Safety material and system

Abstract

Compositions and methods for deterring and / or visually identifying oral contact with objects that are hazardous upon oral contact or ingestion are disclosed. The compositions generally comprise a colourant and a carrier and may further comprise an aversive agent, a salivating agent, and / or an emetic. The compositions may be particularly useful for application to batteries, including button cells.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to safety features for addition to or inclusion in common household items that may be accidentally ingested. More specifically, the present invention relates to compositions and methods for deterring and / or visually identifying oral contact or ingestion.BACKGROUND ART[0002]The prevalence of electronic devices, such as watches, remotes, hearing aids, and toys, has provided unprecedented convenience and amusement to our life in many ways. It is significantly attributed to button cells. The global market for these thin, portable, and affordable power sources keeps expanding and is expected to exceed US$1.77 billion by 2014 from US$1.1 billion in 2007.[0003]Peril from the tiny batteries has become more widespread as button cells become more popular in the household. Serious injuries by accidental ingestion, in particular by children, have been seen, such as persistent drooling, choking, and even death. More than 3,500 cases of button ce...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes using a material that contains both an aversive agent and an emetic to prevent swallowing of objects and minimize any related hazards. The aversive agent discourages swallowing, while the emetic induces vomiting. This approach helps to reduce the chances of accidental swallowing.

Problems solved by technology

Serious injuries by accidental ingestion, in particular by children, have been seen, such as persistent drooling, choking, and even death.

Moreover, no information about the swallowed battery (such as voltage) is available, which makes it extremely difficult to recognise the accident and give medical treatment in a timely and appropriate way.

To date, no practical answer which will prevent children from swallowing batteries has been devised.

Various measures have been suggested in order to reduce the possibility of accidental swallowing of foreign objects, such as warning labels or screw-fastened battery compartments, but these have not been effective in terms of child protection.

As the majority of the accidents happen when the victim picks up and ingests a battery that has been left unattended after removal from its original package or from a battery compartment, or when a battery is incorrectly disposed of after use, these conventional suggestions have fundamental limitations as child protection measures.

The prior art suggests methods for the prevention of mistaken ingestion of objects having a potential hazard, however the inclusion of additional processes may cause a significant cost rise in manufacturing and there is a risk of abuse or misuse of mixtures of chemicals in a consumer product.

Moreover, the prior art does not provide any means of visual indication of the ingestion and identification of the objects.

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