MXPA00012984A - Disposable absorbant article having a responsive system including a feedback control loop - Google Patents

Abstract

Disposable articles such as diapers, incontinent briefs, diaper holders and/or inserts, training pants, feminine hygiene garments, tampons, and the like, having a responsive system. The article includes a sensor that detects an input, an actuator that is adapted to perform a responsive function upon the input, and a feedback control loop in which the actuator is adapted to perform the responsive function upon the input when the sensor detects the input.

Description

ABSORBENT DISPOSABLE ARTICLE THAT HAS A SENSITIVE SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A RETROALI CONTROL CYCLE MENTATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to disposable articles > and more particularly to disposable articles that have a sensitive system that includes a feedback control cycle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Presently, disposable articles, such as diapers, adult incontinence briefs, sanitary napkins and tampons, are widely used in the care of infants and toddlers and in the care of incontinent adults as well. means of containment, isolation and disposal of bodily waste. These items have generally washable and reusable garments that are replaced as the preferred means for those applications due to their convenience and reliability. While many advances have been made in the field of disposable articles for both infants and adults, which has allowed them to be widely preferred over conventional cloth garments, there is still a large number of problems. Among the problems experienced with these disposable items are the spillage of body wastes (eg, urine, feces and menstrual fluids), skin rash and irritation, contamination of large areas of the user's skin with feces, difficult cleaning of bodily wastes such as feces, odor of waste, lack of adaptation to individuals (eg, adjustment), etc. Attempts have been made to solve these problems. The superabsorbent polymers, for example, have been used to increase the ability of an absorbent article to absorb and absorb. retain urine. The folds for barrier leg have also been used to improve the fit and reduce spillage. U.S. Patent No. 3,860,003 entitled "Contractible Side Potions for Disposable Diaper", issued by Kenneth B. Buell on January 14, 1975, for example, describes a disposable diaper with fold for elasticized leg that has achieved wide acceptance and commercial success. Disposable items have also used bags, barriers, etc. to contain and prevent the spill of feces from the article. See for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,695,278 entitled "Absorbent Article Having Dual Cuffs", issued for Michael I. Lowson on September 22, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 4,795,454, entitled "Absorbing Article Having Leakage-Resistant Dual Cuffs", issued to Jerry L. Dragoo on January 3, 1989; and U.S. Patent No. 5,540,671, entitled "Absorbent Article Having A Procket Cuff Winth An Apex", issued for Dreier on July 30, 1996. Disposable items having a selectively expandable inflame component that is activated at the point of use or in rnse to an activating liquid such as water or urine to provide hollow space for fecal matter or displacement of a top cover to improve fit have also been described . For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,330,459, entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having an Inflatable Spacer", issued to Gary D. LaVon et al., On July 19, 1994 and U.S. Patent No. 5,520,674, entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having a Sealed Expandable Component ", issued to Gary D. Lavon et al., On May 28, 1996 discloses disposable absorbent articles having a component that is expandable at the point of use or expands in rnse to an activating liquid such as water or urine Those expandable components, however, are problematic since require action by the person serving to activate the components or operate continuously and requires too much liquid activator to fully expand since the expansion is proportional to the amount of the liquid activator. In addition, wrinkles for self-contraction leg have been described that react with a liquid activator such as water or urine. For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,246.90p entitled "Diaper Including Moisture-Responsive Seal Means", issued to Friedrich-W ilhelm Schroder on January 27, 1981. Again, these self-contraction creases have a problem since require action by the person who provides care to activate the components) u operate continuously and require too much liquid activator to contract completely since the contraction is proportional to the amount of the liquid activator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a disposable article having a responsive system that includes a feedback control cycle that acts in response to and on an entry such as from bodily wastes (e.g. ), a component of body wastes (for example to inhibit the enzymatic activity of the waste), pressure, movement, other actions or user conditions (for example, to lubricate the skin, etc.). A feedback control cycle includes a distinguishing sensor and actuator components and uses a detection or measurement of an element or parameter of the output condition as at least one actuator of a sensitive function that is executed on the input. The sensitive system of the present invention can be a continuous or discontinuous sensitive system that includes a feedback control cycle. In In a continuous sensitive system, the output is quantitatively dependent on the input quantity, for example, continuously growing quantities of the input are required to effect quantities in continuous increment of the output, or where the output of the sensitive system comprises a release. passive of a material stored. In a discontinuous sensitive system, the output function ^ ^ i ^? ^ j? ^^ ^^^^ tí ^? - ^. ^^, ^ M ^ ~ ^ * > .- > -, | ^^ ^^ i¿fea ^^ faith. »< ^ fi ^? 4fe¿¿i. .-- ^ ¡^^^ ¡S i ^ is essentially independent of the amount of the input beyond a threshold level. Through the action on entry to the system, a feedback control cycle allows a desired result when the input is detected instead of providing a blind response that is not related to the input that is detected by the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with the claims that are particularly noted and claim the present invention differently, it is considered that those claims will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the article made in accordance with the present invention in a planar state with portions of the structure that are cut away to more clearly show the construction of the article, wherein the article is a diaper. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a body waste isolation device of the present invention in a compressed state before activation. Figure 2A shows a view taken along line 2A-2A of Figure 2. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a gws?, t? , -w ^ áa ¡?? ¡¡. ** • ». 'i ^ ga ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ modality of Figure 2 after activation. Figure 3A shows a sectional view of Figure 3 taken along line 3A-3A of Figure 3. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of Figure 2 after activation. Figure 4A shows a sectional view of Figure 4 taken along line 4A-4A of Figure 4. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention that includes a soluble capsule.

Figure 6A shows a block diagram of an illustrative open cycle sensitive system. Figure 6B shows a block diagram of an illustrative closed loop responsive system. Figure 6C shows a block diagram of a15 illustrative open cycle sensitive system including a controller. Figure 6D shows a block diagram of an illustrative closed loop responsive system including a controller. Figure 7A shows an ideal output function of a discontinuous sensitive system of the present invention having an individual threshold level. Figure 7B shows an ideal output function of a discontinuous sensitive system of the present invention having multiple levels of individual threshold.

Figure 8A shows an exemplary output function of a discontinuous responsive system of the present invention together with first, second and third derivatives of the output function. Figure 8B shows a transfer function of a control system having a series of first order intervals having an identical time constant. Figure 9A shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a sensitive system including a mechanical pump of the present invention. Figures 10A and 10B show an embodiment of a sensitive system of the present invention that includes an electrically sensitive gel. Figures 11A, 11B and 11C show another embodiment of a sensitive system of the present invention that includes an electrically sensitive gel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 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 user's body to absorb and contain the different exudates discharged from the body The term "disposable" is used herein to describe absorbent articles that are not generally intended to be washed or otherwise restored or .-fe ^ «- Ma« ^ te ^^ - ,, - ^ .-- - »., .., - .. s ^^^? ^^ áü r ^^^^^ y ^. ^, They are reused 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 imply that a diaper element or elements are formed (attached and placed) in a particular location or location as a unitary structure with other diaper elements or as a separate element joined to another element of the diaper As used herein, the term "attached" encompasses configurations in which one element is directly configured to another element by fixing the element directly to the other element and configurations in which one element is indirectly secured to the other element by fixing the other element to a member or intermediate members which in turn are attached to the other 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 parts such as a support and a separate liner. A preferred embodiment of an absorbent article of the present invention is the unitary disposable absorbent article, article 20, shown in Figure 1. As used herein, the term "diaper" refers to an absorbent article generally used by infants and toddlers. incontinence persons around the lower torso The present invention is also applicable to other absorbent articles such as underpants for incontinence, incontinence undergarments, absorbent inserts, diaper supports and linings, colostomy type bags for a natural or artificial challenge, feminine hygiene garments, tampons, cleansers, isopos, bandages and the like. Figure 1 is a plan view of an article 20 of the present invention, which is shown in this figure as a diaper, in a flattened state with portions of the structures that are cut away to more clearly show the construction of article 20. The portion of article 20 that confronts the user is oriented towards the observer. As shown in Figure 1, the article 20 preferably comprises a super-permeable liquid cover 24; a back cover impermeable to liquid 26; an absorbent core 28, which is preferably positioned between at least a portion of the cover upper 24 and the rear cover 26; side panels 30; Elastic leg cuffs 32; a characteristic of elastic waist 34; and a generally designated fastening system 40; Article 20 is shown in Figure 1 to have a first waist region 36, a second waist region 38 opposite to 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 article 20 is defined by the outer edges of the article 20 in which the longitudinal edges 50 move generally parallel to the longitudinal center line 100 of article 20 and the end edges 52 move between the longitudinal edges 50 generally parallel to the lateral center line 110 of the article 20. The structure 22 of the article 20 comprises the main body of the article 20. The structure 22 comprises at least a portion of the absorbent core 28 and preferably an outer covering layer that includes the cover upper 24 and the back cover 26. If the absorbent article comprises a separate support and a liner, the structure 22 generally comprises the support and the liner. For example, the support may comprise one or more capable of material to form the outer covering of the article and The liner 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 throughout the entire time of use. For unitary absorbent articles, the Structure 22 comprises the main structure of the diaper with other added features to form the structure of the composite diaper. While the top cover, the back cover 26 and the absorbent core 26 can be assembled in a variety of well-known configurations, the diaper configurations Preferred are generally described in U.S. Patent No. 3,860,003 entitled "Contractible side 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 the North American Patent No. 5,221,274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993; and the Patent li -: - a -, .-. -J. »1 ^ .i.? m-.j, -. 3 - ^ ..- ¿^ ¡¡^^^^^ ^^^^ yjg ^^ ^^ r ^ zc ^^^^^^^^^^ No. 5,554,145 yiíy ^ American entitled "Absorbent with Multiple Zone Structural Mouth Elastic-Like Film web Extensible Waist Feature" which issued to Roe was et al., 10 September 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,569,234 entitled "Disposable Pull-On Pant" which was issued for Buell et al., On October 29, 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,580,411 entitled "Zero Scrap Method for Manufacturing Side Panels for Absorbent Articles" which was issued for Nease et al., December 3, 1996; and US Patent Application Serial No. 08 / 915,471 entitled "Absorbent Article With Multi-Directional Extensible Side Panels" filed on August 20, 1997 in the name of Robles et al .; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The rear cover 26 is generally that portion of the article 20 adjacent the surface that confronts the garment 45 of the absorbent core 48 which prevents the exudates absorbed and contained therein from soiling articles which may be in contact with the article placed 20, such as bedding and underwear. In preferred embodiments, the back cover 26 is impervious to liquids (eg, urine) and comprises a plastic thin film such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm (0.5 mil) to about 0.051 mm (2.0 mils) . Back cover films include those manufactured by Tredegar Industries Inc. of Terre Haute, IN and sold under the names í f. - • _ • * »íiMSggS £ i! ^ Í. mast: Pttt-A * W- ¡fe ^ í ^^^^ ÍJgtí | ^^! j ^ Í¡ commercials of X15306, X10962 and X10964. Other back cover materials may include breathable materials that allow vapors to escape from article 20 while preventing exudates from passing through back cover 26. Illustrative breathable materials may include materials such as woven wefts, non-woven wefts , composite materials such as nonwoven webs and microporous films such as those manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Co., of Japan under the designation ESPOIR Noy by EXXONChemical Co., of Bay City, TX, under the designation EXXAIRE. Such suitable breathable composites comprising polymer blends are available from Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, OH under the name HYTREL combination P19-3097. Such breathable composite materials are described in greater detail in the PCT Application No. WO 95/16746, published June 22, 1995 in the name of E.l. DuPont and the copending US Patent Application Series No. 08 / 744,487 filed on November 6, 1996 on behalf of Curro. Other breathable back covers that include non-woven wefts and aperture-formed films 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. In some embodiments such as an insert for article 20, the back cover may be permeable to liquid and may, For example, include the materials that were described with respect to the & ^^ x ^^^ Béáj ^^^ & a ^^^^^^^^^ fc ^^^^^^^ j ^^^^^^ top cover 24 below. The back cover 26, or any portion thereof, may be elastically extensible in one or more directions. In one embodiment, the back cover 26 may comprise a weft similar to structural elastic film ("SELF"). A film similar to structural elastic is an extensible material that exhibits a similar elastic behavior in the direction of elongation without the use of elastic materials added. The SELF frame includes a deformable network having at least two distinct regions and disjoint contiguous. Preferably, one of the regions is configured so as to exhibit strength forces in response to an axial elongation applied in a direction parallel to the predetermined axis before a substantial portion of the other region develops significant resistance forces to the applied elongation. At least one of the regions has a path-surface length than that of the other region as measured substantially parallel to the predetermined axis while the material is in an unstressed condition. The region exhibiting the largest path length-length includes one or more deformations that extend beyond the plane of the other region. The SELF frame exhibits at least two significantly different stages of resistance forces controlled at the elongation along at least one predetermined axis when subjected to an elongation applied in a direction parallel to the predetermined axis. The SELF exhioe plot j £ .3AtL? L,. & & first resistance forces to the elongation applied until the elongation of the weft is sufficient to cause a substantial portion of the region having the largest path length-length between the plane of elongation applied, whereby the SELF frame exhibits second Resistance forces to additional elongation. The forces of total resistance to elongation are greater than the first strengths of resistance to elongation provided by the first region. SEF frames suitable for the present invention are described more fully in US Patent No. 5, 518,801 entitled Web Materials Exhibiting Elastic-Like Behavior, which was issued to Chappell, et al., May 21, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. In alternative embodiments, the back cover 26 may comprise elastomeric films, foams, filaments or combinations of these or other suitable materials 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 article 20 by any joining means known in the art. For example, the joining means may include a uniform continuous layer of adhesive, a layer of decorated adhesive or an arrangement of separate lines, spirals or spots of adhesive. The preferred attachment means comprises an open-pattern network of filaments of adhesive as described in US Patent No. 4,573,986 entitled "Disposable Was- Containment Garment ", which was issued for Minetola et al., On March 4, 1986. Other suitable joining means include several strands of adhesive filament that are twisted in a spiral pattern, as illustrated by the apparatus and the methods shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,911,173 issued to Sprague, Jr. on October 7, 1975; U.S. Patent No. 4,785,996 issued to Ziecker et al., on November 22, 1978; and U.S. Patent 4,842,666 issued to Werenciz, June 27, 1989. Each of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. The adhesives that have been found to be satisfactory are manufactured by H. B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota and marketed as HL-1620 and HL-1358-XZP. Alternatively, the joining means may comprise thermal joints, pressure joints, ultrasonic joints, joints dynamic mechanics or any other suitable joining means or combinations of these joining means as is known in the art. The upper cover 24 is preferably positioned adjacent the surface of the body 47 of the absorbent core 28 and can be attached to it and / or to the back cover 26 by any joining means known in the art. The attachment means are described above with respect to the means for attaching the back cover 26 to other elements of the article 20. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 24 and the back cover 26 are directly joined together in | ^^! j¡ = ^? í ^^ Éli ^. _ ^ & a ^ .- ^. some locations and are indirectly attached in other locations by attaching them directly to other elements of the article 20. The top cover 24 is preferably compatible, soft-touch and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. In addition, at least a portion of the top cover 24 is permeable to liquid, allowing liquids to penetrate quickly through its thickness. A suitable top cover 24 can be manufactured from a wide range of materials, such as porous foams, cross-linked foams, plastic films with openings or woven or non-woven webs of natural fibers (for example wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers (for example polyester or polypropylene fibers) or a combination of synthetic fibers or natural If the top covers include In the case of fibers, the fibers may be spin-spun, carded, wet-stretched, melt-blown, hydroentangling, or otherwise processed as is known in the art. A suitable top cover 24 comprising a fiber length polypropylene fiber web is manufactured by Veratec, Inc., a Division of International Paper Company, of Walpole, Massachusetts under the designation P-8. Suitable formed top film covers are described in US Patent No. 3,929,135 entitled "Absorptive Structures Having Tapered Capillaries", which was issued for Thompson on December 30, 1975; Patent No. 4,324,246 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having a Stain Resistant Topsheet", which was issued by Mullane et al., On April 13, 1982; U.S. Patent 4,342,314 entitled "Resilient Plástic Web Wxhibiting Fiber-Like Properties", which was issued for Radel, et al., On August 3, 1982; Patent North American No. 4,463,045 entitled "Macroscopically Expanded Three-Dimensional Plástic Web Exhibiting Non-Glossy Visible Surface and Cloth-Like Tactile Impression", which was issued for Ahr, et al., On December 31, 1984; and U.S. Patent No. 5,006,394"Multilayer Polymeric Film issued to Baird on April 9, 1991.

Other suitable top covers 30 are made in accordance with U.S. Patent Nos. 4,609,518 and 4,629,643 which were issued to Curro et al. On September 2, 1986 and December 16, 1986, respectively, and both are incorporated into the present by reference. Such films formed are available from The Procter & amp;; Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio as "DRI-WEAVE" and of Tredegar Corporation of Terre Haute, Indiana as "CLIFF-T". Preferably, the top cover 24 is made of hydrophobic material or is treated to be hydrophobic in order to isolate the wearer's skin from the liquids contained in the absorbent core 28. If the top cover 24 is made of a hydrophobic material, preferably at less the top surface of the top cover 24 is treated to be hydrophilic so that the liquids will be transferred through the top cover more quickly. This decreases the likelihood that the body exudates will flow out of the upper layer 24 instead of being pulled out through the upper layer 24 and being absorbed by the absorbent core 28. The upper cover 24 can become hydrophilic by treating it with a surfactant or incorporating a surfactant into the top cover. Suitable methods for treating the topcoat 24 with a surfactant include spraying the topcoat 24 with the surfactant and immersing the material in the surfactant. A more detailed discussion of such treatment and hydrophilicity is contained in U.S. Patent No. 4,988,344 entitled "Absorbent Articles wint Multiple Layer Absorbent Layers" issued for Reising, et al., January 29, 1991 and U.S. Patent No. 4,988,345 entitled " Absorbent Articles with Rapid Acquiring Absorbent Cores "issued for Reising on January 29, 1991. A more detailed discussion of some suitable methods for incorporating the surfactant into the top cover can be found in the American Statutory Inventions Registry No. H1670, published on July 1, 1997 in the name of Azis et al. Each of these references is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the top cover 24 may include a screen with apertures 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 top cover 24 such ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ as a polytetrafluoroethylene compound similar to 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 top cover 24 can be coated with a lotion as recognized in the art. Examples of suitable lotions include those described in US Patent No. 5,607,760 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing an Emollient and a Polyol Polyester Innobilizing Agent" which was issued to Roe on March 4, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,609,587 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotion Topsheet Comprising A Liquid Polyol Polyester Emollient And An Immobilizing Agent "which was published for Roe on March 11, 1997; US Patent No. 5,635,191 entitled" Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing A Polysiloxane Emollient "which was issued to Roe et al., on June 3, 1997, and the American Patent No. 5,643,588 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet" which was issued to Roe et al. On July 1, 1997. The lotion can function alone or in combination with another agent such as the hydrophobic conversion treatment described above. The top cover may include or be treated with antibacterial agents, some examples of which are described in the PCT Publication No. WO 95/24173 entitled "Absorbent Articles Containing Antibacterial Agents in the Topsheet for Odor Control" which was published on September 14, 1995 in the name of Theresa Johnson. In addition, the top cover 24, the back cover 26 'or any portion of the top cover or the back cover can be etched and / or mat finished to provide a more fabric-like appearance. The absorbent core 28 may comprise any absorbent material that is generally compressible, conformable, non-irritating to the wearer's skin and capable of retaining liquids such as urine and other body exudates. The absorbent core 28 can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (eg, rectangular, hourglass-shaped, T-shaped, asymmetric, etc.) and can comprise a wide variety of commonly used liquid-absorbing materials used in disposable diapers and other absorbent articles such as crushed wood pulp, which is generally referred to as air felt. Examples of other suitable absorbent materials include creped cellulose wadding; meltblown polymers, which include shape; chemically stiffened, modified or interlaced cellulose fibers; tissue paper, which includes tissue paper covers and tissue paper laminate; absorbent foams; absorbent sponges; superabsorbent polymers; absorbent gelling materials; or any other known absorbent materials or combinations of materials. yy2k¡X- fa r ^ -. M-¿aa & The configuration and construction of the absorbent core 28 may also be varied (e.g., the core or absorbent cores or other absorbent structures may have zones of different caliber, a hydrophilic gradient, a superabsorbent gradient, or a lower average density and weight acquisition zones lower average base, or may comprise one or more capable or structures). However, the total absorbent capacity of absorbent core 28 must be compatible with the design load and intended use of article 20. Absorbent structures for use as an absorbent core are described in US Patent No. 4,610,678 entitled "High-Density Absorbent". Structures "issued for Weisman et al., On September 9, 1986; U.S. Patent No. 4,673,402 entitled "Absorbent Articles With Dual-Layered Cores" issued to Weisman et al., June 16, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 4,834,735 entitled "High Density Absorbing Members Having Lower Density and Lower Basis Weight Acquisition Zones" issued to Alemany et al., May 30, 1989; Paterte North American No. 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, Polycarboxylic Acid Crosslinked Wood Pulp Cellulose Fibers" which was issued to Herron et al., On August 11, 1992; U.S. Patent No. 5,147,345 entitled "High Efficiency Absorbent Articles for Incontinence Management" issued for Young et al., September 15, 1992; U.S. Patent No. 5,342,338 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article For Low-Viscosity Fecal Material" issued by Roe on August 30, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 5,260,345 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Body Fluids and Absorbent Containing Such Materials" issued for DesMarais et al., November 9, 1993; U.S. Patent No. 5,387,207 entitled "Thin-Until-Vet Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Body Fluids and Process for Making Same" issued to Dyer et al., On 7 February 10, 1995; and U.S. Patent No. 5,625,222 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials For Aqueous Fluids Made From Hing Internal Phase Emulsions Having Very High Water-To-Oil Ratics" issued for DesMarais et al., July 22, 1997. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference.

The article 20 may also comprise at least one characteristic of elastic tape 34 which helps to provide improved fit and containment. The elastic waist feature 34 is generally intended to expand and contract elastically to dynamically adjust to the wearer's waist.

The elastic waist feature 34 preferably extends at least longitudinally outwardly from at least one waist edge 62 of the absorbent core 28 and generally forms at least a portion of the end edge 62 of article 20. Disposable diapers are often built to have two characteristics of elastic waist, one placed in the first ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ r- 'úH jS &g waist region 36 and one placed in the second waist region 38. Also, while the elastic waist feature 34 or any of its constituent elements may comprise one or more separate elements attached to the article 20, the elastic waist feature 34 may be constructed as an extension of other elements of the article 20, such as the rear cover 26 the upper cover 24 or both the rear cover 26 and the cover upper 24. Elastic waist feature 34 may be constructed in a number of different configurations including those described in US Patent No. 4,515,595 issued to Kievit et al., 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, 1992; and U.S. Patent No. 5,221,274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993. Other suitable waist configurations may include waist features such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 5,026,364 issued to Robertson on June 25, 1991 and U.S. Patent No. 4,816,025 issued to Foreman on March 28, 1989. All of the patents mentioned above are incorporated herein by reference. The article 20 may also include a fastening system 40. The fastening system 40 preferably maintains the first region 36 and the second region 38 in a configuration ^^ ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿? The fastening system 40 preferably comprises tape tabs and / or hook and loop fastening components, although any other known fastening means are generally acceptable. Some fastening systems are described in U.S. Patent No. 3,848,594 entitled "Tape Fastening System for Disposable Diaper" issued to Buell on November 19, 1974; U.S. Patent No. B1 4,662,875 entitled "Absorbent Article" issued to Hirotsu et al., May 5, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 4,846,815 entitled "Disposable Diaper Having An Improved Fastening Deviee" issued for Scripps on July 11, 1989; U.S. Patent No. 4,894,060 entitled "Disposable Diaper With Improved Hook Fastener Portic" issued to Nestegard on January 16, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 4,946,527 entitled "Presure-Sensitive Adhesive Fastener And Method of Making Same" issued to Battrell on August 7, 1990; and in the aforementioned North American Patent Mo. 5,151,092 issued to Buell on September 9, 1992 and US Patent No. 5,221,274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993. The fastening system may also provide means to retain the article in a configuration of disposal 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 herein by reference. In Alternative modalities, opposite sides of the garment can be sewn or welded to form a brief. This allows the article to be used as a quick-setting diaper, such as a training underpants. The article 20 may also comprise side panels 30. The side panels 30 may be elastic or extensible to provide a more comfortable and adaptable fit initially adjusting the article 20 initially to the user and holding this adjustment through the time of use after which the article 20 has been loaded with the exudates since the elasticized side panels 30 allow the sides of the article 20 to be extracted and contracted. The side panels 30 can also provide a more effective application of the article 20 even if the wearer of the diaper pulls one of the elasticized side panel 30 past the other during the application, the article 20 will be adjusted during use. While article 20 of the present invention preferably has the side panels 30 positioned in the second waist region 38, the article 20 may be provided with side panels 30 placed in the first waist region 36 or both of the first region. of waist 36 and second waist region 38. Side panels 30 may be constructed in any suitable configurations. Examples of diapers with elasticized side panels are described in U.S. Patent 4,857,067, entitled "Disposable Diaper Having Shirred Ears "issued to Wood, et al., On August 15, 1989; US Patent 4,381,781 issued to Sciaraffa, et al., May 3, 1983; US Patent 4,938,753 issued to Van Gompel, et al., 3; July 1990, US Patent No. 5,151,092 referred to Buell on September 9, 1992, and US Patent No. 5,221,274 issued to Buell on June 22, 1993; US Patent No. 5,669,897 issued to LaVon, et al. ., on September 23, 1997 entitled "Absorbent Articles Providing Sustained Dynamic Fit"; US Patent No. 08 / 915,471 entitled "Absorbent Article With Multi-Directional Extensible Side Panels" filed on August 20, 1997 in the name of Robles, et al .; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Article 20 preferably includes bends for leg 32 providing improved containment of fluids and other body exudates. Leg folds can be referred to as leg bands, side flaps, barrier folds or elastic folds. US Patent 3,860,003 discloses a disposable diaper that provides an opening for contractile leg having a side flap and one or more elastic members to provide an elasticized leg fold (one pair of gaskets). U.S. Patents Nos. 4,808,178 and 4,909,803 issued to Aziz et al., On February 28, 1989 and March 20, 1990, respectively, describe diapers. disposable that has "vertical" elasticated fins (folds of barrier) that improve the containment of the leg regions. U.S. Patent Nos. 4,695,278 and 4,795,454 issued to Lawson on September 22, 1987 and to Dragoo on January 3, 1989, respectively, describe disposable diapers having double folds that include packing 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 include Also, bags for receiving and containing waste, separators that provide voids for waste, barriers to limit the movement of waste in the article, compartments or voids that accept and contain the waste materials deposited in the diaper and the like, or any combination thereof. the same. Examples of bags and separate for absorbent products are described in US Pat. No. 5,514,121 issued to Roe et al. On May 7, 1996, entitled "Diaper Having Expulsive Spacer"; U.S. Patent 5,171,236 issued to Dreier et al on December 15, 1992, entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having Core Spacers "; U.S. Patent 5,397,318 issued to Dreier on March 14, 1995, entitled" Absorbent Article Having A Pocket Cuff "; US Patent 5,540,671 issued to Dreier on June 30, 1996, entitled" Absorbent Article Having A Pocket Cuff With An Apex "; and Request PCT WO 93/25172 published December 3, 1993, entitled "Spacers For Use In Hygienic Absorbent Articles And Disposable Absorbent Articles Having Such Spacer"; and U.S. Patent 5,306,266 entitled "Flexible Spacers For Use In Disposable Absorbent Articles", issued to Freeland on April 26, 1994. Examples of behavior or voids are described in US Patent 4,968,312, entitled "Disposable Fecal Compartmenting Diaper", issued to Khan on November 6, 1990; U.S. Patent 4,990,147 entitled "Absorbent Article With Elastic Liner For Waste Material Isolation", issued to Freeland on February 5, 1991; US Patent 5,62,840, entitled "Disposable Diapers", issued to Holt et al., November 5, 1991; and U.S. Patent 5,269,755 entitled "Trisection Topsheets for Disposable Absorbent Articles and Disposable Absorbent Articles Having Such Trisection Topsheets", issued to Freeland et al., December 14, 1993. Examples of suitable cross-sectional barriers are described in US Pat. 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 "Absorbing Article Having An Upstanding Transverse Partition" published July 7, 1994 in the name of Freeland, et al :, and US Patent 5,653,703"Absorbing Article Having Angular Upstanding Transverse Partition, issued on 5 August 1997 for Roe, et al. All of the aforementioned patents are incorporated herein by reference.

Article 20 also preferably includes at least one sensor 60. As used in this application, the term "sensor" refers to a device that is used to detect an event or parameter that is associated with an event. A parameter associated with an event is any measurable signal that correlates with the occurrence of an event within the reference structure of the system (for example, a signal caused by the waste, the user, or a component thereof). The sensors include any that respond to one or more specific inputs.

Examples of entries that can be detected by the sensor of the present invention include, but are not limited to, attitude, pressure, movement, humidity, enzymes, bacteria, pH, conductivity, strength, capacitance, inductance or other chemical, biochemical properties. , biological, mechanical or electrical and / or components of body waste. The sensors preferably detect "non-environmental" inputs such as non-relative or non-thermal humidity input in order to minimize the number of false responses by minimizing the possibility of an environmental condition triggering the sensor instead of the sensor sensing an input caused by the waste, the user, or a component thereof. An electrical or biological sensor can, for example, detect the elimination of the event of corporal waste such as defecation, urine or discharge of menstrual fluids by detecting a component of the waste.

A sensor can detect one or more events or one or more ^^ • ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ g ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ i ^ g ^^^^^^^^ g parameters associated with an event and provide an input for an actuator or control. further, a sensor of the present invention can also be reversible or irreversible. A dissolution film or capsule is an example of an irreversible sensor, while an electrical sensor that detects the electrical activity in the user's muscles can receive multiple sequential input signals (ie, it is reversible). As described above, the sensors 60 of the present invention may include any that respond to a specific input. For example, the sensor 60 of the present invention can be chemical, mechanical, electrical, etc. A chemical sensor can respond to chemical and / or biochemical inputs such as enzymes that are typically present in body wastes, pH, water, biological inputs such as bacteria, blood or any of one or more different components of body wastes such as feces , urine, or menstrual fluids, etc. A chemical sensor can use a chemical reaction as a means of detection or it can involve the dissolution of a soluble material in an input material of interest. Examples of chemical or biological sensors include dissolvable or tear-off films, capsules, cells, seals, etc. that dissolve or tear in response to a specific biochemical or biological or chemical input or to a specific class of chemical, biochemical or biological inputs. A mechanical sensor can also respond to movement, attitude, pressure, etc. An example of Sf ^^ ¿¿ffj- ^ &? AáS¿ ÁM ^^^ ^^ &.? Ar ^^^ £ ^ i ^ if ^ ??, .M¿¡s $ i.®ií a mechanical sensor is a bellows type in which to sit a baby on the sensor the weight descends on the bellows to inflate a portion of the sensor. A mechanical sensor may also include a sensor or a portion of the sensor that is separated or broken under a predefined applied pressure. An electrical sensor can also be used to respond to moisture, urine, feces, menstrual fluids, pressure, resistance, capacitance, inductance, etc. An electrical sensor may, for example, include a sensor in which a conductive inlet such as urine or feces complete a electrical circuit; a sensor in which the input such as pressure or voltage closes an electrical contact to complete a circuit, a piezoelectric sensor that generates a signal by means of pressure induced by the user or a part of the user (for example from movement or muscle tone); a sensor in which the resistance, the capacitance or inductance varies in the presence of the input to which the sensor responds; or a sensor that receives electrical signals from the body (eg, from the subcutaneous muscles) of the user through a contact such as the skin contact sensor. Optionally, the sensor can be a biosensor as is known in the art (e.g., an enzyme sensor, an organelle sensor, a tissue paper sensor, a microorganism sensor or an electrochemical sensor). The sensor can be adapted to detect proteins, sugars, biliary components, etc. as described in the North American Patent Mo. 4,636,474 entitled "Toilet Apparatus" issued to Kenji Ogura et al., on January 13, 1987. Biosensors may comprise biorecognition systems, typically enzymes or binding proteins such as antibodies immobilized on the surface of the physico-chemical transducers. Biosensors can detect components of body wastes, such as ammonium and phenol (for example through biosensors comprising enzyme electrodes). A specific strain of the bacterium can be detected by means of biosensors using antibodies harvested against the bacterial strain. Illustrative enzyme electrodes that can be used to detect phenols (eg in urine or feces) include tyrosinase based electrodes or enzyme electrodes polyphenol oxidase described in U.S. Patent No. 5,676,820 the titled "Remote Electrochemical Sensor," issued by Joseph Wang et al. , on October 14, 1997 and the Patent North American No. 5,091,299 entitled "An Enzyme Electrode For Use In Organic Solvents", issued to Anthony P. F. Turner et al., On February 25, 1992, respectively. Optionally, the sensor 60 may be a "proactive sensor" that is capable of detecting changes or signals in on the wearer, in the article or in the waste, ie, inputs, that directly relate or at a minimum, correlate to the occurrence of an event of impairment: the as defecation, urination or other discharge of body waste. A proactive sensor, for example, can detect an event of impediment such as defecation, urination or discharge or oiro ^^ - ^ .. ^ .- .. ^^ .. ¿^ ~ * ~ ^ fcaa ^ attattMtex ^ c?. ^^^ ttA .. ^^. parameter that correlates with the event. The impediment event may be related to the bodily waste, the user, the article or a component or components thereof. A parameter correlates an event in n any measurable input signal that correlates with the occurrence of the event within the reference structure and the system (ie, a signal caused by the waste or the user). The proactive sensor can, for example, predict the occurrence of a defecation, urine or discharge of body waste or can detect signs that may precede skin rash or skin irritation. Proactive sensors in an article can measure many different inputs in order to forecast an event. For example, the proactive sensor can monitor the external rectal sphincter muscle for relaxation in the rectal sphincter that precedes the release of stool and / or urine, a separation of the buttocks, a change in pressure in the abdomen, a concentration of gas in the article, or any other concentration that can be used to predict or anticipate the occurrence of an event such as a bowel movement, urine discharge or discharge of body wastes. Alternatively, a proactive sensor of the present invention can detect signals that precede skin irritation. For example, the sensor can detect residual fecal contamination of the user's skin (eg, fecal enzyme residue left after cleaning a diaper spotting) that can, over time, lead to irritated skin. The detection of a high pH, high hydration of the skin resulting in a measurable increase in conductance or decrease in skin impedance, etc., can also be used to predict potential skin irritation. Additional modalities of a proactive sensor are described in the co-pending United States Request Series No. entitled "Disposable Article Having A Proactive Sensor" (P &G Case No. 7196) filed on June 29, 1998, which is incorporated into the present by reference The sensor 60 can be placed on and / or connected operatively to any portion of a disposable article that will be exposed to the inlet that the sensor is designed to detect. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "operatively connected" refers to communication means i: a I as the sensor 60 which may point to some portion of the article 20 when the sensor 60 detects an input. The sensor 60 can be separated and operatively connected to another portion of the sensor 60, another sensor 60, an actuator 70, a controller 80 or some other portion or component of the article 20. "Operably connected" can, for example, include a means of communication such as a electrical connection by means of a wire or conductor member, by means of a transmitted signal such as radio frequency, infrared or other transmitted frequency communication. Alternatively, the sensor 60 may be operatively connected by means of a mechanical connection such as a pneumatic or hydraulic connection.

In article 20, for example, the sensor 60 may be located in the front waist region 36, the rear waist region 38, or the crotch region 37 of article 20 and may be integral with, positioned adjacent to, attached to , or comprise a portion of the structure 22, the top cover 24, the back cover 26, the absorbent core 28, the side panels 30, the leg cuffs 32, a waist feature 34, a fastening system 40, the edges longitudinal 50 or end 52, etc. The sensor 60 may be integral with article 20 or may be installed 10 by the person providing the care or the user. Sensor 60 may be contained entirely within the article such as article 20 or may have a receiving portion located in the article so that they come into contact with the desired entry and another portion such as a transmission portion located either in the article or outside it. The sensor 60 can be external to the article 20 and be operatively connected to some portion of the article 20 so that the sensor 60 can detect an input external to the article 20 and provide a signal to a controller 80 and / or an actuator 70. In some modalities, the sensor can be separate from the article, for example applied separately to some portion of the user, and / or may have one or more separate components of the article. The sensor 60 may further comprise a detection "system" that includes two or more sensors, each of which can detect identical or different signals from sources ^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ fcA ^ afe ^ .. y * á¡ -? they are identical or different. The detection system may include components that are located within, external, and / or separated from the article. For example, the detection system may include a sensor within the article that detects electrical signals in the user's external rectal sphincter and a sensor external to the article that detects movement, tension or muscle activity in the user's abdomen. The detection system may also or alternatively include different components of the detection elements within, external to, and / or separated from the article. The system for detection, for example, may include a transmitter that is external to the article and transmit a signal to another part of the detection system that is attached or placed in the article 20. The article 20 preferably also comprises an actuator 70. As used in this application, the term "actuator" refers to a device comprising "potential" and means of transforming that potential to execute or activate a "sensitive function." The potential of the actuator 70 may comprise a stored or potential energy or stored material. execute or activate therefore a function Sensitive by transforming potential energy into kinetic energy or by releasing or supplying a stored material. A "sensitive function" is defined for the purposes of this application as a function performed on an entry consisting of the body waste, the user, the item, or a component or components thereof. For the purposes of the g £ ^^ 3S8 < ^ t ^? r ^! S ^^ - ^ a8ai8-fc »g ^^ &afJ.? »-J -« M »- ^ -« if. w, _ j ^^^^^^^^ ^ | ^^^ j ^^^ fe ^ g »^^^ g_ _ j ^ g» ^^ _ ^^^ _ ^^^^^ present invention, considers a function to be executed at the input if the function is executed on the detected element, for example by detecting the pH and acting on the pH or may include the action on a composition of which the detected element is an integral component, for example detect a fecal enzyme or fecal moisture and act on the stool. A device that provides only a signal indicating that an event has occurred, although it is not considered an "actuator" as defined for the purposes of this application. A component of waste The body can include, for example, moisture, electrolytes, enzymes, volatile gases, bacteria, blood, etc. A user component may also include skin, genitals, rectum, rectal sphincter muscle, etc. A component of the article may also include leg folds, waist folds or other barriers waste and / or containment components, side panels, tabs, a structure, an absorbent core, an acquisition component, a fastening system, the longitudinal or end edges, etc. Potential energy can be stored as mechanical, electrical, chemical or thermal energy. The "kinetic energy" as it used in this application refers to the ability to do work or to perform a sensitive function as described above (e.g., the expansion of a compressed device, the rotation of a rotated device, a gel that moves as the phases change , coating or treatment of the skin or stool, inhibition of an enzyme, pH adjustment, etc.). »*" - "- *" "a * - * - * * *» --- m ** ~ *** J;. ~. - "n" i rt tJíá = A ^^ Éi-fa ^^ The activation of the creation of a three-dimensional structure to trap waste, for example, involves the sensitive functions executed on a component of the article and, finally, on the waste. The trapping of waste, the cleaning of the user's skin or the treatment of the skin with a care composition for the same, for example, are sensitive functions performed on the waste and / or the user. Adjustment of article geometry (in one, two or three dimensions) or physical properties (eg, ural modulus, geometry, etc.) are examples of sensitive functions, which can be executed on the article. The indication to a person providing care and / or to the user that an event has occurred, does not execute a sensitive function since it does not execute a function on the entry. The signaling devices require an agent external to the system (for example, a human, etc.) such as an actuator in order to result in the function being executed. An actuator of a disposable article can, for example, deliver or deliver a deodorant, enzyme inhibitor, skin care composition or pH control agent; catch, clean, cover, catch, immobilize, seal, pump or store the body waste, or activate the release or creation of a structure or element designed to perform one or more of those functions or any other sensitive function on the waste, the user or the item or a component of the same. An actuator 70 of the present invention can release the potential energy to execute or activate a sensitive function on the input. The release of potential energy can transform mechanical, electrical, chemical or thermal energy into mechanical, electrical or chemical kinetic energy to perform the sensitive function. The actuators can be activated by a threshold level of one input to release the potential energy in order to execute a sensitive function on the input or can respond continuously on the input as described below. For example, a compressed foam has stored compressive mechanical potential energy and can provide mechanical kinetic energy when released. A twisted foam has stored mechanical torsional energy that can provide mechanical kinetic energy, that is, rotation, when it is released. In addition, chemical, electrical or thermal energy stored can be used to release kinetic, electrical, mechanical, chemical or thermal energy. An actuator of a disposable article, for example, may include one or more of the following: stored lotion, stool modification agents, enzyme inhibitors, pH regulators, dyes, pressurized gas, a compressed foam, a pump, an electricity sensitive gel, a pH sensitive gel, a gel sensitive to salt concentration, etc. The potential energy can be stored in any form sufficient to maintain / restrict until required. Examples include batteries and / or capacitors, materials stretched elastic, torsionally or compressively or structures, in the form of reagents without reaction, and materials capable of performing physical or chemical functions (for example, absorbers, emollients, pH regulators, enzyme inhibitors, stool modification agents, compressed gases, etc.). Alternatively, an actuator 70 of the present invention may comprise a quantity of stored material that has the ability to execute or activate a sensitive function on the input. In one embodiment, for example, the actuator 70 may passively release or actively supply a stored material that performs a sensitive function over the input. In this embodiment, the actuator 70 may be activated by a threshold level of an input to release or discontinuously provide the stored material at a given time or may release or supply the material in a continuous manner. He actuator 70 may, for example, include stored lotion, skin care compositions, stool modification agents, enzyme inhibitors, pH regulators, dyes, etc. In certain preferred embodiments, the material may be supplied by an actuator 70 such as an elastic material in expansion, a high pressure gas released, etc. In alternative embodiments, the sensor and / or the actuator may comprise a closed system liquid transport member. A "closed system liquid transport" member or "transport member" comprises a member filled with liquid which contains an entry port and an exit port which at the receiving an even small amount of the liquid at the port of entry virtually immediately releases the liquid at the port of exit. The liquid released from the outlet port can serve as an input signal for a sensor. For example, the liquid may be water, which is released when the transport member absorbs the fecal moisture at the inlet port, which acts to dissolve a seal in order to release the stored mechanical energy to create a gap space for stool In another embodiment, the transport member can absorb the urine at a port of entry and transport the urine to another portion of the article for storage. Alternatively, the transport member may self-activate an actuator (e.g., mixing with agents to perform a chemical reaction), or may execute at least a portion of the function of the actuator (e.g., water released is absorbed by a superabsorbent polymer placed in a particular geometry, which expands and forms a hollow volume for stool). The transportation of liquid through such transport members is based on direct suction instead of capillary action. The liquid is transported through a region within which a significant amount of air (or other gas) can not enter. The driving force for the liquid flowing through such a member can be maintained by a liquid weir (e.g., a capillary or osmotic absorbent structure) or source in liquid connection with the member. Therefore, a member of liquid transport must have a liquid permeability '^^^^^^^^^^^^^? ^^^^^^^ & relatively high There are preferably at least two regions within the transport medium with different pore sizes, ie one or more port regions having smaller pores and the inner region having a much larger pore size. The inner region of the transport member has a permeability that is relatively high compared to the permeability of a port region (a higher liquid permeability provides less flow resistance), which can be a part of a region external / wall circumscribing the internal region / volume. Non-limiting examples of porosity materials suitable for use as an internal region material include fibrous structures comprising polyolefin, PET, cellulose, and fibers based on cellulose, and open cell foam pores such as cells cross-linked, cellulose sponges, polyurethane foams and HIPE foams. In one embodiment, the gaps in the inner region are filled almost completely with an essentially non-compressible fluid. The term "essentially complete" refers to the situation, when the sufficient hollow volume of the internal region is is filled with the liquid so that a continuous flow path between the inlet and outlet ports can be established. Port regions of the transport member comprise materials that are permeable for liquid transport, but not for environmental gas (such as air) once are moistened with the transport liquid. Frequently, such Materials are described as membranes, which are defined as regions that are permeable to the liquid, gas or a suspension of particles in a liquid or gas. The membrane can for example comprise a microporous region to provide permeability to the liquid through the capillaries. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane may comprise a monolithic region comprising a block copolymer through which liquid is transported by means of fusion. Illustrative membranes for port regions include cellulose acetate membranes, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 5,108,383 entitled "Membranes For Absorbent Articles" issued to White on April 28, 1992, PET films as described in EP-A-0451797, membranes of nitrocellulose, cellulose nitrate membranes, PTFE membranes, polyamide and polyester membranes. Other suitable materials are woven polymer meshes, such as polyamide or polyethylene meshes as available from Verseidag in Geldern-Waldbeck, Germany or SEFAR in Rüschlikon, Switzerland. The actuator 70 may alternatively comprise a gel sensitive to electricity. The electricity-sensitive gels are polymer gel networks that, when at least partially expanded with water, change the volume and / or the geometry under the application of a current or electric field. For example, certain partially ionized polyacrylamine gels will experience anisotropic shrinkage of approximately 50% under weak electric fields (eg, 0.5 volts / cm) when immersed in acetone and water, alternative electricity-sensitive gels may undergo electrically induced flexion in the presence of water and a surfactant or may experience an oscillating undulating movement when undergo an oscillating electric field. It is considered that local shrinkage can be induced in a portion of the gel, for example one side of a gel element by the concentration of surfactant molecules positively charged in the charged gel polymer. negatively in an electric field. The change in the intensity and / or the polarity of the field induces a movement in the gel as one side decreases in length (for example a gel formed in a strip can be twisted). The gels sensitive to electricity can comprise variable energies such as rectangular, circular, grid reticulated, etc. patterns in order to provide a valve to release a material, allow a body waste to flow through it, prevent a body waste from flowing through it, encapsulate a body waste, etc. as they change volume and / or geometry. An electrically sensitive gel formed in A strip, for example, can be flexed to carry stool when fecal moisture is detected. In Figures 10a and 10B for example, an electrically sensitive gel strip is shown in a circuit in which faecal moisture can bind the contacts 485 and allow the current to flow to the sensitive gel. the electricity joining or reinforcing the strip. Alternatively, a the Electricity-sensitive formed in a grid pattern grid, as shown in Figures 11A, 11B and 11C, can be electrically induced to expand or comprise when urine is detected to form a valve that allows and / or prevents urine from flowing to another portion of article 20. Figure 11A, for example, shows a circuit that includes a grid pattern of an electrically responsive gel. Figures 11 B and 11C further show a microscopic view of the grid in a contracted and an expanded configuration respectively. An illustrative material is a weakly interlaced PAMPs gel (polyacrylamido-2-methyl propane acid). This type of gel can perform various functions such as creating a hollow space for fecal feces, cleansing the skin, applying or supplying a chemical stool treatment agent or functioning as a valve to release a material. Other illustrative electrical sensitive gels are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,100,933 issued to Tanaka on March 31, 1990 and WO 9202005. Alternatively, pH-sensitive gels or output-sensitive gels that change volume and / or the geometry at specific concentrations of pH or salt, respectively, can be used as an actuator of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, it may include one or more proactive sensors and one or more actuators 70. Upon detecting an input signal before an impediment event, a sensitive system may be operated to prepare the event of impediment. Regardless of the specific input, the proactive sensor in these modes can trigger an activator to execute an action at the input to delay or prepare the occurrence of the impediment event. For example, if a defecation or urinary discharge of impediment is to be detected by means of the electrical activity of the external rectal sphincter muscles, the system is preferably actuated (i.e., the sensitive system is operated) by a signal related to relaxation rectal sphincter ciel. The actuator can execute a function such as send an electrical signal to the external rectal sphincter muscle to keep the rectal sphincter summed. The actuator 70 may be positioned in and / or operatively connected to any portion of the disposable article that will allow the actuator to perform a sensitive function on the body waste, the user, the article or a component thereof. In article 20, for example, the actuator 70 may be located in the front waist region 36, the rear waist region 38 or the crotch region 37 of article 20 or may be integral with, placed adjacent to, or joined to. a component of Structure 22, the upper cover 24, the rear cover 26, the absorbent core 28, the side panels 30, the leg cuffs 32, a waist feature 34, a fastening system 40, the longitudinal 50 or end 52 edges , etc. The actuator 70 can be completely contained within the article such as the article 20, may have a portion located in the article and Lina ^^ --- *; a ^^ », ^ - '» ^. ^ = ai ^^ tfSháa - »" - ... ^ .AA? g «;. g :: _:? _ ^ ¡^ ^ portion located outside of article 20, or may be completely external to article 20. An actuator 70 or a portion of an actuator 70 may be operatively connected to one or more sensors 60, one or more controllers 80, another portion of actuator 70 or another portion of article 20. In addition, actuator 70 may be integral with article 20, or may be installed by the person providing the care or the user. Article 20 may also include a controller 80. A "controller" is defined for the purposes of this application as a device that receives an input from a sensor and determines whether one or more actions are to be taken at the input. The controller can receive a signal from the sensor 60 and direct the actuator 70 to execute an input sensitive function. Alternatively, the actuator 70 can receive the signal directly from the sensor 60 and execute an input sensitive function. A controller can include materials that undergo a chemical or physical change, can be a chemical, mechanical or electrical device that processes the information from a sensor, etc. For example, in an article having a compressed plastic foam material encapsulated and restricted under vacuum by a moisture-soluble pouch, the sensor 60 may comprise the moisture-soluble pouch. The physical and chemical characteristics of the film, ie the type of polymer, the thickness, etc., which determines how much of the input may be present before the film dissolves, act as the controller 80 and determine the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ L ^ £ L £ ^^ K ^^ j ^^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^ Entrance threshold that can be found before the controller 80 allows the actuator 70 to release the stored energy to execute an input sensitive function. The actuator 70 is the combination of the compressed foam and the vacuum loss, which allows the release of the stored mechanical energy from the compressed foam. In this example, the controller 80 acts as a one-time switch. The electric controller 80 that receives the signals from the sensor B0 such as the electrical activity of the user's muscles, without However, it can receive and monitor multiple electrical signals and can repeatedly actuate the actuator to act on the input. The controller can be integral with the sensor component, integral with the actuator component or a separate component of the system. The controller 80 may be placed in and / or operatively connected to any portion of a disposable article which will allow the controller 80 to receive a serial from the sensor 60 and provide a signal to the actuator 70. In article 20, for example , the controller 80 can be located in the front waist region 36, the rear waist region 38 or the crotch region 37 of article 20 and may be integral with, positioned adjacent, attached to the structure 22, or a component of the top cover 24, the back cover 26, the absorbent core 28, the side panels 30, the folds for Leg 32, a waist feature 34, a restraint system ^^^ ^^ j £ ¿i ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ li i ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ 40, the longitudinal edges 5.0- or end 52, etc. The controller 80 may be integral with article 20 or may be installed by the person providing the care or the user. The controller 80 may be contained entirely within the article such as article 20 or may have a portion located in the article and a portion located outside the article or may be completely outside the article 20. A controller 80 or a portion of the controller 80 may operatively located to one or more sensors 60, one or more actuators 70, another portion of the controller 80 or another portion of the article 20. The controller 80, for example, can receive a signal from the sensor 60 and provide a signal to the actuator 70 , for example, by means of a radio frequency (rf) transmission. Although the different structural elements can execute the functions of the sensor 60, the actuator 70 and the controller 80, the functions of the sensor 60, the actuator 70 and / or the controller 80 of the present invention do not need to be executed by different structural elements. The functions of the sensor 60 and the controller 80, for example, may be executed by the same structural element such as a film which dissolves upon contact with a component of a body waste. In this example, the film acts as a sensor and responds to the input component of body waste. The physical and chemical characteristics of the film, ie the type of polymer, the thickness, etc., that determine how much of the input must be present before the film dissolves act as the controller and determine a? ¿~ & ato * ~ ..-....-'.-, - ~. - - .....? haMit ^ j < aA. ^. ^^^? fa ^ ¡ia.ih3t ^. ^ hfMWlffrf the threshold of the input that must be covered before the controller allows the actuator to release the stored energy to execute an input sensitive function. In another embodiment, the sensitive system may comprise cells or capsules containing one or more materials such as skin care compositions, pH control agents or enzyme inhibitors. The cells or capsules can, for example, be dissolved in the presence of a threshold level of a given liquid or other component of body waste and a release of stored material to act on the inlet. In this embodiment, the cells or capsules act as the sensor, for example, detecting the liquid, and the controller, for example by defining the threshold level before allowing the material to be released. In another embodiment the responsive system may comprise a member of liquid transport closed system that can receive input such as urine at the inlet port and supply discontinuously an agent such as a controlling agent pH or an enzyme to the urine in the port of departure of the transport member. In this embodiment, the transport member acts as the sensor, ie receives the urine and the actuator, ie actively provides the agent to the entrance to be treated. In addition, the liquid transport member of the closed system can also act as a controller that determines the necessary threshold level of the input. In a modality in which the closed system liquid transport member receives the urine at the port of entry and i. ^ i ^ ^ É ^ fca AMA ^^. ^ É ^^^ ^^^ Muto carries urine to another portion of the article, for example the transport member closed system liquid can act as the sensor, the actuator and / or the controller. In this mode, the transport member can act as a sensor receiving the urine, the permeability of the port of entry or the port of exit can function as the controller and determine the amount of threshold of urine that is required before the member of Transport function as the actuator by transporting the urine to another portion of the article. Article 20 of the present invention includes a responsive system that includes a feedback control cycle, i.e., a closed cycle system. A "responsive system" is defined for the purposes of this application for a system that includes a sensor 60 and an actuator 70 that acts on the bodily wastes, the user, the article, or a component thereof when the sensor 60 detects the appropriate activation input. Upon detection of a given input parameter, the actuator 70 effects the release of stored energy or the material to perform a sensitive function on the input determined. A sensitive system of the present invention comprises a "closed cycle" instead of an "open cycle" system. A "closed cycle" system of the present invention, which is also referred to as a "cycle control" system feedback "includes different sensor components 60 and actuator 70 and execute a sensitive function on the input. In some preferred embodiments, the system may also use a detection or measurement of an element or a parameter of the output condition as at least one activator of the sensitive function that is executed on the input. The output condition may be the state of the input condition after the actuator 70 has had the opportunity to execute a sensitive function on the input condition. For example, if the sensor 50 is monitoring a pH in article 20 and the urine is discharged in article 20 by changing the pH of the system, ie the condition of the sensitive system's output, the sensitive system can release a predetermined amount of a pH regulator to bring the pH of the system back to the target pH or scale of pH or can release a regulator until the pH returns to the target scale or the pH scale. An absorbent material such as a superabsorbent polymer continuously absorbs a liquid inlet until the liquid has been fully absorbed or the capacity of the polymer has been reached, it is not considered to comprise a closed cycle system since the absorbent material does not have different components of sensor 60 and actuator70. The sensitive function can be executed when the output condition reaches a threshold level, or it can be executed only when the output condition and one or more conditions are met. Acting on the entry may include acting on the detected element, for example, detect the pH and act on the pH, or may include ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ x * • * "~ act on a composition from which the detected element is an integral component, for example, detect a faecal enzyme or faecal moisture and act on the feces As described above, a feedback control loop system includes at least two different components: the sensor 60 and the actuator 70. The sensor 60 detects an event, or a parameter associated with that event. signal and performs a sensitive function on the input condition detected by the sensor € 0. As described above, the feedback control cycle may further include a controller 80. In this case, the sensor 60 may provide a signal to the controller 80. and the controller 80 can direct the actuator 70 to execute a sensitive function on the input condition, the controller 80 can be a separate component of the sensitive system or the The function of the controller can be executed by the sensor 60 and / or the actuator 70. The feedback control cycle of the present invention can be "non-modulator" or "modulator". In a sensitive system in a "non-modulator" feedback control cycle the sensing system acts as a switch of a time in which the actuator executes a sensitive function of the input when the threshold level of the output condition is met. For example, the sensor 60 can detect a specific faecal enzyme, and the actuator 70 can release a compressed foam in response to the capture of the feces or can release an inhibitor from the stool. enzyme in response to the one acting on the enzyme detected in the feces. Alternatively, the sensor 60 can detect urine or moisture from menstrual discharges and release a compressed foam or absorbent material in response to that which extracts moisture within the material as it expands. The sensor 30 can detect a volatile gas that produces an unpleasant odor and the actuator 70 can release a deodorizer in response that removes the odor of that volatile gas In each of those examples, the actuator 70 acts on the inlet detected by the sensor 60. Yes the sensor 60 detects the urine and the actuator 70 releases a compressed foam material to create a void formed enough to contain the feces, the actuator 70 nevertheless acts on another part of the inlet detected by the sensor 70, is say it acts on stools instead of urine and so so much is not a feedback control loop. However, a "modulator" feedback control cycle includes a sensor 60, an actuator 70 and a controller 80. In a modulator feedback control cycle, the output condition is monitored constantly or repeatedly and the controller 80 detects actuator to execute a sensitive function on the input in order to maintain the output condition at a desired fixed point or on a desired scale. A sensitive modulator system can consistently or repeatedly measure the pH in the waste and release a certain amount of a pH control agent (such as a pH regulator). pH or a pH decreasing agent) each time the pH of the scrap is detected on a threshold pH level to provide a responsive feedback loop cycle system. In comparison to the closed loop system of the present invention, an "open cycle" system is a system that responds to the input to execute a sensitive function without using the feedback, ie, the output has no effect on the detected input that register the system. An open cycle system can include a sensitive system having an individual device that executes the functions of both the sensor 60 and the actuator 70 or can have different sensor components 60 and actuator 70 in which the actuator acts on a different part of the liquid . A superabsorbent polymer placed in an absorbent core of a disposable absorbent article, for example, provides an open cycle response because the polymer only includes a single device that performs the functions of the sensor 60 and the actuator 70. Alternatively, a The open-cycle sensitive system may include a sensor 60 that detects body waste or a component of that body waste and an actuator 70 that performs a sensitive function in a continuous or discontinuous manner over another part of the input detected by the sensor 60. For example, the sensor 60 can detect the urine and the actuator 70 can capture or store the fecal eses. An example of a continuous open cycle sensitive system in which the inflatable separator is inflated to provide a volume - * - - * • - "* ntoMMlc.> UM *« A r. ^ * Te ».... Xi?, ...« ^^ ¿.. hollow to store the fecal eses by means of a chemical reaction ectrical stequeo when a liquid such as urine makes contact with a gas wrapping material, that is, a continuous sensitive system, is described in the United States of America Patent No. 5,330,459 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having an Inflatable Spacer," issued to Gary D. Lavon et al. on July 19, 1994, which is incorporated herein by reference. Another example of a modality of this type, is a disposable article that improves the fit over the user by the actuator that releases a leg fold that has been held in an expanded state when the sensor 60 detects a liquid such as urine or menstrual discharges. An example of a continuous continuous cycle sensitive system that improves the fit of the user by means of a stoichiometric chemical reaction is discloses U.S. Patent No. 4,246,900 entitled "Diaper Including Moisture-responsive Seal Means," issued to Schroder et al. on January 27, 1981, which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, a discontinuous open cycle sensitive system that improves the fit over the user may include an elastic material such as a leg or waist fold that is sustained is an expanded state at two different restriction sites by a soluble restriction material so that when the restriction material in one or both of the restriction sites dissolves, the elastic material can contract and form a seal with the user's skin.

A closed cycle sensitive system of the present invention can respond erj. a "continuous" or "discontinuous" and "i" form. As used in this application, a "continuous sensitive system" refers to a sensitive system in which the output is quantitatively dependent on the amount of the input (i.e., continuously increasing amounts of the input are required to effect the continuously increasing amounts of the output), or where the output of the sensitive system comprises a passive release of a stored material. A superabsorbent polymer placed in an absorbent core of an article, for example, provides a continuous response in which the output is quantitatively dependent on the amount of the input, i.e. as the amounts of the liquid waste in contact with the polymer increase. superabsorbent, an increasing amount of the polymer containing that liquid until the capacity of the polymer is exhausted. A stequeometric chemical reaction is another example of a system that has a continuous response to the rising output. In the reaction A + excess B? C, for example, the amount of excess B converted to C is stoichiometrically and therefore "continuously," related to the amount of A available in the system. A sensitive system that passively releases a stored material generally provides a continuous response regardless of how the material itself is released due to the actual sensitive function performed on the body waste, the user, the item or a component thereof that is executed for the material, not for the release of the material. Therefore, if the material is released or not continuously in response to a predetermined input, or released discontinuously at a single time when a threshold of a given input is detected, the sensitive function executed by the released material is executed in such a way that the Continuously increasing amounts of input are required to effect continually increasing quantities of output until the released material runs out. However, a "discontinuous sensitive system" refers to a sensitive system having an output function that is essentially independent of the amount of the input beyond a threshold level. For example, when one or more threshold levels of a given input are met, the responsive system can release all or a predesignated portion of its stored energy 5 to execute a specific sensitive function. In an ideal embodiment of the present invention, the output function includes a "step" function as shown in FIG. 7A. In this mode, the rate of change in the output with increasing levels of input (d (output) / d (input)), that is, the slope 0 or first derivative f '(x) of the output function f (x ) is preferably essentially zero when the amount of the input is above or below the threshold level. However, at the threshold level, the rate of change d (output) / d (input) preferably approaches infinity. Therefore, in the ideal discontinuous response, 5 the limit of the function f (x-e) as e? 0 is not equal to the limit of the function f (x + e) as e? O, that is, lim f (x-e)? lim f (x + e). However, the present invention recognizes that in the physical world an instantaneous change of stage at the threshold level is not necessary and may not be possible in many instances. In a preferred embodiment, it is only necessary that the output function has a virtual cover change with each small change in the input at or around the threshold level of the input. Thus, the present invention contemplates a discontinuous sensitive system of the present invention having an output function that responds in a sufficiently discontinuous manner to the transition region so that the output function has at least a minimum relative degree of inclination in the transition region. While not wishing to be limited to a particular method of describing or modeling a discontinuous system, in a preferred method of determining whether or not a given output function is executed in a sufficiently discontinuous fashion as defined for the purposes of present invention, the inclination of the output curve at the inflection point is compared with the relative inclination of a line between the first and the last points of the transition region. For example, Figure 8A shows a graph of an illustrative output function, f (x) together with aligned graphs of I first, f '(x), second f "(x), and third, f'" (<;), derived from the illustrative output function. The output function f x) describes the effect of the input (x or I) on the output or the response »A -.- iSk¡A * i. jfaat- & e »ík! > • -Jp? ISg) (R (l)). For the purposes of the present invention, the transition region is defined as the region between the relative maximum, R (l?), And the minimum, R (lz), of the second derivative, f '(x), of the output function, f (x). the relative maximum, R (), and the relative minimum, R (l >), are points at which the third derivative, f '"(x), is equal to zero.The inflection point, l0, is defined as the point in the transition region in which the second derivative, f "(x), is equal to zero, that is, d2R | 10 - I = o. di2 | I = l o The comparison of the inclination of the output function at the inflection point for the inclination of a line between the first and last points of the transition region can described by the equation: dR I (? Rt) - | = k di | I = io (? Lt) In this equation dR / dl at the point of inflection is the first derivative of the output function at that point. The term? Lt is the change in the input for the sensible system between the first h, and the last, l2, points of the transition region, that is, l2 - lt and the term? Rt is the change in the response of I output function between the first and the last points of the transition region, is say, R (l2) - R (l?). The coefficient k is a proportional constant ^^^^^^^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^ jj ^ »áj | ^^ g ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ gfgíl ^ g H ^^» í¡ £ ¡JJ. which describes the relative inclination of the inclination of the output function at the inflection point, l0, compared to the inclination of a line between the first and last points of the transition region. In order for the responsive system to have a discontinuous output function, the proportional constant k must be at least about 2.0, preferably at least about 3.0, more preferably at least about 5.0, and even about most preferable way of at least about 10.0, with at least about 100.0 being the most preferred. In certain embodiments, the relative degree of inclination in the transition region of a discrete sensitive system can also be modeled by a transfer function of a control system having a series of an integer, n, first order intervals with an identical time constant. The transfer function of the sensitive system is defined for the purposes of the present invention as the Laplace relation that transforms the outputs (response variable) to the input (disturbance variable). See, for example, Robert H. Perry & Don Green, Perry's Chemical Engineer's Handbook. Sixth Ed., Chap.22 (McGraw Hill, Inc. 1984). As shown in Figure 8B, the relative degree of inclination of an output function can be approximated by the formula: KG. (S) = K / (Ts + 1) n in which KG. (S) is the function of transfer, k is a proportional element, T is the system time constant, and n is the whole number of times first order time intervals. In this model, as the number n increases, the inclination of the output function in the transition region also increases and the model begins to approach a discontinuous sensitive system. Certain discrete sensitive systems of the present invention can be modeled preferably by the above formula when n is greater than or equal to about 25, with n being greater than or equal to about 50 being more preferred and n being greater than or equal to about 100 that is the most preferred. As shown in Figure 7A, a sensitive system of the present invention can include an individual threshold level at which the sensitive system can release all of its stored energy to execute a specific sensitive function or can include multiple threshold levels at which the system can release a predesigned portion of its stored energy to execute one or more specific sensitive functions at each of the threshold levels. In a mode that has an individual threshold level, which has all its stored energy to execute the full sensitive function when that threshold level is reached. In such an individual threshold mode, in this example, the discontinuous sensitive system includes a system having two states such as active or inactive. A threshold amount of an entry such as ??? is present in the absorbent article the sensitive system can perform an individual sensitive function on the waste, the user, the article or a component thereof, such as the wrapping of the waste away from the user's skin. Therefore, the discontinuous sensitive system can perform a function similar to a one-time switch that changes from one state to another in the presence of a threshold level of one input. / * / * Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7B, the sensitive system may have multiple threshold levels at which when each threshold level is reached the system may release a certain "quanta" of energy or provide a certain amount of material to execute a specific response function. In this embodiment, when each threshold level is reached, a portion of the full sensitive function can be executed and / or different different independent sensitive functions can be executed in response to different threshold levels being reached. For example, a sensitive system can monitor a faecal enzyme and when each level of threshold enzyme is met it can provide an equal or different amount of enzyme inhibitor or inhibitors, or it can inflate or expand a storage component of the article or provide a regulator. of pH at the first threshold level and performing another sensitive function such as providing a quantity of enzyme inhibitor or inhibitors at the second threshold level. In each transition region, the sensitive system responds essentially to the same transition region in the same individual modality. described. In addition, a sensitive system can monitor multiple inputs such as humidity and / or one or more faecal enzymes and execute one or more sensitive functions when the threshold levels of the different inputs are reached or can perform a sensitive function only when two or more of the threshold levels of the different inputs meet. A controller can monitor multiple different inputs and execute a different sensitive function when the threshold level of different inputs is reached.

Alternatively, the control can execute a mare logic OR function such that a sensitive function can be executed when one or more threshold levels of the multiple inputs are reached. The controller can also execute a function of logical AND type of link so that a function sensitive can be executed when each threshold level of two or more different inputs are reached. The closed cycle sensitive systems of the present invention can provide a continuous or discontinuous system. In one embodiment, for example, a sensitive closed cycle system can detect the pressure and act on the pressure by providing a pressure release valve. The mode may comprise a continuous closed cycle sensitive system if the system continuously responds to the pressure, increasing the linear output function or non-linearly as the level of pressure detected. A sensitive system of cerreido cycle Jt-l = l ^ a -. ^^, A- ^ similar, can provide a discontinuous response that does not respond until it is detected reaches one or more threshold levels and then releases all or a portion of its stored energy when the sensor detects that the pressure level has reached the threshold levels. In a discontinuous embodiment of the present invention, a body waste isolation device 90 comprises a compressed elastic material that is held in compression in a bag, at least a portion of which is soluble in the bag. water. Preferably, the compressed elastic material is held in a vacuum compression within the bag. When a moisture threshold level, ie the inlet, dissolves a portion of the water-soluble region and discontinuously releases the vacuum, the compressed material expands, ie the increase in volume is the exit, and can perform a sensitive function on one or more bodily wastes. The compressed material, for example, can be an elastic plastic foam having a vacuum which, when expanded, has a sufficient volume to trap the fecal eses. The body waste isolation device can be placed in article 20 adjacent to the user's rectum so that when allowed to expand it can trap body waste such as fecal waste and store waste away from the wearer's skin. In a discontinuous closed cycle embodiment of the present invention, the soluble bag responds to an amount of moisture threshold of faecal matter or fecal enzymes and the Body waste isolation device traps fecal eses in response. Alternatively, the compressed material can be a material an absorbent material that functions as a rubber by extracting fluid within its body as it expands. As shown in Figures 9A to 9C, for example, a large porosity high cell elastic foam 394 as described above can be compressed and contained in a film, wrapper, bag or capsule having at least a soluble portion 392 and an insoluble reinforcement 393. Figure 9A shows a illustrative mechanical pump of the present invention. Figure 9B shows the fecal eses on the structure, and Figure 9C shows after the fecal esses are absorbed. Preferably, each cell comprising the compressed foam is held individually under vacuum. When a liquid such as urine, menstrual discharges or fecal moisture makes contact with the soluble film, the film dissolves and allows the foam compressed in the cells to make contact with the feces to expand and extract the fluid into the foam as it expands. In one embodiment, the absorbent material may include multiple cells in order to maintain a section with the overlying waste. In this mode, if the sensitive system pumps the fluid that is detected by the soluble material, the sensitive system comprises a sensitive discontinuous closed cycle system since the system acts on the input detected by the sensor. 25 The body waste isolation device 90 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the compressed material 94 may comprise an elastic foam having adequate compression and recovery properties so that it is capable of being compressed and held within the bag 92 and is also capable of recovering a substantial proportion of its original height, preferably at least about 75%, after the release of a restriction force. At least a portion of the bag 92 comprises a soluble region or a soluble seal. The soluble region or seal can be dissolved in contact with, for example, fecal moisture, fecal enzymes, etc. The bag 92 preferably retains the compressed material 94 in a vacuum compression state until a portion of the soluble region of the bag 92 sufficiently dissolves (i.e., a water threshold level is detected) to discontinuously release the water. empty. A Once expanded, the foam is also preferably rigid enough to resist the weight of a baby, for example so that the foam will not compress significantly, preferably less than about 50% and release the trapped waste if the Baby sits on the device. An EVA foam, for example, such as those available from Foamex Corporation of Eddystone, Pennsylvania identified as SIF / 210PP1 or Aquazone 80A foam, or Sentinel Products Corporation f Hyannis, MA identified as MC1900 EVA 21 b / ft3, or a foam as described in the United States of America Patent No.5, 260, 345 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials For Aqueous Body Fluids and Absorbent Articles Containing Such Materials "issued for desarais et al- November 9, 1993; United States Patent No. 5,387, 207, entitled" Th n-Until-Wet Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Body Fluids And Process For Making Same "issued to Dyer et al, on February 7, 1995, and US Patent No. 5,625, 222 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Fluids Made from High Internal Phase Emulsions Having Very Hing Water-To-Oil Rations issued to DesMarais et al. on July 22, 1997, may be used as the trapping material for faecal capture 94. As shown in Figure 2, the compression material 94 may include an opening that is open when the compression material 94 is compressed.When the compression material 94 expands, the opening they can be enclosed by the perimeter of the compression material 94 as shown in Figure 3. This allows the waste to be trapped or encapsulated away from the user's skin within the opening of the compression material, alternatively, as shown in FIG. Figure 4, the compression material 94 may have an open opening that acts as a separator and provides a void space having a sufficient volume to store the waste The body is then deposited in the article 20. This allows the compression material 94 to receive multiple discharges of body waste after the compression material 94 has expanded. The bag 92 can be soluble in the presence of one or more different types of entry, such as water, urine, fecal enzymes, a pH level, etc. and may have physical and / or chemical characteristics (eg, thickness) that can be designed to set a threshold level of the input required to dissolve the bag. The soluble bag 92 may, for example, comprise a plastic film that is water soluble such as a PVA film provided by Chps-Craft Company Products, Inc. of South Holland, IL as the film MONOSOL M7031, or H.B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, MN as HL 1636 or HL 1669-X. The film thickness, for example, can be modified to provide a desired activation. The film used can, for example, have a thickness on the scale from about 0.0012 cm to about 0.0038 cm. An HL 1636 film having a thickness of about 0.0025 cm, for example, will be activated with a moisture content of about 0.049 grams per square inch. In this embodiment, the body waste isolation device 90 operates as a discontinuous non-modulating sensitive system having a feedback control cycle. The The soluble portion of the bag 92 acts as a sensor that responds to a specific input. The sensor, for example, may be sensitive to fecal moisture and / or faecal enzymes. When a soluble portion of the bag 92 contacts a threshold level of fecal moisture or a fecal enzyme, the soluble portion of the bag 92 dissolves and releases the compression material, which expands ^ - ^ ^ ^ H ^^^ j ^ - ^ ^ g ^ g! ^^ gjg -jiijaf - *., Adfe ^ -: a ^ a ^ ^ ^ b to capture, enclose or wrap fecal eses deposited in the article 20. The physical and chemical characteristics of the material used to form the bag 92 define the entry threshold level and act as a controller that determines when the compression level 94 is released. When the bag dissolves, the The vacuum release and the expansion of the compression material 94 function as an actuator to trap body waste. Thus, the body waste isolation device 90 acts as a one-time batch switch that releases the stored mechanical energy from the compression material 94 when a threshold level of a given input is detected. The useful energy of the sensitive system includes: (stored energy) - (loss of hysteresis). The compression material 94 preferably used has a minimal loss of hysteresis and a maximum recovery. More preferably, the loss of compressive hysteresis is less than about 25% so that recovery upon release is at least about 75%. In this embodiment, the sensitive system comprises a cycle of feedback control since the system uses a measure of the output, ie the fecal eses présenles on the surface of the article and / or adjacent to the skin of the user, conform the activator of a function to capture or circle those eses. In this example, the responsive feedback loop cycle system is not modulator since it acts as a one-time switch and does not continuously or repeatedly alter the input for ß ^^^^^^ ^ sjáá ^ e ^^^ fcs ^ ^^ tóMij ^? ^^ flS.-.- ,. "í« S > -: rfí- maintain a desired fixed point level for the output. In contrast to the embodiment of the present invention, a body waste isolation device may comprise an open cycle system. If the bag 92 dissolves in the urine and the device 90 traps the fecal eses, for example, the sensitive system comprises an open cycle system since the system outlet, ie the fecal eses present on the surface of the article and / or adjacent to the user's skin, do not affect the entrance, it is deoir the urine. A continuous closed cycle embodiment of the present invention may comprise a pH sensitive water soluble film that forms a wrap around the pH regulating system. The soluble material described above can be sensitive to pH. As such, the soluble material can have a pH threshold. The "pH threshold" of a soluble material is the pH at which the material changes from soluble to insoluble or vice versa. For example, the soluble material can be substantially insoluble at a pH of less than 6, although soluble at a pH of more than 6. Therefore, the pH threshold of that material is a pH of 6. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pH threshold of the soluble material is preferably between about 5 and about 9, and preferably between about 5.5 and about 8.5, although other pH thresholds are contemplated. The change in pH may be the cause or trigger for the dissolution of the soluble material, or it may also be used to help increase or decrease the speed ? grf-e .'...-. "- £ ', i fté fca' -? ^ mss? ^ i & iSB of dissolution of the waste passage member. Therefore, the performance of the waste passage member can be varied depending on factors such as the type and amount of waste deposited on the article, a waste passage member is further described in the United States Application for North America number (case number P &G 7191, entitled "Directionally Preferential Waste Passage Member For Use With Disposable Absorbing Article" filed on June 29, 1998, which is incorporated by reference to the present. The pH sensitive film preferably has a pH threshold in the range of about 5 to 7. The pH regulator, for example may have a pH 7 phosphate buffer available from Corning, Inc., Corning, NY (Cat # 473650 ). When the threshold pH is reached, the pH regulator is released and works in a continuous form by means of a chemical stoichiometric reaction. The system is closed cycle since the system detects the pH and acts on the pH, that is, the input. In another embodiment of the present invention, a foam as described in the previous example or other elastic material can be rotated by creating a torsion mechanical energy potential and encased in a soluble film sheath, bag or capsule as described above. Preferably the twisted elastic material is held in the twisted position in the soluble film, wrap, bag or vacuum capsule. In this modality, when a level of moisture threshold, pH, etc., is detected, the film or capsule is dissolves, discontinuously releasing the vacuum and releasing the foam. The stored torsional mechanical potential energy causes the foam to unroll and can perform a sensitive function such as storage, entrapment or capture of bodily waste such as faeces, urine or menstrual discharges, cleansing the user's skin, applying a treatment agent to the user's skin, etc. If the soluble material dissolves in the presence of fecal moisture or a fecal enzyme, for example, the modality comprises a closed-cycle response if the sensitive system performs a sensitive function on the fecal essa as well as transporting them by an effect of "elicoidal" boma. In this mode, the sensitive system provides a discontinuous, non-modulating response. In contrast to the closed loop mode of the present invention, if the actuator acts on some part of the inlet such as the skin of the user, the sensitive system comprises an open cycle system. In another embodiment, an electrical sensor can detect changes in electrical activity of the user's external rectal sphincter muscles to predict a urine discharge and / or imminent defecation, i.e., a proactive sensor. Upon detection of a fall of the threshold signal in the electrical activity of the muscles, the controller can activate the trigger to send an electric drive current to the rectal sphincter to close it until defecation is convenient for the user. In this embodiment of the present invention, the responsive system includes a feedback loop control cycle that responds to an electrical Z 'activity in the muscles of the rectal fsfinter and sends a signal to the rectal sphincter muscles to keep the rectal sphincter closed.

In comparison with the embodiment of the present invention, the sensor or controller can, for example, activate the opening of a valve to release water in order to dissolve a water-soluble portion or seal a bag that retains a compression compressed foam vacuum as described above, in preparation for capturing debris from the discharge of urine and / or impending defecation or the effect of releasing a skin care composition to treat the surface of the skin before the latter do contact with it. In those modalities, the sensitive system comprises a sensitive open cycle system since the system is acting on some other part of the electrical activity input signal, that is, it is acting on the fecal eses or on the article. In yet another embodiment, a pH control agent can be embedded in a film or granules, or kept under a film of a pH-sensitive material that is insoluble, i.e., a solid, below a predefined pH (e.g. a pH of around 6.0), although soluble above that pH level. The detection of the threshold or higher pH level, the pH-sensitive scale or the overlying material dissolves, releasing the pH control agent to treat the waste and / or the user's skin. In the case of the embedded pH control agent, the sensitive system releases the agent in a continuous manner as the embedded material dissolves. In the case of a pH control agent that is held under a film, the sensitive system releases the agent in a discontinuous form after the film is dissolved. A pH control agent can be a pH regulator, a pH lowering agent, for example an acid, or a pH increasing agent, for example a base. A variation of this embodiment may include a substrate that will result in a pH change upon hydrolysis by one or more target enzymes that may be present in a body waste such as faeces, urine or menstrual discharges. When the target enzyme reacts with the substrate, the reaction creates a pH change that can react with a pH sensitive material similar to that described to release a pH control agent. An enzyme inhibitor can also be embedded in the pH-sensitive material. The presence of the target enzyme, for example, a fecal enzyme, can result in substrate conversion and a change in pH, resulting in the dissolution of the pH-sensitive material and the release of the enzyme inhibitor to treat the fecal or the user's skin. Illustrative pH sensitive materials are known in the art and include polyacrylamides, phthalate derivatives, formalized gelatin, shellac, keratin, cellulose derivatives, for example, oxidized cellulose and polyacr acid derivatives. Preferred materials include cellulose acetate phthalate, vinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetate, phthalate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate Ul Éá? G¿ÍmA * Ji i? and polymethacrylate combined with acrylic acid and acrylic ester copolymers. Other illustrative materisfcj.e are described in EP612,520 A2 entitled "pH Triggered Osmotic Bursting Delivery Devices," which is incorporated herein by reference. An additional embodiment of a sensitive system of the present invention can provide, i.e., actively transport, an agent into an inlet, or a body waste, a user or an item of which the input is a component to perform a sensitive function. In this modality, for example, the The actuator 70 may comprise a compressed elastic foam or a closed system liquid transport member that provides an agent at the entrance to a body waste, a user, or an article in which the input is a component when the sensor detects the entry. The agent, for example, can include a skin care composition, an enzyme inhibitor, a pH control agent, etc. The above-listed embodiments of the present invention that release or supply pH control agents in response to the dissolution of the pH-sensitive material comprise a system Sensitive having a feedback control cycle that acts on the pH level after a threshold pH level has been reached. These modalities can be modulating or non-modulating. If the pH control agent released, for example, is a regulator that contains both incremental components as a decrease in pH, the system comprises a system of t «* tfaÍ¿-HaOBfe ~. j & Au && amp; modulator feedback control cycle that will continuously monitor the pH in the article and maintain the pH level in the article at a desired fixed point or within a target range of the pH regulator where the pH rises or falls. If the sensitive system releases only a pH lowering agent at the first pH threshold level, for example, the system comprises a non-modulating feedback control cycle system since the pH lowering agent will lower the pH of the system until the agent runs out and will not maintain the ph of the system at a level of pH at a desired pH level or within a target pH scale. Yes, as it is known that the body wastes deposited in the article will raise the pH level and the system releases a predetermined amount of a pH decreasing agent each time the pH level in the article reaches a threshold Ph level, he The system may comprise a modulator feedback control cycle system since it will repeatedly release the pH control agent as long as the pH of the article is above the desired fixed point of the system. In contrast to the embodiments of the present invention comprising a control cycle of The above-listed examples that release or provide an agent acting on some other part of the pH (for example the faecal enzyme inhibitor) in response to the pH level reaching a threshold level comprise the open cycle sensitive systems. . In those examples, the sensitive system releases an agent that does not affect the entry condition that was emitted. monitoring, that is, the pH level. In another embodiment, a sufficient amount of water containing electrolytes (eg, from urine or fecal eses), can be detected by an electrical sensor when the electrolytic water completes a circuit, i.e., as a commutator, which causes the current from a stored energy source such as a battery initiates a chemical reaction such as a phase transition, etc. For example, the current can be applied to an electrically sensitive gel and cause a change in the geometry and create a hollow space for the fecal eses in the article. Again, this embodiment comprises a discontinuous sensitive system which may be an open cycle system or a feedback control cycle system which depends on whether the detected input is affected or not by the sensitive system. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor detects fecal moisture and the sensitive system comprises a feedback control loop system as it acts on the input that is detected: a. In this embodiment, the feedback control cycle system may further comprise a modulator system if the empty space captures the fecal moisture together with the eses, the moisture evaporates or is extracted from the sensor element, thereby opening the circuit , and the controller activates another empty space when the sensor detects fecal moisture again. In comparison, if the sensor detects moisture in the urine, the sensitive system that creates an empty space to receive the eses < ¿B &? ¡OÉAL * -? »? T¡¡l0 &. xj & fecal comprises an open cycle system. In a further embodiment of the present invention, an absorbent material that expands when absorbing a liquid can be used as a sensor that, when an expansion threshold level has been presented, mechanically closes an electrical pair of contacts in order to complete a electrical circuit. In this embodiment, the electrical circuit can activate an actuator in a discontinuous fashion to perform a sensitive function on the body waste, the user, the article or any component or components of it. For example, the actuator may open a valve to allow liquid to flow to another portion of the article, pump the liquid to another portion of the article, initiate a change in geometry in an electrically sensitive gel to change the geometry and allow the liquid flow to hear portion of the item, etc. However, if the sensitive system performs a sensitive function on some other part of the input such as the release of a skin care composition, etc., the sensitive system will comprise an open cycle system. A material such as fiber, film, non-woven structure or Another cellular can also be restricted in a configuration given by a material that responds to body waste such as fecal eses or a component of that body waste. When body waste makes contact with the restriction material, the restriction material can release the fiber, film, structure not woven or other cellular to trap or isolate the waste away from the p of the user. An elastic barrier, for example, can be restricted at two restriction points away from an empty space in the article by a material that dissolves, weakens, etc., in response to urine, fecal moisture or a faecal enzyme. When the fecal eses have been deposited in the empty space and the restriction material in one or both restriction points dissolves, the elastic barrier can contract in a discontinuous way and cover the empty space to isolate the fecal eses from the user's skin . In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensitive system may comprise a pH regulator embedded in a pH-sensitive material that allows a continuous release of the pH regulator in a continuous solution in water with a non-target "increased" pH. Conforms moisture that has a non-target pH level comes into contact with the sensitive material, the material dissolves in a continuous form and releases an amount of pH regulator, which changes the pH level of the moisture to the target pH level, ie the sensitive system acts on the input. As the amounts of moisture that have a non-target pH level in contact with the pH-sensitive material increase, the material releases an increasing amount of the pH regulator. Therefore, the sensitive system comprises a continuous closed cycle sensitive system. In yet another embodiment, one or more faecal enzymes can be detected by a sensor such as a film or degradable capsule by enzyme, or a biosensor as described above to activate a separate actuator, for example, an electrically operated valve, to release a enzyme inhibitor to treat the skin. Illustrative enzyme inhibitors are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 041,266 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Skin Care Composition Containing An Enzyme Inhibitor" filed on March 12, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein In another embodiment, certain pH conditions can be detected by the use of a gel PH sensitive, which can open a valve to release a pH control agent to treat the skin. In another embodiment, a predefined pressure threshold is detected, resulting in the rupture of a capsule or "bubble", which effects the release of a skin care treatment agent or composition. The Illustrative skin care compositions (or lotions) are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,607,760 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing An Emollient And A Polyol Polyesler Immobilizing Agent," issued to Donald C Roe on March 4 1997; 5,607,587 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet Comping To Liquid Polyol Polyester Emollient And An Immobilizing Agent," issued to Donald C. Roe on March 11, 1997; 5,635,191 entitled "Diaper Having A Lotioned Topsheet Containing A Polysiloxane Emollient," issued to Donald C. Roe et al. on 3 June 25, 1997; and 5,643,588 entitled "Diaper Having A lotioned Topsheet "issued for Donald C. Roe et al. On July 1, 1997, as well as the United States of America Patent Applications for Numbers of Series 08 / 926,532 and 08 / 926,533, each filed on September 10 of 1997, and each of the patents and applications listed above are hereby incorporated by reference.While particular modes and non-limiting examples of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope and scope of the invention For example, although the present invention is illustrated and described primarily with respect to a disposable diaper, the present invention is not limited to that embodiment. it can also be used, for example, in articles that are applied directly before the application of a disposable diaper, or in lug of a disposable diaper, a placeable diaper, a diaper insert, a sanitary napkin, a tampon, etc. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all those changes and modifications that are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (18)

1. CLAIMS 1. A disposable article to be adjusted to a user characterized in that the article comprises: (a) a sensitive system that includes: (i) a sensor operatively connected to the item, the sensor that is adapted to detect an entry, (ii) an actuator operatively connected to the sensor, the actuator that is adapted to execute a sensitive function on the input, the actuator comprising a tape component of said sensor, and (ii) a feedback control cycle in which the actuator is adapted to execute the sensitive function on the input when the sensor detects said input.
2. 2. The disposable article according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator performs the sensitive function in a continuous manner, a discontinuous manner or a discontinuous type of stage.
3. 3. The disposable article according to claim 2, characterized in that the discontinuous sensible function is executed in such a way that the discontinuous sensible system has an output function that can be modeled by the equation: dR I (? Rt) - I = k di | l = l0 (? lt) wherein the constant k is greater than or equal to about 2.0, about-about 3.0m about 50, about 10.0 or about 100.
4. 4. The disposable article according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the discontinuous sensible function is executed so that the discontinuous sensitive system has an output function that can be modeled by a control system that has a transfer function of the equation KG (s) = K (Ts + 1) p, where the value of n more than or equal to a value of about 25, about 50 or about 100.
5. The disposable article according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a liquid-permeable top cover, a back cover attached to the top cover, and an absorbent core positioned between at least a portion of the top cover and the back cover.
6. The disposable article according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a controller, the controller that is adapted to receive a signal from the sensor and allow the actuator to perform the sensitive function when the sensor detects the input.
7. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor, the actuator and / or the controller are different components.
8. 8. The disposable item in accordance with any and from the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback control cycle -, * «s a modulator feedback control cycle or a non-modulator feedback control cycle.
9. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a second sensor and / or a second actuator, the second sensor is adapted to detect a second input, and / or the actuator or said second actuator is adapted to execute a second 10 sensitive function on the second input when the second sensor detects the second input or executes a second sensitive function on the input when the sensor detects that a second threshold level of such input.
10. 10. The disposable item in accordance with any 15 of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator is adapted to execute the sensitive function when the sensor detects the input and / or the second sensor detects the second input.
11. 11. The disposable item in accordance with any 20 of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive function comprises one or more of the group selected from transformation of potential energy into kinetic energy, release of a stored material, release of a pH control agent, release of an enzyme inhibitor , release of a 25 skin care composition, supply of a material áaAew-awéagá-ji ^ a ^ -Aa - »» -.- ¿s í .., r.sZr ^ y: * x ,, r ^, * i ..-, .- .. «. ^ ¿ a, ^ Completed Do: - ^ stored, delivery of an active ingredient, delivering a stored a user, delivering a stored material to a bodily waste, entrapping fecal esses, encapsulation fecal esses material provide a vacuum space and pump a liquid body waste.
12. 12. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator is adapted to transform a potential energy to perform the responsive function, the potential energy is selected from one or more of the group of stored mechanical energy, energy compressive mechanics, mechanical torsional energy, stored chemical energy, stored energy and a battery.
13. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor is selected from the group of an electrical sensor, a mechanical sensor, a chemical sensor and a closed system liquid transport member.
14. 14. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator is selected from the group of release of a vacuum, a chemical actuator, an electrical pump, a mechanical accionaclor, a compressed resilient material, a resilient material compressed restricted in a soluble fiber in vacuum sealed water, a plurality of vacuum sealed individually cells, a mechanical pump, an electrical actuator, an electrically sensitive gel, a sensitive gel pH sensitive gel to the concentration of salt, and a liquid transport member of the closed system.
15. 15. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inlet is selected from the pressure group, water, pH, electrical activity and an enzyme.
16. 16. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the article 10 is selected from the group of: a diaper, a training underpants, a sanitary napkin, a tampon, and a colostomy-type bag.
17. 17. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor 15 is adapted to detect an inlet associated with a body waste; the actuator including a restrained compressed elastic material in a vacuum sealed film; and the feedback control cycle that is adapted to resolve or encapsulate body waste when the sensor detects such body waste. 20
18. 18. The disposable article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor comprises a pH sensitive film, the actuator comprises a pH control agent, and the actuator is adapted to release the pH control agent, when the sensor detects a pH level 25 outside of a target range. ^ teß5 »- Ba-fi, f- ** ** a« aSto - .. «^.