MXPA06009215A - Hotplate emanation - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of deactivating Der p and/or Der f allergens involves dispersing into an airspace an allergen deactivant, the deactivant being provided in a vessel and the vessel being in contact with a hotplate.

Description

EMANATION OF HOT PLATE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of deactivating dust mite allergens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Several allergens are known to activate a human reaction. For example, it has been known for a long time that domestic dust can activate allergenic reactions in humans, such as asthma or rhinitis. It was reported, since 1928, that dust mites in the dust were the primary source of the allergenic response, but it was only in the 1960s that the researchers appreciated its significance. House dust mites produce debris which cause allergenic reactions in many people. The main allergens are believed to be detritus of the mite species Dermatophogoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (the allergens are known as Der fl and Der pl, respectively). Debris includes feces as well as waste from body parts - from mites. A review is given in Experimental and Applied Acarology, 10 (1991) p. 167-186. Document WO99 / 15208 describes a method for the deactivation of allergens derived from mite species D. Pteronyssinus and D. Farinae, which comprise contacting the allergen with one of 28 deactivators which are described. These can be supplied to the airspace by aerosol spray. WO 01/76371 describes additional deactivators for house dust mite allergens. These can be supplied to the airspace by several methods that include the use of an ultrasonic jet nebulizer, an ionic wind turbine, a candle that incorporates a deactivant, or heat to vaporize an oil. The examples given of the use of heat are to float the oil in water in an oil burner or to heat the oil directly in an oil burner. Alternatively, the volatile oil can be vaporized from a hot wick immersed in a volatile oil reservoir.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for deactivating allergens Der p and Der f, the method comprising dispersing in an airspace, an amount of allergen deactivant of an allergenic deactivating compound (subsequently the "deactivant"), the deactivant is dispersed from a container in contact with a hot plate, the hot plate is preferably fixed at a temperature of at least 100 ° C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The use of the deactivating noun and the deactivated verb in this specification, denote that some or all of the sources of allergens in a site, are provided unable to evoke an allergenic response in a human, by a method of the present invention. . The net result is that the source can be reduced in its allergenicity, or its allergenicity can be completely eliminated. Many methods of dust mite removal are known. However, it is thought that the allergenic response is due to dust mite detritus, not to dust mites themselves. Thus the elimination of these does not remove the detritus. In a method of the present invention, the allergens Der p and / or Der f are deactivated. The elimination of dust mites is not necessary. The use of a hot plate allows the applied heat to disperse the deactivant to be controlled, in a manner which is not possible with prior methods. Preferably, the deactivant is dispersed in the air space as a vapor. The work suggests that the use of a hot plate below 100 ° C gives some allergen deactivation activity, but that the use of a higher temperature provides allergen deactivation activity of a substantially and surprisingly higher level, even in spite of that the amount of dispersed deactivant may be the same in each case. Preferably, the hot plate has a source of electrical heat. Preferably, the container and the hot plate are in face-to-face contact. Preferably, the hot plate has a flat surface and the container has a flat base, and the container rests on the hot plate. Preferably, the container has an opening in its upper region. Preferably, it has a fully open upper face. Preferably, therefore, the container has a flat base, one side (if cylindrical) or ascending sides depending on them, and without additional sides. Preferably, the hot plate is fixed at a temperature of at least 130 ° C. Preferably, the hot plate is fixed at a temperature of up to 300 ° C, preferably up to 250 ° C. Preferably, the deactivant is selected from: a terpene hydrocarbon; a citrus oil; a mint oil; essence of rose oil; jasmine oil; incense; bergamot oil; and lemongrass oil. Preferred terpene hydrocarbons include tea tree, pine and ß-pinene oil. An especially preferred deactivant is a citrus oil, more preferably orange oil. Another especially preferred deactivant is β-pinene. A deactivant can suitably be a single compound. Alternatively, a mixture of deactivators can be used together. A deactivator can be part of a mixture of compounds, not all of which are deactivators. For example, a citrus oil is a mixture of compounds not all of which function as deactivators. A deactivant can suitably be dispersed in the airspace for a prolonged period, for example, for at least 30 minutes, and preferably at least 1 hour. A deactivator can be properly dispersed in the airspace twice, interrupted by a period in which the deactivator has not been dispersed. A deactivator may be dispersed in airspace on one or more occasions, after a corresponding period or periods without dispersing deactivator. Preferably, each scattering occasion involves dispersed deactivator over a prolonged period, as described above. Preferably, the or each period in which the deactivant is not dispersed, is a prolonged period, for example, at least 2 hours, preferably at least 4 hours, and more preferably at least 8 hours. It has been found that the method produces a prolonged reduction in the allergen load of an inanimate substrate contaminated with allergen. The supply of the deactivant in the airspace as described, causes a permanent reduction in the population of allergens in an inanimate test source. By inanimate test source is meant a test source which is inanimate (for example, not the skin or coating / skin of a living animal) and does not contain living organisms, such as dust mites. Populations of dust mites could make any result difficult to interpret. It was found that the reduction in allergen content in such a source is of long duration, for example, at least 7 days, typically, at least 14 days and adequately at least 28 days. In fact, in tests that were carried out over a period of 28 days, it was found that the allergen content may continue to decline over time, even though the deactivant may have been used days or weeks before. The results suggest that the allergenic species have been really denatured or degraded, to the extent that, first, they are not reformed and second, their degradation products are not themselves allergens. In addition, it is suggested that the action of the deactivant is not only a masking or impregnation effect. Any of these effects could be analyzed similarly over time. The deactivant can be used as such, or it can be compressed into an oil-in-water formulation, or it can be compressed into an oil-in-water emulsion formulation. An oil / water formulation suitably comprises at least 0.5% by weight of the deactivant (in total, when more than one of said deactivators is employed), preferably at least 2%, more preferably at least 6%, more preferably at least 8% and especially at least 10%. Suitably, an oil-water formulation comprises up to 25% by weight of the deactivant (in total, when more than one of said deactivators is employed), more preferably up to 20% and more preferably up to 15%. In this specification, unless stated otherwise, a given percentage value for a component denotes the weight of the component expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the emulsion. The formulation of emulsions is generally well known in the art and is described, for example, in Modern Aspeets of Emulsion Science, edited by Bernard P. Binks, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 1998 and Surfactant Science and Technology, Second Edition, Drew Myers, 1992, VCH Publishers, Inc. Surfactants can be especially suitable. ionic Packages of proprietary surfactants may be employed to form emulsions, for example, E-Z-MUSLE (Trade Mark), a package of nonionic surfactant from Florida Chemical Company, US. The present invention involves the dispersion of an allergen deactivant in the airspace, preferably as a vapor. It is possible that atmospheric allergens can be deactivated, but it is believed that there is effective deactivation of allergens that are born on surfaces within the airspace. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of apparatuses for deactivating allergens Der py / or Der f at a site, the apparatus comprises an allergen deactivant within a container, and a heat source used to accelerate the vaporization of the deactivant, the heat source is a hot plate in contact with the container. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for deactivating allergens Der p and / or Der f, comprising a container containing an allergen deactivant and a hot plate in contact with the container. The present invention will be further described with reference to the following Examples.

Experimental Protocol When using household dust for allergen denaturing tests, an inherent difficulty is the variability of the amount of allergen in each small sample, even when taken from the same powder reservoir. The amount of powder in the pretreatment sample must be accurately estimated to determine the extent of any allergenic denaturation. In these tests, the powder sample is applied to the exposed surface under test and then one-half of this surface powder is removed to measure the pre-treatment control allergen level of that specific sample. Each control was directly relevant to each sample, which gave the best possible estimate of the level of allergen in the sample before exposure to possible denaturation. All the tests used a glass-reinforced plastic cabin with a size of 0.7m x 0.7m x 1.0m. The average values were declared. The following Examples all measure the allergen reduction of domestic powder of mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus -Der pl. Domestic dust was passed through a number of sieves and the smallest fraction of 53 μm was collected. 0.025 g of powder was placed in a small sieve to distribute it evenly over the test surface. The test surface was a metal tray coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene - trademark TEFLON), size 30 cm x 30 cm. The powder is applied to the tray by moving the screen continuously on the surface while hitting the screen. One half of the powder was then removed by suction on an inline filter and the weight recorded, this was the pre-treatment control. The tray was then placed in the cabin. Three candle holders for night candles - upwardly open cylindrical containers (diameter 40 mm, height 15 mm), produced to carry night light candles - each containing 6 ml of water and 0.8 ml of orange oil - were placed together on an electric hot plate fixed at 250 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 130 ° C and 250 ° C.

Three more candle holders for night candles each containing 6.8 ml of 12% orange / water oil emulsified with E-Z-MUSLE, were placed together on a hot electric plate fixed at 250 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 130 ° C and 250 ° C. The heating stopped after 105 minutes. These compositions do not evaporate to dryness. This is believed to be due to the remaining non-volatile surfactant of the constituent E-Z-MULSE. Three more candle holders for night candles each containing 6 ml of water and 0.8 ml of orange oil, were placed on the hot plate, fixed at 90 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 60 ° C and 90 ° C. Three more candle holders for night candles each containing 6 ml of water and 0.8 ml of orange oil, were placed on the hot plate, fixed to 74 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 40 ° C and 74 ° C. Three more candle holders for night candles each containing 6 ml of water and 0.8 ml of orange oil, were placed on the hot plate, fixed to 50 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 30 ° C and 50 ° C.

Three more candle holders for night candles each containing 6 ml of water and 0.8 ml of orange oil, were placed on the hot plate, fixed at 25 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature of the hot plate circulated between 20 ° C and 25 ° C. As an additional comparison, three night candles containing only water (6.8 ml each), were tested on the hot plate, fixed at 74 ° C. In practice, it was found that this means that the temperature circulated between 40 ° C and 74 ° C. For each test, the cabin was sealed. The core was supplied for a sufficient time to allow the liquid to evaporate completely and then the hot plate was allowed to cool. After 24 hours, the tray was removed, dust was collected from it and its weight recorded. The cabin was washed with strong detergent between tests. The test samples were tested for allergens Der pl using an ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), to determine the allergen content. This was then related to the weight of the powder that has been present in each sample. All samples were multiplied until the expected amount of allergen was present in a 0.1 g powder sample. The percentage difference between the control sample and the exposed sample was then obtained.

The allergen reductions Der pl were as follows: Hot plate fixed at 130-250 ° C, 0.8 ml orange oil in 6 ml of water - 75.4%. Hot plate fixed at 130-250 ° C, 0.8 ml of orange oil in 6 ml of water, emulsified - 91.0%. Hot plate fixed at 60-90 ° C, 0.8 ml of orange oil in 6 ml of water - 48.6%. Hot plate fixed at 40-74 ° C, 0.8 ml of orange oil in 6 ml of water - 47.9%. Hot plate fixed at 30-50 ° C, 0.8 ml of orange oil in 6 ml of water - 48.0%. Hot plate fixed at 20-25 ° C, 0.8 ml of orange oil in 6 ml of water - 44.6%. Hot plate fixed at 40-74 ° C, 6.8 ml of water only -42.7%. In the tests, at 20-25 ° C, there was incomplete evaporation. Statistical analyzes suggest that the finding of increased activity at a hotplate temperature of 130-250 ° C was a significant result compared to activity at 60-90 ° C. It was found that the allergen content does not recover substantially over time.

Claims (13)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present is considered as a novelty, and therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: CLAIMS

1. A method for deactivating allergens Der py / or Der f, characterized in that the method comprises dispersing in an airspace, an allergenic deactivating amount of an allergenic deactivating compound (subsequently the "deactivant"), the deactivant is dispersed as a vapor from the Container in contact with a hot plate, the hot plate is at a temperature of at least 100 ° C.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the hot plate is at a temperature of at least 130 ° C.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hot plate is at a temperature of up to 300 ° C.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the hot plate is at a temperature of up to 250 ° C.

5. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the deactivant is dispersed in the air space for a prolonged period.

6. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the deactivant is selected from: a terpene hydrocarbon; a citrus oil; a mint oil; essence of rose oil; jasmine oil; inciense- bergamot oil; lemongrass oil; or a component of it.

7. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the deactivant comprises a terpene hydrocarbon.

8. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the deactivant comprises β-pinene.

9. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the deactivant comprises orange oil or a component thereof. A method as claimed in accordance with any preceding claim, characterized in that the container is an upwardly open container. 11. The use of an apparatus for deactivating allergens Der py / or Der f at a site, wherein the apparatus comprises an allergen deactivant within a container, and a heat source used to accelerate the vaporization of the deactivant, the heat source it is a hot plate in contact with the container, the hot plate is at a temperature of at least 100 ° C. 12. An apparatus for deactivating allergens Der p and / or Der f, characterized in that it comprises a container containing an allergen deactivant and a hot plate in contact with the container, the hot plate is at a temperature of at least 100 ° C. 13. A method characterized in that it is substantially as described hereinbefore, with particular reference to the accompanying examples.