A carbon ribbon specially used for medical wristband and its preparation method

Abstract

The invention discloses a carbon ribbon specially used for a medical wristband. The carbon ribbon comprises a base film, a back coating layer and a thermal transfer layer respectively coated on both sides of the base film. The thermal transfer layer is divided into three parts, namely, a peeling layer, an alcohol-resistant ink layer and a water-resistant ink layer from the inside to the outside of one surface of the base film. The peeling layer is composed of 10-20wt% polyurethane and 80-90wt% polyethylene wax, the alcohol-resistant ink layer is composed of 20-40wt% polyester resin, 30-50wt% epoxy resin and 10-30wt% carbon black, and the water-resistant ink layer is composed of 30-50wt% epoxy resin, 20-40wt% indane resin and 30-50wt% carbon black. The innovation of the present invention lies in that the thermal transfer ink layer is designed to be two layers, a washable ink layer and an alcohol-resistant ink layer. After the transfer process, the information on the wristband can be resistant to water washing, alcohol, and hand sweat; at the same time, both the washable ink layer and the alcohol-resistant ink layer contain epoxy resin, which increases the connecting effect of the alcohol-resistant ink layer and the washable ink layer, and plays a protective role in being resistant to water washing, alcohol, and hand sweat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of hot stamping materials, and in particular relates to a carbon ribbon dedicated to a medical wristband and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Medical wristbands, also known as patient identification bands, are unique identifiers for patients, recording information such as name, age, gender, ward, bed number, and department. Currently used in major general hospitals, medical wristbands are primarily categorized as handwritten, barcode, and thermal. To meet market demands, the printed information on the wristbands is integrated and applied through intelligent identification systems and hospital HIS systems. Amidst the growing trend toward healthcare informatization, patient identification remains a bottleneck. Without this crucial link, healthcare informatization lacks effective means and mechanisms to connect patients with medical information, hindering hospital information management systems from truly achieving a connected and closed-loop management system. To address this issue, patient identification systems have been introduced. Patient identification is achieved through medical wristbands.

[0003] Medical wristbands are generally waterproof and alcohol-proof, and have the greatest characteristics of identification and uniqueness. However, handwritten wristbands are inefficient and have poor identification; thermal carbon ribbons and thermal printing are very convenient to use on hospital wristbands, are highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and do not require consumables. However, thermal printing medical wristbands are not resistant to high temperatures. If the hot water temperature exceeds 60 degrees, the medical wristband will change color. Compared with thermal wristbands, barcode printing wristbands have the characteristics of fast printing speed and one carbon ribbon can print a variety of materials. General barcode printing carbon ribbons have the characteristics of poor water washing resistance, poor alcohol resistance, and poor hand sweat resistance when used in medical wristbands. Based on this, the present application was developed. The present invention provides a carbon ribbon specifically for medical wristbands, which has good printing effects, good information recognizability, and excellent water washing resistance, alcohol resistance, and hand sweat resistance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a carbon ribbon specially used for medical wristbands, which has good printing effect, good information recognizability, and excellent water resistance, alcohol resistance and hand sweat resistance.

[0005] The invention also discloses a method for preparing the carbon ribbon specially used for the medical wristband.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A carbon ribbon specifically for medical wristbands comprises a base film, a back coating layer and a thermal transfer layer applied to both sides of the base film. The thermal transfer layer comprises three parts: a peeling layer, an alcohol-resistant ink layer, and a water-resistant ink layer, arranged from the inside out on one side of the base film. The peeling layer comprises, by weight percentage, 10-20% polyurethane and 80-90% polyethylene wax.

[0008] Specifically, in terms of weight percentage, the alcohol-resistant ink layer is composed of 20-40wt% polyester resin, 30-50wt% epoxy resin and 10-30wt% carbon black, the base film is a PET film; and the back coating layer is composed of acrylic modified silicone resin.

[0009] Furthermore, the washable ink layer is composed of 30-50 wt% epoxy resin, 20-40 wt% indane resin and 30-50 wt% carbon black. Epoxy resin is present in both the alcohol-resistant ink layer and the washable ink layer.

[0010] Specifically, in the alcohol-resistant ink layer, the carbon black consists of acidic carbon black and alkaline carbon black, and the composition ratio is between 3:7 and 7:3.

[0011] Furthermore, the thickness of the alcohol-resistant ink layer is 0.3-0.5 microns.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the washable ink layer is 0.3-0.5 microns.

[0013] The present invention provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned carbon ribbon dedicated to the medical wristband, which comprises the following steps:

[0014] 1) Apply a back coating on one side of the base film, dry it, and proceed to the next process;

[0015] 2) Apply a peeling layer on the other side of the base film with a thickness of 1.0-2.0 μm, dry it, and proceed to the next process;

[0016] 3) Apply an alcohol-resistant ink layer on the peeling layer with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 μm, dry it, and proceed to the next process;

[0017] 4) Apply a water-resistant ink layer on the alcohol-resistant ink layer with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 μm and dry it to obtain the carbon ribbon.

[0018] Preferably, a method for preparing the above-mentioned carbon ribbon for medical wristband specifically comprises the following steps:

[0019] 1) Preparation of back coating: Mix acrylic modified silicone resin and butanone together (by mass ratio, resin: butanone = 12-15:1), apply it on one side of the base film using a gravure coater, dry it, and proceed to the next process;

[0020] 2) Preparation of the peeling layer: Dissolve the polyurethane in butanone by heating, add polyethylene wax after cooling (by mass ratio, butanone: polyurethane: polyethylene wax = 70-80: 5-10: 15-20), then disperse and mix evenly at high speed, apply it on the other side of the base film using a gravure coater, dry it to form a peeling layer, and proceed to the next process;

[0021] 3) Preparation of alcohol-resistant ink layer: Dissolve polyester resin and epoxy resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling (by mass ratio, butanone: polyester resin: epoxy resin: carbon black = 70-75:10-15:8-10:8-10), mix well, apply on the peeling layer, dry to form the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and proceed to the next process;

[0022] 4) Preparation of washable ink layer: Dissolve epoxy resin and indane resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling (by mass ratio, butanone: indane resin: epoxy resin: carbon black = 70-75: 8-10: 8-10: 10-15), mix well, apply on the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and dry to form a washable ink layer to obtain a carbon ribbon.

[0023] In the present invention, the medical wristband is in direct contact with the human body, and materials with a high safety level must be used in the selection of resin and carbon black.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The present invention provides a carbon ribbon specifically for medical wristbands, which exhibits excellent printing quality, good information legibility, and superior resistance to water washing, water retardation, alcohol, and hand sweat. The invention's innovation lies in the design of a two-layer thermal transfer ink layer: a water-resistant ink layer and an alcohol-resistant ink layer. After the transfer process, the information on the wristband is resistant to water washing, alcohol, and hand sweat. Furthermore, both the water-resistant ink layer and the alcohol-resistant ink layer contain epoxy resin, which enhances the connection between the alcohol-resistant ink layer and the water-resistant ink layer, providing protection against water washing, alcohol, and hand sweat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carbon ribbon for medical wristbands according to the present invention, wherein a is the back coating layer, b is the substrate, c is the peeling layer, d is the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and e is the water-resistant ink layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] The carbon ribbon was prepared on a base film (PET film, 4.5 μm thick, produced by Jiaozuo Zhuoli Film Material Co., Ltd.) prepared according to a conventional method in the art.

[0029] In the following examples, the materials used and the information of the manufacturers are as follows:

[0030] Polyurethane: Model 5715, purchased from Lubrizol, USA;

[0031] Polyethylene wax: model PEW-0215, purchased from Nanjing Tianshi New Material Technology Co., Ltd.

[0032] Acrylic modified silicone resin: Model BT-03, produced by Jiaozuo Zhuoli Membrane Materials Co., Ltd.

[0033] Polyester resin: Model XP-0114, purchased from Unijik, Japan;

[0034] Epoxy resin: Model NPES-902, purchased from Nan Ya Epoxy Resin Co., Ltd.

[0035] Indane resin: Model C 100, purchased from Lügt, Germany;

[0036] Carbon black: Model HB30PWD (PH 8, basic carbon black), purchased from Orion, Germany;

[0037] Carbon black: Model NX600 (PH 2.5, acidic carbon black), purchased from Orion, Germany.

[0038] Examples 1-5

[0039] A carbon ribbon specifically for medical wristbands, comprising a base film, a back coating layer and a thermal transfer layer applied to both sides of the base film. The thermal transfer layer comprises three parts, namely, a peeling layer, an alcohol-resistant ink layer, and a water-resistant ink layer, from the inside out on one side of the base film. The base film is a PET film; the back coating layer is composed of an acrylic-modified silicone resin and has a thickness of 0.2 microns.

[0040] The specific material ratios and coating thicknesses in each embodiment are shown in Table 1 below, where:

[0041]

[0042]

[0043] The method for preparing the carbon ribbon dedicated to the medical wristband of the present invention specifically comprises the following steps:

[0044] 1) Preparation of back coating: Mix acrylic modified silicone resin and butanone (by mass ratio, resin: butanone = 15:1) and apply it on one side of the base film using a gravure coater. Dry at 110°C and proceed to the next step.

[0045] 2) Preparation of the peeling layer: Dissolve the polyurethane in butanone by heating. After cooling, add polyethylene wax (weight ratio of butanone: polyurethane: polyethylene wax = 75:5:20). Then disperse and mix at high speed until evenly distributed. Use a gravure coater to coat the other side of the base film and dry at 100°C to form the peeling layer, which is then transferred to the next process.

[0046] 3) Preparation of alcohol-resistant ink layer: Dissolve polyester resin and epoxy resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling (by mass ratio, butanone: polyester resin: epoxy resin: carbon black = 70:12:9:9), mix well, apply on the peeling layer, and dry at 100°C to form the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and then proceed to the next process;

[0047] 4) Preparation of washable ink layer: Dissolve indane resin and epoxy resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling (by mass ratio, butanone: indane resin: epoxy resin: carbon black = 70:9:9:12), mix well, apply on the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and dry at 100°C to form a washable ink layer to obtain a carbon ribbon. See the structural diagram for details. Figure 1 .

[0048] Comparative Examples 1-7

[0049] To examine the effect of the coating thickness of the alcohol-resistant ink layer and the water-resistant ink layer on the performance of the ribbon, Comparative Examples 1 to 7 are provided. The specific material ratios and coating thicknesses in Comparative Examples 1-7 are shown in Table 2. Other details and preparation methods are similar to those in Example 1.

[0050]

[0051]

[0052] The medical wristband ribbons prepared in the aforementioned examples and comparative examples were tested for transferability by printing barcodes, letters, and numbers onto the wristbands using a barcode printer. Abrasion resistance testing was also used to evaluate the transfer marks and alcohol resistance. The machine models and testing methods are listed below.

[0053] 1) Barcode printer: Zebra 105SL, printing at a speed of 4 inches / s and at a suitable printing temperature;

[0054] 2) Alcohol resistance: Abrasion tester 339 was used. The printed image was fixed on the abrasion tester 339 and loaded with a 100g weight. 75% alcohol was dripped into the friction head to begin the test. The number of frictions was recorded when the writing began to blur. This number was used as the result.

[0055] 3) Washability: The wristband to be tested was sewn onto cotton cloth and placed in a washing machine. Washed in 40°C water for 70 minutes. The reflection density was measured using a color densitometer. The print decay rate was calculated based on the reflection density.

[0056] 4) Hand sweat resistance: This refers to applying human sweat to the fingertips and rubbing the printed text back and forth until the printed text is damaged. The number of times is recorded and the result is the result.

[0057] The barcode printer's actual printing results show that at 4 IPS, the printed pattern is clear and suitable for application. Specific test results for alcohol resistance, water washability, and hand sweat resistance are shown in Table 3 below.

[0058] Table 3 Physical property evaluation results of carbon ribbons obtained in various embodiments and comparative examples

[0059]

[0060] In the table, "○" indicates that the requirements are met, and "×" indicates that the requirements are not met.

[0061] As can be seen from the results in the above table, the carbon ribbon specifically designed for medical wristbands according to the present invention has good alcohol resistance, water wash resistance, and hand sweat resistance. When Comparative Example 9 only has an alcohol-resistant ink layer, it has good alcohol resistance but poor water wash resistance. When Comparative Example 8 only has a water washable ink layer, it has poor alcohol resistance, water wash resistance, and hand sweat resistance. When epoxy resin is present in both the alcohol-resistant ink layer and the water washable ink layer, it acts as a connecting agent for alcohol resistance and has good alcohol resistance. When only indane resin is present in the water washable ink layer, water wash resistance and alcohol resistance are poor; when only epoxy resin is present, alcohol resistance is good but water wash resistance is poor. Indane resin mainly plays a role in water wash resistance, but it needs to play both alcohol resistance and water wash resistance roles together with epoxy resin. The thicker the alcohol-resistant ink layer, the better the alcohol resistance, but it affects the printing effect. If the water washable ink layer is too thin or too thick, the water wash resistance is poor, and thickness has a greater impact on water wash resistance. The carbon black in the alcohol-resistant ink layer is the key to hand sweat resistance. Acidic carbon black and alkaline carbon black have poor hand sweat resistance and need to be mixed for use. The ones with the best hand sweat resistance are acidic carbon black and alkaline carbon black.

[0062] In summary, the present invention's carbon ribbon is specifically designed for medical wristbands, significantly improving the printed information's resistance to alcohol, water washing, and hand sweat. Conventional carbon ribbons, when printed on wristbands, lack these properties, severely limiting their application. The present invention's carbon ribbon is not only convenient and economical to use, but also utilizes a complete set of materials, making it highly valuable for widespread adoption.

[0063] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only some of the better technical solutions of the present invention, and are not an exhaustive list of technical solutions. Those skilled in the art can obtain a variety of combinations by making appropriate selections and replacements of the selection and dosage of relevant materials based on the conventional methods in the field according to the contents described in the content of the invention. These combinations should be regarded as part of the technical solution of the present invention and will not be listed or explained again here.

Claims

1. A carbon ribbon for medical wristband, characterized in that: The invention comprises a base film, a back coating layer and a thermal transfer layer respectively applied on both sides of the base film. The thermal transfer layer is divided into three parts: a peeling layer, an alcohol-resistant ink layer, and a water-resistant ink layer, from the inside to the outside of one side of the base film. The peeling layer is composed of 10-20wt% polyurethane and 80-90wt% polyethylene wax by weight; the alcohol-resistant ink layer is composed of 20-40wt% polyester resin, 30-50wt% epoxy resin, and 10-30wt% carbon black by weight. The washable ink layer is composed of 30-50 wt% epoxy resin, 20-40 wt% indane resin and 30-50 wt% carbon black; The carbon black in the alcohol-resistant ink layer is composed of acidic carbon black and alkaline carbon black, and the carbon black in the water-resistant ink layer is acidic carbon black; The composition ratio of acidic carbon black to basic carbon black in the alcohol-resistant ink layer is between 3:7 and 7:

3.

2. The carbon ribbon for medical wristband according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the alcohol-resistant ink layer is 0.3-0.5 microns.

3. The carbon ribbon for medical wristband according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the washable ink layer is 0.3-0.5 microns.

4. The method for preparing the carbon ribbon for medical wristband according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: 1) Apply a back coating on one side of the base film, dry it, and proceed to the next process; 2) Apply a peeling layer on the other side of the base film with a thickness of 1.0-2.0µm, dry it, and proceed to the next process; 3) Apply alcohol-resistant ink layer on the peeling layer, dry it, and proceed to the next process; 4) Apply a water-resistant ink layer on the alcohol-resistant ink layer and dry it to obtain the carbon ribbon.

5. The method for preparing a carbon ribbon for a medical wristband as claimed in claim 4, wherein: The specific steps include: 1) Preparation of back coating: Mix acrylic modified silicone resin and butanone evenly, apply it on one side of the base film using a gravure coater, dry it, and proceed to the next process; 2) Preparation of peeling layer: Dissolve polyurethane in butanone by heating, add polyethylene wax after cooling, mix evenly, apply it on the other side of the base film using a gravure coater, dry it to form a peeling layer, and proceed to the next process; 3) Preparation of alcohol-resistant ink layer: Dissolve polyester resin and epoxy resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling, mix evenly, apply on the peeling layer, dry to form alcohol-resistant ink layer, and proceed to the next process; 4) Preparation of washable ink layer: Dissolve epoxy resin and indane resin in butanone by heating, add carbon black after cooling, mix evenly, apply on the alcohol-resistant ink layer, and dry to form a washable ink layer to obtain the carbon ribbon.

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