MXPA02006280A - Absorbent articles having a skin contacting surface that exhibits a reduced affinity for skin irritants. - Google Patents

Abstract

An absorbent article for containing biological fluids that has a skin contacting surface with a reduced affinity for skin irritants is described. The absorbent article may include a liquid permeable bodyside liner that defines a bodyfacing surface; a backsheet located in facing relation to the bodyside liner; and an absorbent body located between the bodyside liner and the backsheet. The affinity between the bodyside liner and skin irritants found in the biological fluids is less than an affinity between the absorbent body and the skin irritants such that the skin irritants are drawn away from the skin of the wearer.

Description

ARTÍCU O > A8j RBENTES THAT HAVE A CONTACT SURFACE WHAT SHOWS A REDUCED AFFINITY WITH RESPECT TO SKIN IRRITANT? ' Background of the Invention Field of the Invention The present invention relates to absorbent articles for absorbing body fluids and exudates, such as urine and fecal matter. More particularly, the present invention relates to absorbent garments such as disposable diapers and adult incontinence garments which are configured to absorb fluids and contain biological fluids and absorb / adsorb skin irritants.

Description of Related Art Conventional absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, employ absorbent materials located between a liquid-permeable body-side liner and a liquid-impermeable bottom sheet to absorb body exudates. Such articles are very suitable to absorb and contain biological fluids as well as to avoid the migration of liquid materials from materials Absorbenties to a user's outer garments. In addition, the improved absorbent capacity of such articles is such that articles can be left on the user for extended periods of time before it becomes necessary to remove the soiled article, discard it and replace it with a new one.

Unfortunately, with the widespread use of such articles, the wearer's skin has become susceptible to rashes, abrasion and irritation such as what is commonly known as diaper rash or diaper rash.

In addition, the humid and occlusive environment within such items may exacerbate this problem by promoting the viability of microorganisms, including Candida albicans. Therefore, there is a need for absorbent articles which, in use, exhibit a lower incidence of rashes and irritation on the wearer's skin.

Synthesis of the Invention When employed in the present description, the terms "comprises", comprising "and other derivatives of the root term" comprise "are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of any declared characteristics, elements, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of tao over other characteristics, whole elements, steps, components or groups thereof In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, a new absorbent article which has a contact surface with the skin having a reduced affinity with respect to skin irritants, such as those commonly found in biological fluids such as urine and fecal matter.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article that includes a side-to-body liner that exhibits reduced affinity to skin irritants. The absorbent articles may further exhibit an increased affinity to such skin irritants in a direction away from the contact surface with the skin of the article and within the interior of the article. In such a configuration, an increased skin irritant affinity gradient is provided through the use of parts of the article to pull the skin irritants out from the wearer's skin in use.

The various aspects of the present invention can advantageously provide an absorbent article that can exhibit an essentially reduced concentration of skin irritants on the contacting surface of the skin in use compared to conventional articles. Therefore, the user's skin may be less susceptible to rashes, abrasion and irritation. As a result, users of the absorbent articles $ 3H® different aspects of the present invention can perform ipta reduction in the incidence of skin rash and skin irritation.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will be fully understood and the additional advantages will be apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 representatively shows a top plane view and partially cut away of an absorbent article 5 according to an embodiment of the invention with parts of the article partially cut to show more clearly the underlying characteristics and with the surface of the article intended to make contact with the user facing the one who observes; and Figure 2 shows representatively a sectional view of the absorbent article of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2. 5 Detailed description of the invention It has been found that materials in conventional absorbent articles which are in contact with the skin, such as the body-side lining in disposable diapers, have typically exhibited a relatively higher affinity with respect to the skin irritants commonly found in Biological fluids such as coitioned urine and physical matter. Skin irritants commonly found in biological fluids include proteases, lipids, fatty acids, bile acids and other metabolites which, when exposed to the skin, stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in the skin.

In general, degrading enzymes found in biological fluids, such as proteases and lipases, undesirably degrade the stratum corneum components of the skin, which reduces the skin's natural ability to provide a barrier function. The reduction in the natural barrier function of the skin allows an increased penetration of other irritants into biological fluids, such as fatty acids into the skin. The degrading action of proteases and lipases on the skin can therefore directly or indirectly lead to skin irritation. The most common form of skin irritation associated with these irritants in a diaper rash, or a rash of diaper * Bfte type of irritant contact dermatitis is the most prevalent in infants, but can also occur in adults who use absorbent articles for l '? incontinence Typically, the above-ground surface materials of conventional absorbent articles exacerbate this problem by attaching skin irritants as biological fluids pass through the materials. Therefore, even after the insult, the user's skin typically remains in contact with such irritants for an extended period of time. As a result of this prolonged contact, the user's skin has remained undesirably susceptible to rashes, abrasion and irritation.

The absorbent articles of the present invention advantageously can exhibit an essentially reduced concentration of skin irritants by biological fluids such as urine and fecal matter on their skin contact surface in use as compared to conventional absorbent articles. . As a result of this, the user of the absorbent articles of the different aspects of the present invention can realize a reduction in the incidence of skin irritation and skin rash.

The following detailed description of the invention will be made in the context of a disposable diaper article that is adapted for use by infants around the lower torso. It is readily apparent, however, that the absorbent articles of the present invention may also be suitable for use as other types of absorbent articles such as pads for women's care, incontinence garments, training underpants, and Similar. In addition, the invention will be described in the context of its various configurations. It should be appreciated that the alternate arrangements of the invention may comprise any combination of such configurations.

Examples of suitable constructions of the absorbent articles for use in the present invention are described below and are representatively illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a representative plan view of an integral absorbent article of garment, such as a disposable diaper 10, of the present invention in its non-contracted and flat state (for example, with all elastic-induced shrinkage and withdrawal). Parts of the structure are partially cut to show more clearly the interior construction of the diaper 10, and the diaper surface 10 that makes contact with the user is facing the observer. Fig. 2 representatively shows a sectional view of the absorbent article of Fig. 1 taken along the I? M 2-2.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, disposable diaper 10 generally defines a front waist section 12, a back waist section 14, and an intermediate section 16 which interconnects the front and back waist sections. The front and back waist sections include the general parts of the article which are constructed to extend essentially over the abdominal, frontal and posterior regions of the user, respectively, during use. The middle section of the article includes the general part of the article that is constructed to extend through the user's crotch region between the legs.

The illustrated absorbent article includes a lower sheet 20, a liquid-permeable body side liner 22 placed in a front relationship with the lower sheet 20 and an absorbent body 24, such as an absorbent pad which is located between the lower sheet 20 and the liner side to body 22. The lower sheet 20 defines a length and a width which, in the illustrated embodiment, coincide with the length and width of the diaper 10. The absorbent body 24 generally defines a length and a width which are smaller than the length and width of the lower sheet 20, respectively.

Thus, the marginal portions of the diaper 10, such as the marginal sections of the lower sheet 20 can extend beyond the end edges of the absorbent body 24. In the illustrated embodiments, the lower sheet 20 extends outward beyond the terminal margin edges of the absorbent body 24 to form the side margins and the end margins of the diaper 10.

The body side liner 22 is generally coextensive with the lower sheet 20 but may optionally cover an area that is larger or smaller than the area of the lower sheet 20 as desired. The lower sheet 20 and the side-to-body liner 22 are intended to face the garment and the wearer's body, respectively, while in use. In the illustrated embodiment, the face-out surface of the side-to-body liner 22 provides the skin-contacting surface 34 of the diaper 10.

To provide an improved notch and help reduce the filtration of biological fluids from the diaper 11), the diaper side margins and the end margins may be elastified with suitable elastic members, such as single or multiple elastic yarns. The elastic threads may be composed of natural or synthetic rubber and may optionally be heat shrinkable or heat-elasticizable. For example, as it was shown representatively in the Figures 1 and 2, the diaper 10 may include the foot elastics 26 which are constructed to operably fold or shrink the side margins of the diaper 10 to provide the elasticized leg bands which S closely notches around the legs of the wearer. reduce filtering and provide improved comfort and appearance. Similarly, the waist elastics 28 can be employed to elasticize the end margins of the diaper 10 to provide the elasticized waists. The waist elastics are configured to collect and fold the waist sections operably to provide a narrow, comfortable and elastic notch around the wearer's waist. In the illustrated embodiments, the elastic members are illustrated in their stretched condition not contracted for the purpose of clarity.

The illustrated diaper 10 also includes fastening means, such as the hook and loop fasteners 30, employed to secure the diaper 10 on a wearer. Alternatively, other fastening means, such as buttons, bolts, boteroles, adhesive tape fasteners, cohesives, mushroom and curl fasteners, or the like, may be employed.

The diaper 10 can further include other layers between the absorbent body 24 and the side-to-body liner 22 or the The lower sheet 20. For example, as representatively illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the diaper 10 may include an emergence management layer 32 located between the side liner. to the body 22 and the absorbent body 24 to prevent stagnation of the body fluids and further improve the distribution of fluid exudates within the diaper 10.

The diaper 10 can be in various suitable shapes. For example, the diaper may have an oval rectangular shape, a T shape, or an approximately hourglass shape. In the embodiment shown, the diaper 10 has a generally I-shape. The diaper 10 further defines a longitudinal direction 36 and a lateral direction 38. Other suitable diaper components which can be incorporated on the absorbent articles of the present invention include the containment fins, waist flaps, elastomeric side panels and the like which are generally known to those skilled in the art.

Examples of diaper configurations suitable for use in connection with the present invention are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,798,603 issued January 17, 1989 to Meyer et al .; 5,176,668 granted on January 5, 1993 to Bernardin; 5,176,072 issued on January 5, 1993 to Bruemmer and others; 5,192,606 granted on March 9, 1993 to Proxmire et al. And 5, 509, SIS granted on April 23, 1996 to Hanson and others, whose descriptions are incorporated herein by this mention.

The various components of the diaper 10 are integrally assembled together using various types of suitable fastening means, such as adhesive, sonic joints, thermal bonds, or combinations thereof. In the embodiment shown, for example, the body-side liner 22 and the bottom sheet 20 are assembled to each other and to the absorbent body 24 with lines of adhesive, such as a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive. Similarly, other diaper components, such as the elastic members 26 and 28, the fastening members 30 and the emergence management layer 32 can be assembled into the diaper article 10 by employing the above-identified fastening mechanisms.

The lower sheet 20 can suitably be composed of a material which is either liquid permeable or liquid impervious. It is generally preferred that the bottom sheet 20 be formed of a material that is essentially impermeable to liquids. For example, a typical bottom sheet can be made of a thin plastic film or other material impermeable to the flexible liquid. For example, the bottom sheet 20 can be formed of a polyethylene film having a thickness of from about 0.012 millimeter (0.5 mil) to about 0.051 millimeter (2.0 mil). In addition, the lower sheet 20 can be formed of a woven or non-woven fibrous fabric layer which has been constructed or treated in whole or in part to impart a desired level of liquid impermeability to selected regions that are adjacent to or close to the absorbent body. .

It is desired to present the lower sheet with a more cloth-like feel, the lower sheet 20 may comprise a polyolefin film having a non-woven fabric laminated to the outer surface thereof, such as a fabric bonded with fiber yarn. of polyolefin. For example, a polypropylene film stretched-thinned having a thickness of about 0.015 millimeters (0.6 thousandths of an inch) may have thermally laminated thereto a fabric bonded with polypropylene fiber yarn whose fibers have a thickness of about 1.5 to 2.5 denier per filament. Such a non-woven fabric can have a basis weight of about 17 grams per square meter (0.5 ounces per square yard). Methods for forming such cloth-like backsheets are well known to those skilled in the art.

Still further, the lower sheet 20 can both be liquid impermeable and vapor permeable to improve the breathability of the absorbent article to reduce the hydration of the user's skin during use. Such inferiors may also be constructed to avoid excessive condensation of vapor, such as urine, on the garment facing surface of the lower sheet 20 which may undesirably wet the wearer's clothing. For example, the bottom sheet 20 can be composed of any suitable materials which either provide directly the above desired levels of liquid impermeability and vapor permeability or in the alternative, materials which can be modified or treated in some way to provide such levels.

In a particular embodiment, a nonwoven laminate / microporous film comprising a nonwoven material bonded with laminated yarn to a microporous film can provide the lower sheet 20. Spunbonded nonwoven comprises filaments of about 1.8 denier extruded from a ethylene copolymer with about 3.5 percent by weight of propylene and defines a basis weight of from about 17 to about 25 grams per square meter. The film comprises a coextruded and set film having calcium carbonate particles there and defines a basis weight of about 58 grams per square meter before stretching. The film is preheated, stretched and tempered to form the micropores and then laminated to the non-woven fabric. The laminate of ao resulting microporous fabric / pellet based on a low weight of about 30 to about 60 grams per square meter and a water vapor transmission rate of from about d. 3000 to about 6000 grams per square meter per 24 hours. . Examples of such film / non-woven laminates are described in greater detail in U.S. Patent No. 5,695,868 issued in the name of McCormack et al., The disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.

The body-side liner 22, as representatively illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, suitably has a contact surface with the skin or face to the body 34, which is docile, soft feeling, and non-irritating to the skin of the body. user. In addition, the body-side liner 22 may be less hydrophilic than the absorbent body 24, to present $ »& surface relatively dry to the user, and may be sufficiently porous to be permeable to liquid, allowing liquid to easily penetrate through its thickness. The body side liner 22 is suitably employed to help isolate the user's skin from liquids maintained in the absorbent body 24.

A suitable body side liner 22 can be manufactured from a wide selection of fabric materials, such as porous foams, cross-linked foams, perforated plastic films, natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers ( for example, polypropylene fibers or polypropylene) or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. Various woven and non-woven fabrics can be used for the side-to-body lining 22. For example, the side-to-body liner can be composed of a meltblown fabric or bonded with polyolefin fiber yarn. The lining, e side to the body can also be a carded and bonded fabric composed of natural and / or synthetic fibers. The body side liner can be composed of an essentially hydropc material, and the hydropc material can, optionally, be treated with a surfactant or otherwise processed to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity. In a particular aspect, the body side liner 22 may comprise a woven, non-woven polypropylene fabric composed of fibers of about 2.8-3.2 denier formed into a fabric having a basis weight of about 22 grams per meter square and a density of about 0.06 grams per cubic centimeter.

The body side liner 22 of the different aspects of the present invention also provides a skin contact surface 34 which in use exhibits a reduced concentration of skin irritants commonly found in biological fluids when compared to conventional absorbent articles. . The body side liner 22 can be constructed in any manner that provide such a reduced concentration of skin irritants on the skin contact surface 34 in use without adversely affecting the skin. For example, the composition of the side-to-body liner 22 including the particular polymer chemistry, its molecular structure, its treatment chemistry, density, porosity, permeability and the like, can be controlled to provide the body side liner 22 with a Reduced affinity with skin irritants commonly found in biological fluids, such as urine and fecal matter.

In particular, it is desirable that the body-side liner 22 be constructed so as not to irritate the skin but instead allow the skin to easily pass through the liner from side to body 22 to the materials interiors of the absorbent article such as the emergence management layer 32 and the absorbent body 24. In such a configuration, the amount of skin irritants available to be transferred to the user's skin will essentially be reduced thereby resulting in a reduction in irritation of the user's skin.

Desirably, the body side liner 22 is constructed so that when the urine discharge is performed there is no increase in the adverse effect on the wearer's skin. In particular, it is desirable that the adverse effect of the liner on the skin remain essentially unchanged after receiving a urine discharge.

In one aspect, the reduced concentration of skin irritants on the skin contact surface 34 of the article can be achieved by constructing the body side liner 22 of a material having a similar charge to the major irritants in the biological fluids. As a result, the material will have a reduced affinity for irritants due to electrostatic repulsion which will result in a reduced level of agglutination between the skin irritants and the material. For example, most fecal faecal proteases in feces are cationic under physiological conditions. To reduce the level of agglutination between such proteases and the side-to-body liner 22, the body-side liner 22 must be constructed of a material having a similar cationic charge. Conversely, a large proportion of the proteins in faeces and urine is anionic under physiological conditions. Therefore, the application of a fixed negative charge to the material providing the liner side to body 22 will preclude the binding of a large number of proteins to the material due to electrostatic repulsion. In such a configuration, the selection of the appropriate proportions of both anionic and cationic charges to be applied to the material will provide the opportunity to focus the properties of the material for irritants. specific. The materials for the side-to-body lining "22 can be constructed to inherently provide X-s, appropriate fillers or can be modified by the addition of specific treatment compositions to provide the desired charges. example, an effective amount of an ion exchange material can be applied to the materials to provide the desired fillers Suitably, the suitable ion exchange materials that can be applied to the side-to-body liner material include, but are not they are limited to chitosan, cellulose-phosphate, dextr # n-sulfate, dextran-phosphate, charged polysaccharides, charged proteins and the like, and combinations thereof.

Alternatively, the body side liner 22 can be constructed of a material having a relatively low number of binding sites available to bind such skin irritants to provide the reduced concentration of such irritants to the skin contacting surface. from the article. For example, an effective amount of protein can be applied to the material to effectively "bind" the protein binding sites on the material. As a result of such treatment, a lower level of the proteins found in the biological fluids passing through the materials will bind to said materials resulting therefore in a lower concentration of such irritants on the skin contact surface 34. Suitable proteases that can be applied to the lining material to the body include, but are not limited to, sericin, protein e) 6 soy, wheat protein, gelatin, collagen, casein, milk proteins, keratin and the like , and combinations thereof.

The body side liner 22 may otherwise be treated with compositions which may include peptides such as those resulting from enzymatic or acid hydrolysates, from wheat, oat, corn, soy or milk sources; quaternary compounds, such as alkyl dimethyl benzyl, quaternary ammonium with alkyl chain lengths varying from C8 to C18; dialkyl dimethyl quaternary ammonium compounds, trimethyl alkyl quaternary ammonium compounds, as well as compounds containing betaine groups; and the like, and combinations thereof.

The treatment compositions applied to the different materials of the articles of the present invention, such as the body-side liner 22 or the emergence management layer 34 as discussed below, are desirably immobilized in the materials. For example, the specific ingredients added to reduce the concentration of skin irritants on the surface of the article may include a wax or combination of waxes to immobilize the ingredient on the materials thereby reducing their transfer to the skin or in addition to other article materials. Suitable waxes include animal, vegetable, mineral or silicone waxes, which may be natural or synthetic such as, for example, bayberry tree wax, beeswax, alkyl dimethicone C30, candelilla wax, carnauba, ceresin, cetil esters, esparto, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil, hydrogenated jojoba wax, microcrystalline wax, hydrogenated, hydrogenated rice bran wax, japan wax, jojoba butter, jojoba esters, jojoba wax, wax of lanolin, microcrystalline wax, ermine wax, motan acid wax, motan wax, ouricury wax, ozokerite, paraffin, beeswax PEG-6, beeswax PEG-8, prayer ax, rice bran wax, shellac wax , spent grain wax, spermaceti wax, sterile dimethicone, synthetic beeswax, synthetic candelilla wax, synthetic carnauba wax, synthetic japan wax, synthetic jojoba wax, synthetic wax and the like, and mixtures thereof.

Other immobilizing agents can include high molecular weight polyethylene glycol, such as polyethylene glycols having an average molecular weight of 720 or greater, fatty alcohols, such as alcohols having a carbon chain length of C? -C3o, including cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and the like, and mixtures thereof.

The absorbent body 24 of the diaper 10, as representatively illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, may suitably comprise a matrix of hydrophilic fibers, such as a cellulose fluff fabric, mixed with particles of high absorbency material commonly known as superabsorbent material. In such embodiment, the absorbent body 24 comprises a cellulosic fluff matrix, as it erases wood pulp and superabsorbent hydrogel forming particles. The wood pulp fluff can be exchanged with synthetic, polymeric, meltblown, or a combination of blown fibers with melt and natural fibers. The superabsorbent particles may be mixed substantially homogeneously with the hydrophilic fibers or may not be mixed uniformly. Alternatively, the absorbent body 24 may comprise a laminate of fibrous fabrics and superabsorbent material or other suitable means for maintaining the superabsorbent material in a localized area.

The absorbent body 24 may have any of a number of shapes. For example, the absorbent body may be rectangular, I-shaped, or T-shaped. It is generally preferred that the absorbent body 24 be narrower in the middle section than in the front or back waist sections of the diaper 10. Absorbent body 24 can be provided by a single layer or, in the alternative, it can be B £? provided by multiple layers, all of which do not require to extend to the full length and width of the absorbent body 24. In a particular aspect of the invention, the absorbent body 24 may be generally T-shaped with the laterally extending transverse bar of the "T", generally corresponding to the front waist section 12 of the absorbent article for improved performance.

The size and absorbent capacity of the absorbent body 24 must be compatible with the size and user intended and the liquid load imparted by the intended use of the absorbent article. In addition, the size, density, basis weight and absorbent capacity of the absorbent body 24 can be varied to accommodate various users ranging from infants to adults. In a particular aspect of the invention, the absorbent body 24 has an absorbent capacity of at least about 300 grams of synthetic urine.

The high-absorbency material can be selected from polymers and natural, synthetic and modified natural materials. High-absorbency materials may be inorganic materials, such as silica gels, or organic compounds, such as cross-linked polymers. The term "crosslinked" refers to any means to effectively make materials normally soluble in water essentially insoluble but swellable in water. Such k? Ft means include, for example, physical entanglement, crystalline domains, covalent bonds, complexes and ionic associations, hydrophilic associations, such as cSB © the binding of hydrogen, and van der Waals hydrophobic or vandal associations.

Examples of high-absorbency, polymeric and synthetic materials include the alkali metal and ammonium salts of poly (acrylic acid) and poly (methacrylic acid), poly (acrylamide), poly (vinyl ethers), maleic anhydride copolymers with vinyl ethers and alpha olefins, poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), poly (vinyl morpholinone), poly (vinyl alcohol), and mixtures and copolymers thereof. Polymers further suitable for use in the absorbent body include the natural and modified natural polymers, such as the hydrolyzed acrylonitrile grafted starch, the acrylic acid grafted starch, the methylcellulose, the carboxymethylcellulose, the hydroxypropylcellulose, and the natural gums, such as alginates, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and the like. Mixtures of natural and fully or partially synthetic absorbent polymers may also be useful in the present invention.

The high-absorbency material can be in any one of a wide variety of geometric shapes. As a general rule, it is preferred that the high-absorbency material be in the form of discrete particles. However, the high-absorbency material may be in the form of fibers, flakes, rods, spheres, needles or the like. In general, the high-absorbency material is present in the absorbent body in an amount of from about 5 to about 95 percent by weight, desirably in an amount of at least about 30 percent by weight, and still more desirably in an amount of at least about 50 percent by weight based on the total weight of the absorbent body 24.

An example of a high-absorbency material suitable for use in the present invention is the SANWET IM 3900 polymer, available from Hoechst Celanese, a business having offices in Portsmouth, Virginia. Other suitable superabsorbents may include polymer W45956 or FAVOR SXM 880 obtained from Stockhausen, a business having offices in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Optionally, an essentially hydrophilic tissue wrapping sheet (not shown) can be employed to help maintain the integrity of the structure of the absorbent body 24. The tissue wrapping sheet is typically placed around the wearer's body over at least two. main front surfaces of the same and is composed of an absorbent cellulosic material, such as creped wadding or a tissue of high resistance to wet. In one aspect of the invention, the tissue wrapping can be configured to provide a transmission layer that helps to rapidly distribute the liquid over the mass of absorbent fibers comprising the absorbent body.

Due to the thinness of the absorbent body 24 and the high absorbency material within the absorbent body 24, the liquid intake rates of the absorbent body 24, by themselves, may be very low, or may not be adequately supported over multiple liquid discharges. inside the absorbent body 24. To improve the overall liquid intake and air exchange, the diaper of the various aspects of the present invention may further include a liquid permeable and porous layer of emergence handling material 34, as illustrated representatively in Figures 1 and 2. The emergence management layer 32 is typically less hydrophilic than the absorbent body 24 and has an operable level of density and a basis weight to quickly collect and temporarily retain liquid surges, to transport liquid from its initial entry point and to release in essentially complete form the liquid to the other parts of the body absorb 24. This configuration can help prevent liquid from pooling and collecting on the part of the absorbent garment placed against the skin. of the user, thereby reducing the wet feeling of said user.

Various woven and non-woven fabrics can be used to construct the emergence management layer 32. For example, the emergence management layer 32 can be a composite layer of a meltblown or spunbond fabric, such as of polyolefin fibers. The emergence management layer 32 may also be a carded and bonded fabric or an air-laid fabric composed of natural and synthetic fibers. The carded and bonded fabric can, for example, be a thermally bonded fabric that is bonded using the low melt binder fibers, the powder or the adhesive. The fabrics may optionally include a mixture of different fibers. The emergence management layer 32 may be composed of an essentially hydrophobic material, and the hydrophobic material may be optionally treated with a surfactant or may be processed in another manner to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity. In a particular embodiment, the emergence management layer 32 includes a hydrophobic nonwoven material having a basis weight of from about 30 to about 120 grams per square meter.

For example, in a particular embodiment, the emergence management layer 34 may comprise a bonded and bonded fabric, a non-woven fabric which includes bicomponent fibers and which defines a global basis weight of about 83 grams per square meter. . The emergence management layer 32 in such a configuration can be a homogeneous blend composed of about 60 weight percent sheath / polyethylene / polyester (PE / PET) core having a fiber denier of about 3 denier. and around 40 percent. by weight of single component polyester fibers which have a fiber denier of about 6 denier and which have fiber lengths of from about 3.8 to about 5. OS centimeters.

In the illustrated embodiments, the emergence management layer 32 is arranged in a direct contact liquid communication with the absorbent body 24. The emergence management layer 32 can be operably connected to the side-to-body liner 22 with a pattern of conventional adhesive, such as a swirl adhesive pattern. In addition, the emergence management layer 32 can be operably connected to the absorbent body 24 with a conventional pattern of adhesive. The amount of adhesive added must be sufficient to provide the desired bond levels, but it must be sufficiently low to avoid excessive restriction of fluid movement from the liner from side to body 22, through emergence layer 32 and up to absorbent body 24.

The absorbent body 24 is placed in liquid communication with the emergence management layer 34 to receive the liquids released from the emergence management layer and to retain and store the liquid. In the embodiments shown, the emergence management layer 32 comprises a separate layer which is placed on another separate layer comprising the absorbent body 24, thereby forming a dual layer arrangement. The emergence management layer 32 serves to quickly collect and temporarily retain the discharged liquids, to transport such liquids from the initial point of contact and to spread the liquid to other parts of the emergence management layer 32 and then to essentially complete the releasing such liquids inside the layer or layers comprising the absorbent body 2.

The emergence management layer 32 may be of any desired shape. Suitable shapes include, for example, the circular, the rectangular, the triangular, the trapezoidal, the oblong, the dog bone, the hourglass shape, or the oval. In certain embodiments, for example, the emergence management layer may be generally rectangular in shape. In the incorporations illustrated, the emergence management layer 32 is coextensive with the absorbent body 24. Alternatively, the emergence management layer 32 may extend over only a part of the absorbent body 24. Where the emergence management layer 32 extends only partially along the length of the absorbent body 24, the emergence management layer 32 can be selectively placed anywhere along the absorbent body 24. For example, the emergence management layer 32 can operate more efficiently when it it is offset to the front waist section 12 of the garment. The emergence management layer 32 can also be centered approximately around the longitudinal center line of the absorbent body 24.

Additional materials suitable for the emergence management layer 32 are set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5,486,166 issued January 23, 1996 in the name of C. Ellis et al. And entitled "CAPA DI SURGIMIENTO DE TELA" NOT FIBROUS WOVEN FOR ABSORBENT ARTICLES FOR PERSONAL CARE AND SIMILAR "; U.S. Patent No. 5,490,846 issued February 13, 1996 in the name of Ellis et al. and entitled "FIBROUS NON-WOVEN FABRIC OF IMPROVED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR ABSORBENT PERSONAL CARE AND SIMILAR ITEMS"; and U.S. Patent No. 5,364,382 issued November 15, 1994, in the name of Latimer, et al., entitled "ABSORBENT STRUCTURE HAVING A IMPROVED FLUID RISING MATERIAL AND INCORPORATING PRODUCT? "whose descriptions are incorporated here by this mention.

In various aspects of the present invention, the interior components of the articles such as the emergence management layer 32 and the absorbent body 24 can be constructed to have a greater affinity to the skin irritants commonly found in the urine and in the fecal material than in the side-to-body liner 22. In such a configuration, the emergence layer 32 and the absorbent body 24 can be configured to absorb, adsorb or pull the skin irritants away from the side-to-body liner 22, and in particular, out of the contact surface with the article skin 34 for improved performance. For example, the body side liner 22 can define an affinity for skin irritants that is at least 5 percent, and desirably at least 10 percent less than the affinity between irritants. of the skin and the emergence layer and / or the absorbent body 24. Desirably, the different components of the article are configured to provide an increasing skin affinity affinity gradient in the direction perpendicular to and from the contact surface with the skin 34 of the article.

For example, the emergence layer 32 and / or the absorbent body 24 can be constructed or otherwise treated so that they agglutinate such skin irritants in use. In one aspect, the increasing irritant affinity gradient can be achieved by constructing the emergence management layer 32 and / or the absorbent body 24 of materials that have a charge opposite to the major irritants in the biological fluids. As a result, the material will have an increased affinity with respect to irritants due to hydrostatic traction which will result in an increased level of binding between skin irritants and materials. For example, the emergence layer 32 and / or the absorbent body 24 can be constructed of materials that have a fixed negative charge directly opposite the cationic charge of most fecal faecal proteases in the faeces. The fixed negative charge will increase the level of agglutination between such proteases and the emergence layer 32 and the absorbent body 24. Conversely, the application of a fixed positive charge to the materials of the emergence layer 32 and / or of the absorbent body 24 will result desirably in the agglutination of a large number of proteins to the material due to electrostatic traction. In such a configuration, the selection of suitable properties of both anionic and cationic charges to be applied to the material will provide the opportunity to focus the properties of the material to specific irritants.

The materials for the emergence layer 32 and / or the absorbent body 24 can be constructed to inherently provide the appropriate loads or can be modified by the addition of specific treatment compositions to provide the desired fillers. For example, an effective amount of an ion exchange material can be applied to the materials to provide the desired fillers. Suitable in-exchange materials that can be applied to the emergence layer and / or to the absorbent body are described above and may include chitosan, cellulose-phosphate, dextran-sulfate, dextran-phosphate, charged polysaccharides, charged proteins and the like and combinations thereof.

Alternating treatment compositions which can provide the desired increased affinity may include cationic liposomes, cationic lipids, anionic liposomes, anionic lipids, such as phospholipids, clays and the like and combinations thereof. Additional irritant sequestrants that may be suitable are described in the provisional and pending United States of America patent application, jointly assigned series No. 60 / 114,496 filed on December 31, 1998 in the name of Otts et al., Entitled "LIPID COMPOSITION FOR &&PREVENTION OF EXOGENOUS ATTACK OF SKIN IRRITANTS TM BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS", the description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The different embodiments of the present invention, as representatively illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, provide absorbent articles that advantageously exhibit a reduced concentration of skin irritants with respect to biological fluids such as urine and faecal matter on their contact surface. with the skin in use when compared to • conventional absorbent articles. Therefore, the skin of the users of such articles may be less susceptible to abrasions, rashes and irritation.

Having thus described the invention in quite complete detail, it will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. All these changes and modifications are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention as defined by the attached clauses.

Claims (22)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. An absorbent article for containing biological fluids, said absorbent article comprises: a) a fluid-permeable body side liner that defines a contact surface with the skin; b) a lower sheet located in a relation facing said liner from side to body; Y c) an absorbent body located between said side-to-body liner and said bottom sheet, wherein a first affinity between said side-to-body liner and the skin irritants found in said biological fluids is less than a second affinity between said body absorbent and said skin irritants.

2. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said first affinity is at least 5 percent less than said second affinity.

3. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said skin irritants in said biological fluids & G & pases.

4. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said skin irritants in said biological fluids are lipases.

5. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 1, further characterized in that it comprises an emergence management layer located between said side-to-body liner and said absorbent body wherein a third affinity between said emergence and control layer is greater. said skin irritants that said first affinity.

6. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 5, characterized in that said third affinity is less than said second affinity.

7. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 5, characterized in that said emergence management layer includes a treatment composition selected from cationic liposomes, cationic lipids, anionic liposomes, anionic lipids such as phospholipids, clays and combinations thereof.

8. An absorbent article for making contact with biological fluids, said absorbent article comprises: a) a fluid-permeable body side liner that defines a contact surface with the skin; b) a lower sheet located in a relation facing said liner from side to body; c) an absorbent body located between said liner side to body and said bottom sheet; Y d) an ion exchange material located in said side-to-body liner to reduce the affinity between the contact surface with the skin of said side-to-body liner and the skin irritants found in said biological fluids.

9. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that said ion exchange material is selected from chitosan, cellulose-phosphate, dextran sulfate, dextran-phosphate, charged polysaccharides, charged pins and combinations thereof. * * s-s-SK ^ e * ^ '5 .. «..« ÉM ^ fc ^^^ fc¿aifi?

10. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that irritating skin aichtos in said biological fluids are pases.

11. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 8, characterized in that said irritants in said biological fluids are lipases.

12. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 8, further characterized by comprising an emergence management layer located between said side-to-body liner and said absorbent body wherein an affinity between said emergence management layer and said irritant the skin is greater than an affinity between the lining from the side to the body and said skin irritants.

13. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 12, characterized in that the emergence management layer includes a second ion exchange material.

14. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 13, characterized in that said second ion exchange material is selected from chitosan, cellulose-phosphate, dextran-sulfate, dextran-phosphate, L-t¿.a.l..¿iiÉfcLt *. » ? h ^ ?? i.i.i.n? A ^ ^^, charged polysaccharides, charged proteins and combinations thereof.

15. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 12, characterized in that said cf & Emergence management includes a treatment composition selected from cationic liposomes, cationic lipids, anionic liposomes, anionic lipids, such as phospholipids, clays and combinations thereof.

16. An absorbent article for containing biological fluids, said absorbent article comprises: a) a fluid-permeable body side liner that defines a contact surface with the skin; b) a lower sheet located in a relation facing said liner from side to body; c) an absorbent body located between said liner side to body and said bottom sheet; Y d) a protein located in said lining from side to body to reduce an affinity between the contact surface with the skin of said lining from side to body and the skin irritants found in said biological fluids.

17. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 16, characterized in that said protein is selected from sericin, sc protein, wheat protein, gelatin, collagen, casein, milk proteins, keratin and combinations thereof.

18. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 16, characterized in that said skin irritants in said biological fluids are proteases.

19. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 16, further characterized in that it comprises an emergence management layer located between said side-to-body liner and said absorbent body wherein an affinity between said emergence management layer and said irritants of the skin that an affinity between said lining from side to the body and said skin irritants.

20. An absorbent article for containing biological fluids, said absorbent article comprises: a) a fluid-permeable body side liner that defines a contact surface with the skin; b) a lower sheet located in a relation facing said liner from side to body; ", < > c) an absorbent body located between said liner side to body and said bottom sheet; Y d) a treatment composition located on said side-to-body liner to reduce an affinity between said contact surface with the skin of said side-to-body liner and said skin irritants found in said biological fluids.

21. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 20, characterized in that said treatment composition includes a compound selected from peptides, quaternary compounds, compounds containing betaine groups and combinations thereof.

22. The absorbent article as claimed in clause 20, further characterized in that it comprises an emergence management layer located between said side-to-body liner and said absorbent body wherein an affinity between said emergence management layer and said irritant the skin is greater than an affinity between said lining from side to body and said skin irritants. SUMMARY An absorbent article for containing biological fluids having a skin contact surface with a reduced affinity for skin irritants is disclosed. The absorbent article may include a liquid-permeable body-side liner that defines a face-to-body surface; a lower sheet located in a face-to-body facing relationship; and an absorbent body located between the side-to-body liner and the bottom sheet. The affinity between the side-to-body lining and the skin irritants found in biological fluids is less than an affinity between the absorbent body and the skin irritants so that the skin irritants are pulled out of the skin of the user.