Absorbent article

Abstract

The present invention relates to disposable or wearable absorbent articles such as; but not limited to, baby diapers, pants, pull up diapers, adult incontinence articles, which provide skin irritation / rash control and antibacterial properties by an absorbent core free of bleach activator with homogeneous distributed sodium percarbonate.

Description

[0001] ABSORBENT ARTICLE

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to disposable or wearable absorbent articles such as; but not limited to, baby diapers, pants, pull up diapers, adult incontinence articles, which provide skin irritation / rash control and antibacterial properties by an absorbent core free of bleach activator with homogeneous distributed sodium percarbonate.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Skin irritation and rash is a common problem of using absorbent articles since the existence of the absorbent articles. To provide solutions for the aged and infamous problem of skin irritation and rash formations, people proposed mechanical and chemical solutions. Where mechanical solutions focus onto providing more comfortable and soft absorbent articles, chemical solutions focus onto providing of skin care compositions e.g. EP1011645 or enzyme usage for prevention of proteases e.g. EP1054691.

[0006] Alternatively, hydrogen peroxides especially sodium percarbonate are generally used for odor control. For example, EP2214729 discloses an absorbent article comprising a bleach activator system for controlling odors associated with bodily fluids. The bleach activator system comprises a peroxygen bleach compound (including a source of hydrogen peroxide) and a bleach activator compound. Although these kinds of systems are competent at controlling odor, lack of prevention of skin irritation and rash are their disadvantages. Since bleach activators react with hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution to form peroxy acids, peroxy acids are more active than hydrogen peroxide at lower temperatures. More active peroxy acids are assumed to be the cause of skin irritation and rash. Furthermore, bleach activator systems are usually applied in a concentrated area on the absorbent article, therefore sudden burst of irritation and rash forming chemicals, occurs during the use of these kinds of absorbent articles. Therefore, there is still a need for the prevention of skin irritation and rash with more cost effective and basic methods.

[0007] Brief description of drawings

[0008] Figure 1: the result of the survey of mothers using the present invention for three weeks.

[0009] Detailed Description of Invention

[0010] The present invention provides a solution by disposable or wearable absorbent articles such as but not limited to, baby diapers, pants, pull up diapers, adult incontinence articles, which provide skin irritation / rash control and antibacterial properties by a free of bleach activator absorbent core with homogeneous distributed sodium percarbonate.

[0011] Sodium percarbonate, when dissolved in water, liberates hydrogen peroxide. Exposure to sodium percarbonate can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Surprisingly, in the present invention, sodium percarbonate is used to prevent skin irritations and rashes.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention, an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core between liquid pervious topsheet and liquid impervious backsheet wherein said absorbent core comprises absorbent material and sodium percarbonate wherein said sodium percarbonate is in the range of 0.1-2.5 grams, preferably in the range of 0.5-1.5 grams and distributed homogenously throughout the absorbent core and the absorbent core is free of bleach activators.

[0013] The absorbent material may comprise cellulosic pulp, or superabsorbent material or mixture of them.

[0014] The absorbent article may further comprise an acquisition distribution layer between topsheet and absorbent core.

[0015] Method of production of the absorbent core may comprise following steps: a. mixing absorbent material and sodium percarbonate homogenously, b. sprinkling the mixture on the bottom core wrap, c. sandwiching bottom core wrap and mixture with a top corewrap, d. said absorbent core can be used by sandwiching between the topsheet and backsheet to form an absorbent article.

[0016] The present invention not only prevent skin irritations and rashes but also show antibacterial properties. Antibacterial studies are done based on ISO 20743 methodology. Growth of three infectious microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 4352) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) are tested. For all three microorganisms, a control where an absorbent article comprising no sodium percarbonate in the absorbent core and a sample where the present invention with an absorbent core comprising 1 gr of sodium percarbonate, are incubated for 24 hours. The number of the microorganisms are counted at the start (t=0) and the end of the incubation period (t=24). The differences are taken as a measure of anti-bacterial activity.

[0017] Table 1

[0018] Table 2

[0019] Table 3

[0020] Table 1, discloses test results of Staphylococcus aureus, where in the control the logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 3.0 and where in the sample logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 0.39. It is very clear that the sample demonstrates antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus .

[0021] Table 2, discloses test results of Klebsiella pneumoniae, where in the control the logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 3.41 and where in the sample logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 0.54. It is very clear that the sample demonstrates antibacterial properties against Klebsiella pneumoniae.

[0022] Table 3, discloses test results of Candida albicans, where in the control the logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 3.10 and where in the sample logarithmic difference of number of microorganism growth is 1.04. It is very clear that the sample demonstrates antibacterial properties against Candida albicans.

[0023] In addition to the antibacterial tests, a survey among mothers having babies with rash and skin irritation problems, is conducted by a surveying company to see the effectiveness of the present invention.

[0024] The methodology used in the survey is applied to ABC1C2 social class, among 127 mothers between the age of 18-45 having a baby at the age of 3 at most with rash and skin irritation problems. The conditions of the rash are numbered as:

[0025] Number 0: No rash, healthy skin

[0026] Number 1: light rash and skin irritation

[0027] Number 2: moderate rash and skin irritation

[0028] Number 3: heavy rash and skin irritation

[0029] Present invention absorbent article, diapers, were given to mothers to use for 3 weeks, and every week conditions of the rash and skin irritation were observed and recorded. The diapers given to the mothers are of different sizes. Based on the size of the diapers, sodium percarbonate used in the absorbent core is given in table 4 below.

[0030] Table 4

[0031] Figure 1 discloses the results of the survey. Before using the present invention (start of the survey), there were no babies with no rash and skin irritation (number 0), babies having a light rash and skin irritation (number 1) were around 55.9%, babies having a moderate rash and skin irritation (number 2) were around 39.4 % and babies having a heavy rash and skin irritation (number 3) were around 4.7 %.

[0032] After just a week of using the present invention, 4.7 % of the babies with a heavy rash and skin irritation (number 3) completely disappeared. 5.6 % of the babies became free of rash and skin irritation (number 0). Moderate rash and skin irritation (number 2) which was around 39.4 % decreased to 11.9 %.

[0033] After 2 weeks of using the present invention, no rash and skin irritation (number 0) which was 4.7 % from the first week increased to 17.9 %. Moderate rash and skin irritation (number 2) which was around 11.9 % decreased to 2.4 %.

[0034] After 3 weeks of using the present invention, no rash and skin irritation (number 0) which was 17.9 % from the second week increased drastically to 72.1 %.

[0035] The survey concludes that regular usage of the present invention significantly decreases rash and skin irritation.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core between liquid pervious topsheet and liquid impervious backsheet wherein said absorbent core comprises absorbent material and sodium percarbonate wherein said sodium percarbonate is in the range of 0.1 -2.5 grams and distributed homogenously throughout the absorbent core and the absorbent core is free of bleach activators.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, where said sodium percarbonate in the absorbent core is preferably in the range of 0.5-1.5 grams.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, where said absorbent material comprises cellulosic pulp, or superab sorbent material or mixture of them.

4. A method of production of the absorbent article according to claim 1, comprises following steps: a. mixing absorbent material and sodium percarbonate homogenously, b. sprinkling the mixture on the bottom core wrap, c. sandwiching bottom corewrap and mixture with a top corewrap to form the absorbent core d. sandwiching absorbent core between the topsheet and backsheet to form an absorbent article.

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