by the rheometer. For drip and aqueous samples, a range of shear stress of 5 to 5000 dynes / cm2 was used. The data is adjusted to a power law function where the apparent viscosity = kj (n), k = consistency (units of cP x sec (n 1), j = shear velocity (1 / sec units), and n = fl) shear rate (without dimension). Therefore, when j = one 1 / sec, the viscosity = k. (Plates are maintained at 35 degrees C through the test.) Hardness Method Hardness is measured using a Stevens-Famell QTS-25 Texture Analyzer model 7113-5kg, and the associated software of an Intel-based machine what has a processor 486 or higher. A 1.27 cm stainless steel spherical probe and an analogous receptacle are provided. A suitable probe is I TA18 probe available from Leonard Farnell Co. of Hatfield, England. The analogous receptacle can be made by cutting a 7 mm linear low density polyethylene sizing cassette (having an inner diameter of 1.39 cm +/- 0.012 cm) to approximately 16 millimeters in length. Suitable packaging is available from Kimble Glass Vineland Company, New Jersey as containers # 58503-7. The analogous receptacle is filled to the upper edge (level) with the analogue (Analog A or B as described below) or the stool to be tested. If a modifying agent is to be evaluated, the sample is prepared by means of the sample preparation method 5 described below. The container in centered below the spherical stainless steel probe of 1.27 cm. The probe is lowered so that it makes just contact with the surface of the analogue in the container. The probe 162 is moved down seven millimeters to approximately 100 millimeters per minute and then stopped. The hardness is the maximum registered resistance strength found by the probe in its displacement l of 7 millimeters (the temperature of the environment and the analog must be between approximately 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the course of the measurement). For reference, it has been found that hardness refers largely to the complex module of the material, which is a combination of viscous and elastic modulus of the material.

Method of Preparation of Analog A fl) 1.5 of liquid for washing Ultra Dawn suits (available from Procter & Gamble Co, Cincinnati, OH) are added to an empty metal mixing bowl. 10 grams of each of Feclone FPS-2 and Feclone FPS-4 are gregan in the bowl containing the Dawn. (Both Feclone materials are available from Siliclone Studios, Valley Forge, PA.). Then add 200 milliliters of distilled water heated to 200 ° F to the mixing bowl. The resulting mixture is carefully stirred by hand, to avoid introducing air bubbles into the mixture, using a rubber or plastic spatula until it is homogeneous; (usually around 3-5 minutes). If prepared properly, the analogue will have a hardness between about 7 and 10 grams as measured by the method of hardness 0 above.

Method for Preparation of Analog B 5 grams of each of Feclone FPS-4, Feclone FPS-6 and Feclone FPS-7 are added in an empty metal mixing bowl. (Feclone materials are available from Siliclone Studios, Valley Forge, PA). After 0.67 grams of Carbopol 941 (available from BF Goodrich Corp of Brecksville, OH) are added to the bowl and these four ingredients are stirred until they are homogeneously mixed using a rubber or plastic spatula to ensure adequate dispersion of the powder materials when mixed. with water Next, 60 milliliters of water are heated to 200 ° F) and added to the mixing bowl. The resulting mixture is mixed manually, and stirred carefully to avoid introducing air bubbles into the mixture using a rubber or plastic spatula until it is homogeneous (usually around 3-5 minutes). If prepared properly, Analog A will have a hardness between approximately 600 and 650 GRAMS. fl} Method for Preparation of Analog C Analog C is a fecal analogue made by mixing 10 grams of Carbopol 941 available from B.F Goodrich Corporation of Brecksville, OH, or an equivalent acrylic polymer in 90 milliliters of distilled water. Carbopol 941 and distilled water are weighed and measured separately. A marine-type thruster of 3 blades that have a 2-inch diameter blade (available from VWR Scientific Cincinnati Products Corp., Ohio, Catalog # BR4553-64, attached to a 3/8 inch agitation shaft BR4553-52), is used to stir the distilled water. The speed of the propeller should be constant at 450 rpm during mixing. The mixer should form a vortex without splash. The Carbopol is slowly sifted in water in a manner that is extracted into the vortex and mixed with the formation of white lumps, or "eyes of fish". The mixture is stirred until all the Carbopol has been added and then for a period of 2 minutes thereafter. The sides of the bowl containing the mixture should be scraped and the bowl rotated as necessary to achieve a homogeneous mix. (The mixture will probably be slightly cloudy with air bubbles). 100 grams of a volumetric NaOH solution of N 1.0 available from J.T. Baker Co. Phillipsburg, NJ is measured slowly within the mixture and the mixture is stirred until it is homogeneous. The mixture should be thick and transparent. The mixture must be stirred for 2 minutes after the addition of the alkaline solution. The neutralized mixture should be left to equilibrate for at least 12 hours and should be used to • Acceptance test under pressure at 96 hours. After the Carbopol mixture is used, it should be stirred in the vessel at low speed (approximately 50 rpm) for about 1 minute to ensure that the mixture is homogeneous. Analog C must, if properly prepared, have a "hardness" value between 55 and 65 grams. The hardness is measured using a Stevens-Famell QTS-25 texture analyzer and the associated software in a machine based on the fl processor} Intel that has a 486 processor or higher. A stainless steel spherical probe 1. 27 cm and an analogous receptacle are provided. A suitable probe is the TA18 probe available from Leonard Farnell Co. of Hatfield. England The analogous receptacle can be made by cutting a 7 mm linear low density polyethylene scintillation container (which has an internal diameter of 1.39 cm +/- 0.012 cm) up to 15 mm. length Suitable containers are available from Kimble Glass Company of Vineland, New Jersey as containers # 58503-7. The analogous receptacle is filled up to 2 millimeters from the top edge with the analog to be tested. The container is centered under the 1.27 cm spherical stainless steel probe. The probe is lowered to a distance of approximately 1 millimeter from the surface of the analogue in the container. The probe 162 is moved down 7 millimeters to 100 millimeters per minute and then stops. Hardness is the maximum recorded resistance force found by the probe on its 7 millimeter displacement. The ambient and analog temperature should be between approximately 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the course of measurement 5).

Sample Preparation Method A 250 ml Precleaned VWRbrand Trace Clean jar (VWR # 15900-196) is placed on a scale and weighed. The desired amount of chemical agent is measured in the bowl and its exact weight is recorded. After the chemical weight is recorded the balance is heavy again. The desired amount of faeces or stool analog is measured in the cup that contains the chemical agent. The exact amount of faeces or faecal analogue is recorded and the chemical agent and faeces or faecal analogue is vigorously agitated using the spatula end of Standard Ayre Cervi-Scraper (VWR # 15620-009) until which is homogeneous (fll time total agitation is usually 2 minutes). For the purposes of this method, the start of the agitation process is defined as t = 0 minutes. After the sample is mixed it is allowed to settle for the remainder of the desired reaction time. For the data presented herein, this reaction time is set at t = three minutes elapsed since the beginning of the agitation process. It is charged later inside of the 16-millimeter receptacle previously described in the hardness method using the tip of the spatula of a Standard Ayre Crevi-Scraper, and the hardness is developed (starting at t = 3 min. From the start of the stirring process as shown in FIG. described earlier).

Acceptance under Pressure 20 Acceptance under pressure is measured by the following test which uses apparatus 139 illustrated in Figure 9. A hollow plexiglass cylinder 140 is provided and attached to a stainless steel plate 142 of approximately 9.5 mm. thickness. Plate 142 is square, approximately 10.16 cm x 10.16 cm. The combination of the cylinder 140 and the plate have a height of 7.6 cm, an internal diameter of 5.08 cm and an external diameter of 6.3 cm. The bottom of the cylinder 140 extends below the plate 142 at a distance of approximately 3.5 millimeters. Edge 143 prevents test fluid 166 from spilling out of the intended test area. Two weights 156 of 625 grams are also provided, each having a diameter of 5.08 centimeters. f Plexiglas weight 144 of 24.6 grams is provided cylindrical The weight 144 has a diameter of 5.08 centimeters, so that the weight 144 adjusts with narrow tolerance inside the cylinder 144 although it slides freely through the hole 141 in the cylinder 140. This arrangement provides a pressure of approximately 119 Pascals (PA) and a test area of approximately 20.27 square centimeters. If desired, the weight 144 could have a handle 145 to allow fl} it is easily inserted and removed from the cylinder 140. In such cases, the combined mass of the handle 145 and the cylindrical weight 144 must be equal to 24.6 grams. A sample 146 of the structure to be approved for acceptance properties under pressure is provided. The sample 146 can be cut from an existing diaper or can be constructed from material that is not formed in a diaper. The sample 146 includes the entire structure intended for use in the article or the entire structure of the article to be evaluated, including the upper layer 161. (In order to measure the acceptance performance under pressure of the discrete acceptance elements, such as is described in the element acceptance section, above the acceptance test under pressure is executed using a storage element standard 147 instead of any underlying structure or layers. The standard storage element 147 used herein includes an aluminum plate of 25.8 square centimeters, 1.6 millimeters thick having a pattern of 153 holes of 4.3 millimeters in diameter regularly spaced 168, as shown in Figure 10. The holes are placed so that there are approximately 26 holes for each 6.45 square cm). Sample 146 should be cut into a square measure of 10.16 centimeters by 10.16 centimeters.

Five layers of a high-weight base drying paper 149 measuring 10.16 cm x 10.16 cm are provided. The upper layer 161 of the sample 146 is removed and the remaining components or layers of the sample 146 (if there are multiple components or f) layers) and the five sheets of the drying paper material 149 are weighted to almost 0.01 grams. Therefore, if the sample 146 is to be taken from a honeycomb, the diaper layers such as the top covers, the secondary top covers, the acquisition layers, the absorbent cores, etc. they must be separated before being weighed, (in some cases, an individual layer may comprise two or more permanent bonded components). In doing so, care must be taken not to destroy sample 146 or to cause fl} an unintentional deformation of any of the parts of the sample 146. The layers of the sample 146 can be frozen to assist in their separation from the adjacent layers of the sample 146. Freezing can be achieved using a PH100-15 circuit refrigerant made by Philips ECG, Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts. Sample 146 must be reassembled as originally configured on the top of five stacked layers of the material of the blotting paper material 149 with the side of the sample 146 intended to face towards the oriented user facing up and away from the drying paper material 149. The drying paper material 149 is preferably thin filter paper, available from Ahlstrom Filtration, Inc. of Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania as # 632-025, which has a basis weight approximately 90 grams per meter. The combined assembly of the sample 176 and the blotter paper 149 is centered on the work surface 164 of a Stevens-Farnell Texture Analyzer QTS-25 Model 7113-5kg 160 (available from Leonard Farnell Co. of Hatfield, England) , under probe 162. A suitable probe 162 is a 100 cm flat-ended cylindrical aluminum extension bar "QTSM3100" available from Leonard Farnell Co. of Hatfield England. The cylinder 140 is centered on the sample 146. The two weights 156 of 625 grams are placed on opposite corners (diagonally) of the plate 142 to stabilize it. A syringe having an opening of approximately 4 to 6 millimeters is used to supply approximately 10 centimeters f) cubic viscous fluid body waste analog 166 (Analogue C as shown in FIG. described below) through the hole 141 in the cylinder 140 over the top of the sample 146. Once the appropriate amount of the stool analog 166 (Analog C) has been measured inside the cylinder 140, the weight 144 of 24.6 grams is inserted slowly and moderately into the hole 140 in the cylinder 140 until it rests on the fl} surface of the analog and subsequently a rotation to the right is moderately rotated followed by a rotation to the left, both rotations executed carefully avoiding the application of any downward forces in the weight. The texture analyzer 160 is activated so that the probe 162 presses the cylindrical weight 144 at a speed of 10 millimeters per minute to a resistance force of about 144.6 grams is enough. The texture analyzer 160 is set to stop the downward displacement once the strength of resistance of 144.6 grams is reached. The recorder is set to activate a resistance force of 5 grams, (the maximum resistance force of 144.6 grams corresponds to an applied pressure of 700 Pascals). Once a resistance force of 144.6 grams is reached, the probe 162 is retracted to its starting position. The weight 144 is removed from the cylinder 140 and then the cylinder 140 is removed from the surface of the sample 146, taking care not to drip the analogous C remaining in the cylinder 140 on the sample. The upper layer 161 of the sample 146 is removed after the underlying layer of the sample 146 by dragging the upper layer 5 161 parallel to the surface of the underlying layers, if possible taking care not to drip the analog C on the blotting paper. For certain structures where the upper layer 161 is difficult to remove by dragging parallel to the underlying layers, the upper layer 161 can be detached or lifted from the underlying layers of the sample 146. If the sample 146 comprises only one layer, the element 146 Standard acceptance 151 described below is used as the top layer 161 of the sample 146. The underlying layers of the sample 146 and the drying paper material 149 are then weighed. The amount of the test analog C accepted by the sample 146 equals the increase in weight by combining the underlying layers of the sample 146 and the blotting paper material 149 caused by the penetration of the test analog C through the top surface layer from sample 146 per unit of work performed (in milliJoules) on a unit area basis. The area under the curve of force against distance, used in the calculation of work per unit, is calculated by integrating the force resistance of the probe on its downward displacement over the total distance displaced until the maximum force of 144.6 grams is recorded. Work per unit is calculated using the following equation: Work per unit (mJ) = Area under the force versus distance curve (g / mm) (9.81 m / s2) (1000 mm / m) While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications can be made without depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all changes and modifications that are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (18)

CLAIMS 1. A disposable article adapted to be applied to the perianal region • of a user to receive feces, the article comprising: 5 a substrate; means for retaining the substrate in contact with the perianal region of the user; and an effective amount of a reducing agent placed in the article so that the reducing agent is available for contact with at least one portion of the stool deposited in the article, 2. An absorbent article adapted to receive feces having a first waist region, a second waist region opposite to the first waist region, a mid-leg region positioned between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising: "a top cover permeable to the waist region; liquid; a liquid impermeable back cover attached to at least a portion of the top cover; an absorbent core positioned between at least a portion of the top cover and the back cover, and an effective amount of a reducing agent placed on the article so that the reducing agent is available for contact with at least a portion of the You have deposited in the article. 3. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of sulfites, thiols, thiol alcohols, mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thiolactic acid, thioglycoamide, monothioglycolate. of glycerol, borohydrides, tertiary amines, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiophosphates, arcenites, phosphines, phenols, betaines, lithium aluminohydride, aluminum chloride, guanidine hydrochloride, stannous chloride, hydroxylamine and LiHB (C2H5) 3. • The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent decreases the viscosity of the feces. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent reduces the hardness of the stool reduction by at least about 25% at a concentration of flll more than about 5% by weight, preferably no more than approximately 1. 5% and more preferably no more than about 0.5% by weight. 6. The absorbent article according to claim 5, characterized in that the decrease in hardness occurs in no more than about 5 minutes, preferably no more than about 3 minutes. 7. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent is present in a concentration of more than or equal to about 0.01% by weight of the article. 8. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent is placed on a carrier structure. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier structure includes a skin care composition, a weft structure or a brush structure. 10. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the skin care composition includes components selected from the following group: petroleum oils, petroleum waxes, silicon oils and silicon waxes. 11. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reducing agent is bound • releasably to at least a portion of the article, preferably by means of 5 bonds selected from the following group: Adhesives soluble in water or hydrogen bonding. 12. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims which further includes at least one three-dimensional structure attached to or extending from an absorbent article element, the three-dimensional structure fll which preferably comprises printed hairs, the reducing agent comprising, where the three-dimensional structure promotes contact between the reducing agent and the feces. 13. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stool modifier 15 Complex ion is placed adjacent to a water soluble film. 14. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a gas-wrapping system that includes at least one composition that surrounds the gas when it is mixed with water, wherein the system that surrounds the gas supplies the reducing agent 20 to the feces or a system involving the gas including a water-soluble material containing compressed gas that is wrapped when mixed with water, wherein the system enveloping the gas supplies the reducing agent to the faeces. 15. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a waste management element 5 having an acceptance value under pressure of more than about

1. 0 grams of a viscous fluid body waste for every 6.45 square centimeters of the waste management element per milliJoule of energy input, preferably 0.50 g of a viscous fluid body waste for every 6.45 square centimeters of the waste management element per miliJoule de • energy input, and an effective concentration of stool reducing agent placed in the article so that the reducing agent is available for contact with at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article. 16. The absorbent article according to claim 15, characterized in that the waste management member includes a f) macroparticle structure including a multiplicity of described particles having a nominal size of between about 1 mm and about 25.4 mm. The absorbent article according to claims 15 to 16, characterized in that the reducing agent is placed in at least a portion of the waste management member preferably over at least part of the 15 discrete particles. 18. The absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a response system that (Jj comprises a detector operatively connected to the article, the detector adapted to detect an input, and an actuator operatively connected to the article, the actuator 20 which is adapted to provide an effective amount of a reducing agent to the feces when the detector detects the input .