WO1999064087A9 - Degradable container - Google Patents
Degradable containerInfo
- Publication number
- WO1999064087A9 WO1999064087A9 PCT/US1999/013298 US9913298W WO9964087A9 WO 1999064087 A9 WO1999064087 A9 WO 1999064087A9 US 9913298 W US9913298 W US 9913298W WO 9964087 A9 WO9964087 A9 WO 9964087A9
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- container
- meth
- disposal liquid
- acrylic acid
- ethylene
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D65/00—Wrappers or flexible covers; Packaging materials of special type or form
- B65D65/38—Packaging materials of special type or form
- B65D65/46—Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M1/00—Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems
- A61M1/60—Containers for suction drainage, adapted to be used with an external suction source
- A61M1/604—Bag or liner in a rigid container, with suction applied to both
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M1/00—Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems
- A61M1/88—Draining devices having means for processing the drained fluid, e.g. an absorber
- A61M1/882—Draining devices provided with means for releasing antimicrobial or gelation agents in the drained fluid
Definitions
- the present invention relates to degradable containers
- the present invention provides containers that can be disposed of, along with their contents, by contacting them with an approp ⁇ ate disposal liquid
- infectious wastes is a persistent problem at medical facilities, and many attempts have been made to reduce or eliminate the ⁇ sk of human infection from such wastes
- the infectious waste is placed in a container, and the mate ⁇ al within the container is treated to kill or deactivate substances capable of causing infection
- the deactivated mate ⁇ al is then disposed and the container sterilized using commonly known methods.
- the entire container can be disposed after one use
- these methods pose ⁇ sks to the workers who manage the waste, and also increase disposal costs through landfilhng or incineration
- the invention provides a container that is specially designed to manage infectious wastes safely and efficiently
- the container is constructed of a mate ⁇ al that loses its structural mteg ⁇ ty when immersed in a disposal liquid, causing the contents of the container to be released into the disposal liquid
- the container can lose its structural integrity by dissolving, dispersing, or simply softening enough to allow release of the container's contents
- the container, or what remains of it, can then be ret ⁇ eved from the disposal liquid and separately disposed
- the invention provides a method of disposing of a sealed container and its contents comp ⁇ sing contacting the container with a disposal liquid at a temperature and for a time sufficient to lessen the structural mteg ⁇ ty of the container, and to cause the container to release the contents
- the invention provides a degradable suction container comp ⁇ sing a polymer that softens sufficiently when immersed in a liquid below 100 °C to lessen the structural mtegnty of the container, and to cause the container to release its contents.
- the invention provides a degradable suction container comprised of a material that is dissolvable or dispersible in a disposal liquid.
- Figure 1 is a container constructed in accordance with one aspect of the invention.
- Figure 2 is a disposable suction container of the design disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,672,162, in accordance with another aspect of the invention.
- Ranges are often expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about,” it will be understood that the particular value is another embodiment.
- references in the specification and the concluding claims to parts by weight of a particular element or component in a composition or article denote the weight relationship between the element or component and any other elements or components in the composition or article for which a part by weight is expressed.
- Z will be present at a weight ratio of 20, and are present in such ratio regardless of whether additional components are contained in the compound.
- a residue of a chemical species refers to the moiety that is the resulting product of the chemical species in a particular reaction scheme or subsequent formulation or chemical product, regardless of whether the moiety is actually obtained from the chemical species.
- an acrylic acid residue in an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer refers to one or more CH 2
- the term "disposal liquid” is the liquid in which the container is contacted or immersed prior to disposal.
- the disposal liquid is comprised primarily of a material that may be released into a drain, sewer or septic tank, such as, water.
- the disposal liquid may also contain pH adjusting agents that help disinfect the container's contents, help to degrade the container, or prevent the container from adhering to a disposal vessel.
- the term “degradable” refers to a material that, upon contact with a disposal liquid under appropriate conditions, loses structural integrity or shrinks in volume. The degradation can occur by softening the material, or dispersing or dissolving the material.
- the term "degradable container” is defined as a vessel used to collect waste material obtained, for example, in a medical procedure.
- the container must be made of a degradable material, or must contain one or more parts made from a degradable material, to cause the container to degrade and release its contents under appropriate disposal conditions.
- the container will typically comprise a vessel for receiving wastes, and a lid, and either the vessel or the lid, or both, can be degradable.
- the term "degradable suction container” is a species of “degradable containers,” and is defined as a vessel used to collect aspirated material obtained by suctioning in conjunction with, for example, a medical procedure.
- the degradable suction container will fit into a rigid outer casing, and comprise a liner and a lid and/or closure means whereby the contents of the suction container may be sealably fixed.
- the suction container will contain a liner bounding a contained volume for receiving materials from a source external to the liner, an inlet port through the lid for introducing the materials into the contained volume and a means for generating suction at the inlet port.
- suction containers are provided in U.S. Patent Nos.
- the term "hot” refers, in separate embodiments, to temperatures above 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, 75 °C, 90 °C, 100 °C, 1 10 °C, and 125 °C.
- alkaline refers, in separate embodiments, to pH values above 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, and 11.0.
- sealed is relative, and means sufficiently sealed to prevent a material release from the contents of a sealed container.
- the degree to which a container must be sealed to prevent "material” release of the container's contents will depend on how the container is handled, and the degree to which the contents are hazardous.
- ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer means a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid, a mixture of copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acids or te ⁇ olymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and ethylene.
- (meth)acrylic acid means acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or mixtures thereof.
- the term "ionomer” means a copolymer of ethylene and (meth)acrylic acid, wherein the copolymer has been neutralized with a metal cation.
- Ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid ionomers are typically obtained by partially reacting an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer with a metallic salt to form ionic crosslinks between the (meth)acrylic acid moiety residues within a copolymer chain or between neighboring chains. The cationic charge of the metallic salt partially neutralizes the acid residues of the copolymer.
- Suitable cations for neutralizing the acidic moieties are Na + , K + , Li + , Cs ⁇ , Rb + , Hg + , Cu + , Be 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , S ⁇ Ba 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Sn 2+ , Pb 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2 ⁇ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , Al 3+ , Sc 3+ , Fe 3+ and Y 3+ .
- Preferred cations include sodium, lithium and potassium ions.
- dissolvable refers to a material that, upon contact with a disposal liquid under appropriate conditions, dissolves partially or completely into the liquid to form a solution.
- dispersible refers to a material that is subject to structural weakening and breakup when contacted with a disposal liquid under appropriate conditions.
- the appropriate conditions for dissolution or dispersal may consist of one or more of temperature, pH, liquid type and composition or any other parameter that may be disclosed herein. Discussion
- the invention provides a method of disposing of a sealed container and its contents comprising contacting the container with a disposal liquid at a temperature and for a time sufficient to lessen the structural integrity of the container, and to cause the container to release the contents.
- the invention provides a container comprising a polymer that softens sufficiently when immersed in a liquid below 100 °C to lessen the structural integrity of the container, and to cause the container to release its contents.
- the invention provides a degradable suction container comprised of a material that is dissolvable or dispersible in a disposal liquid.
- the invention provides a method of disposing of a suction container comprising contacting the container with a disposal liquid for a time sufficient to dissolve or disperse the container.
- the disposal liquid is a hot aqueous solution, with hot as described above.
- the disposal liquid is an alkaline liquid, with alkaline as described above.
- the disposal liquid is hot and alkaline.
- the methods can be practiced at elevated pressures, for example, pressures above 1 atmosphere, 2 atmosphere, and even 5 atmosphere, depending upon the degradation characteristics of the container, and the other processing conditions.
- the disposal liquid is preferably of a temperature sufficient to deactivate or kill any potentially infectious materials present in the container.
- the degradable container to be disposed of is introduced into the disposal liquid at a suitable temperature or pH.
- the mixture is preferably agitated for greater than 2 or 5 minutes, and preferably less than 30 or 200 minutes.
- disposal of containers of the compositions disclosed herein could be accomplished in a hot water bath, such as a washing machine dedicated solely to degrading articles by the process of this invention. If the container completely dissolves or disperses, then the dissolved or dispersed material can be discharged with the disposal liquid. If anything remains of the container, then it can be retrieved and either reused or separately disposed.
- the method of disposing of a degradable container further comprises retrieving the degraded container, and releasing the contents into a drain, sewer, or septic tank.
- the container can take many forms.
- the container can be constructed entirely of the degradable material, or only part of the container can be constructed of the degradable material, as long as the structural integrity of the container is compromised sufficiently during contact with the disposal liquid to cause the container to release its contents.
- the invention provides a sealed container that comprises a lid that preferably seals an opening of the container, wherein the lid loses its structural integrity when contacted with a disposal liquid at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time, and allows the contents of the container to be released through the opening.
- the container comprises a degradable liner that degrades in an appropriate disposal liquid.
- the liner material can be rigid or soft.
- the liner may be sealably attached to a closure such as a lid.
- the liner and/or lid may be degradable.
- the liner-lid combination may be inserted into a rigid outer casing, and later removed from the casing and immersed in an appropriate disposal liquid, so that the container and its contents are simultaneously disposed.
- the rigid outer casing may optionally be re-used or disposed of using conventional methods.
- the sealed container comprises a liner and a lid
- the lid preferably seals an opening of the liner, and the liner loses its structural integrity when contacted with a disposal liquid at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time, and allows the contents of the container to be released.
- a prefe ⁇ ed degradable material is poly( vinyl alcohol), which is preferably post- drawn and heat annealed.
- the polyvinyl alcohol is preferably highly crystallized in order to increase the temperature at which it becomes soluble in an aqueous solution.
- the polyvinyl alcohol preferably has a degree of crystallinity above 15 or 30%, and more preferably above 50%.
- the polyvinyl alcohol is preferably is at least 95%) hydrolyzed or saponified, and more preferably greater than 98%.
- the commercial product Vinex ® 1003 Air Products Company, Allentown, PA
- Vinex ® 1003 Air Products Company, Allentown, PA
- a polyvinyl alcohol that has been highly crystallized by post-drawing and that has been plasticized with polyethylene glycol and/or glycerine
- It may be molded, formed, or extruded at about 210 °C without disintegration to produce a container that solubilizes only at temperature of 37 °C or greater in water.
- polyvinyl acetate homopolymer may be blended with polyvinyl alcohol in the weight range of from about 1 :99 to about 1 :9 (parts polyvinyl acetate by weight: parts polyvinyl alcohol) to produce a thermoplastic material that typically can be plasticized with polyethylene glycol and then molded, formed or extruded at 200 to 220 °C without disintegration.
- the polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate blend may preferably contain from about 0.001 to 5.0% by weight of a plasticizer.
- the plasticizer is polyethylene glycol or glycerine.
- Another preferred degradable material is one which is alkaline dissolvable or dispersible, such as an ethlyene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer.
- the copolymer is comprised of 10-30 % by weight (meth)acrylic acid residues, and, even more preferably, the copolymer is comprised of 15-25 % by weight (meth)acrylic acid residues.
- ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymers that are particularly useful in practicing this invention are the Primacor ® Resins (Primacor 1430, Primacor 3414 and Primacor 5981, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI) which contain 10, 15, and 25 weight % acrylic acid residues in the copolymer, respectively.
- Another example of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer useful for practicing the invention is Nucrel ® 925 (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) which contains 15 %> by weight of (meth)acrylic acid residues.
- Ionomer is another preferred alkaline soluble degradable material.
- the ionomer is comprised of 10-30 % by weight (meth)acrylic acid residues, and, even more preferably, the ionomer is comprised of 15-25 % by weight (meth)acrylic acid residues.
- An ionomer product that is particularly suited for practicing the invention is Surlyn ® 8220 (DuPont, Wilmington, DE).
- Still another prefe ⁇ ed alkaline soluble degradable material is a blend of the above referenced ionomer and ethlyene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer.
- the ratio of ionomer to copolymer present in the blend is less than about 6:1, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1 or 1 :1.
- the ratio of copolymer to ionomer is less than about 6:1, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1 or 1 :1.
- the degradable material comprises ethylene (meth)acrylic acid, ionomer, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene olefin copolymer, low density polyethylene, polycapryl lactone, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), polypropylene, polystyrene, other polyolefins, copolymers thereof, or blends thereof.
- Types and grades of the foregoing materials can be selected, based upon known physical properties, to achieve the particular softening characteristics desired for particular applications. Such materials may be blended with degradable materials discussed above to enhance the softening properties of the polymer. Methods of preparing articles from such polymers, and the other degradable materials of this invention, are known generally in the art and, therefore, are not repeated herein.
- the degradable material comprises one or more fillers, which can alter the physical characteristics of the degradable container so formed.
- Particularly preferred fillers include materials known generally in the art, such as BaSO 4 , CaSiO 3 , CaCO 3 , clay, glass fiber, or mixtures thereof.
- Other suitable fillers include talc, titanium dioxide, aluminum silicate (clay), kaolin, silica, magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium sulfate, diatomaceous earth, alumina, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, mica, zeolite, acid clay, calcium metasilicate, calcium oxide, ceramic, borosilicate glass and pulp/organic materials.
- the degradable material may, in separate embodiments, comprise greater than 5, 10, 20, 30, or 40 wt.% filler, and/or less than 40, 30, 20, 10, or 5 wt.% filler.
- additional polymers may be added to the degradable material to provide for further desirable characteristics in the containers claimed herein.
- polymers having a high modulus are added to improve the strength and rigidity of the material.
- Polyester polypropylene, polym ethyl (meth)acrylic acid, high density polyethylene, polycarbonates, ABS or MBS ((meth)acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), polystyrene or nylon may be used to lower the cost of the article and to reduce the quantity of blend needed to obtain the desired properties.
- polyester may be used because, like polystyrene, it possesses a high modulus and thus can be used to both lower the cost of the degradable container as well as to increase the modulus of the article.
- Types and grades of the foregoing materials can be selected, based upon known physical properties, to achieve the particular characteristics desired for particular applications.
- the degradable material can also contain other ingredients, such as plasticizers, antifoaming agents and surfactants, lubricants, parting agents, stabilizers, pigments, dyes, brighteners, antioxidants, waxes, foaming agents, blowing agents, antistatic agents, antiblocking and other processing aids generally known in the polymer art.
- additional ingredients not materially interfere with the degradability of the material used to form the degradable container or interfere with the discharge of the disposal liquid into which the degradable container is immersed.
- the amount and type of degradable material, as well as the presence or absence of any filler material or other additional ingredients, can be used to alter the physical characteristics of the resulting container.
- Blends of polymers may be formed by combining the polymers using any conventional technique that results in the formation of an intimate and uniform mixture of ingredients.
- suitable techniques include, for example, extrusion, compounding, and melt mixing.
- the methods used to form the containers of the present invention will affect the materials chosen to construct the containers.
- the melt index of the ionomer utilized is preferably about 1 to 5.
- the melt index of the ionomer is preferably about 10 to 20.
- FIG. 1 shows a degradable infectious waste container 100 for the collection of materials collected such as body fluids.
- Container 100 is degradable without causing significant risk to hospital personnel.
- Container 100 is, of course, just one embodiment of the broad class of containers included within this invention.
- Container 100 comprises a rigid vessel 102 made from the materials disclosed for receiving bodily fluids, such as those created during surgical procedures.
- the container has a con- nector/inlet portion 104 that also serves as a closure/lid that keeps the suction container sealed prior to disposal. After use, this container may be disposed of using the methods described herein.
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Vascular Medicine (AREA)
- Anesthesiology (AREA)
- Hematology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU44394/99A AU4439499A (en) | 1998-06-12 | 1999-06-11 | Degradable container |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US9654598A | 1998-06-12 | 1998-06-12 | |
US09/096,545 | 1998-06-12 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1999064087A1 WO1999064087A1 (en) | 1999-12-16 |
WO1999064087A9 true WO1999064087A9 (en) | 2000-10-05 |
Family
ID=22257866
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1999/013298 WO1999064087A1 (en) | 1998-06-12 | 1999-06-11 | Degradable container |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU4439499A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1999064087A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2375542A (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2002-11-20 | Reckitt Benckiser | Water soluble container |
WO2019027703A1 (en) * | 2017-07-31 | 2019-02-07 | Kcl Licensing, Inc. | Liquid collection container for negative-pressure therapy |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3762454A (en) * | 1971-11-15 | 1973-10-02 | R Wilkins | Disposable garbage container |
GB8620778D0 (en) * | 1986-08-28 | 1986-10-08 | Smiths Industries Ltd | Medico-surgical articles |
ES2060841T3 (en) * | 1989-03-30 | 1994-12-01 | Abbott Lab | INFECTION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ASPIRATION DRAIN CONTAINER. |
GB9225071D0 (en) * | 1992-12-01 | 1993-01-20 | Welland Medical Ltd | Ostomy bags |
US5620786A (en) * | 1993-04-29 | 1997-04-15 | Isolyser Co. Inc. | Hot water soluble towels, sponges and gauzes |
US5424265A (en) * | 1993-06-15 | 1995-06-13 | Safetec Of America | Capsule for absorbing liquid waste in a suction canister |
GB2290712B (en) * | 1994-07-01 | 1998-03-25 | Welland Medical Ltd | Ostomy bag filters |
US5584825A (en) | 1994-12-01 | 1996-12-17 | Isolyser Co., Inc. | Closure delivery system |
-
1999
- 1999-06-11 AU AU44394/99A patent/AU4439499A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1999-06-11 WO PCT/US1999/013298 patent/WO1999064087A1/en active Application Filing
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU4439499A (en) | 1999-12-30 |
WO1999064087A1 (en) | 1999-12-16 |
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