Heated sanitary pad

Abstract

A heated sanitary pad especially for the prevention of female urinary tract infections, comprising a body-contacting, breathable absorbent layer (1), a heating device (2), and an insulating layer (3). A heating wire (2b) is firmly embedded between the casing layers (2a, 2c) of the heating device (2), the absorbent layer (1) is detachably attached to one of the casing layers (2a), while the insulating layer (3) is detachably attached to the other casing layer (2c), the heating device (2) is connected to a control unit (5) by an electrical wired connection, a battery (7) is connected to the control unit (5) by an electrical wire, and the control unit (5) is connected to a multifunctional switch device (6).

Description

[0001] Heated sanitary pad

[0002] The subject of the invention is a heated sanitary pad, especially for the prevention of female urinary tract infections, which comprises a breathable absorbent layer in contact with the human body, a heating device, and an insulating layer.

[0003] Modern feminine sanitary pads in the modern sense began to spread at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In 1896, an American woman, Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, patented a "sanitary pad", which was a pad that could be attached with an elastic band. During the 20th century, feminine sanitary pads have continuously evolved. In the 1960s, with the advent of synthetic materials, pads became even more comfortable and effective. The market for sanitary pads is constantly evolving and shaping products according to women's needs, taking into account comfort, efficiency and environmental considerations. However, in addition to menstrual hygiene, there is also an opportunity to further develop the pads for health protection and healing purposes.

[0004] Escherichia coli or coliform bacteria, hereinafter referred to as E. coli bacteria, and even the bacterial genus, live in the lower part of the human gastrointestinal tract and are normally part of the gut flora. However, in certain cases, or certain strains of it can cause urinary tract infections, intestinal inflammation, vomiting, diarrhoea and many other diseases, even meningitis. Female urinary tract infections are particularly common and unpleasant, so proper protection of the urinary tract is desirable.

[0005] From the documents of the Chinese patent CN 112808026 B from 2020, we can learn about a sterilizable, photoactive film layer that releases heat and active oxygen upon irradiation, thus being able to effectively destroy various pathogens (fungi, bacteria) adhering to its surface. The documentation contains illustrative graphs and a description of, among other things, efficacy against E. coli bacteria.

[0006] The solution of the Japanese patent document JP 6867408 B2 from 2016 places piezoelectric threads / fibres on specific parts of various garments, primarily footwear (socks, shoes, etc ). There are two types of piezoelectric yarn used, positive and negative electrical polarity, and by tuning their ratio, the overall polarity of the woven material can be set. Depending on the weave of the sample, for example, the inner side of the material can be the active surface, while the outer side can be inactive cotton / wool.

[0007] The US publication document US 2023346995 Al from 2020 also presents an electrically induced oxidative process for sterilizing surfaces. The wireless electrical oxidative device (WED) contains silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn) dots between 1-2 mm in diameter, spaced 0.5-2 mm apart, and is capable of generating a weak or medium strength electric field and current (10- 100 V / cm) without power supply when in contact with an aqueous solution. The detailed documentation also shows efficacy against various pathogens, comparing the invention to surfaces provided with silver dots, treated with a reference antibiotic, or combinations thereof.

[0008] The US patent document US 10271385 B2 from 2015 presents a nanotechnology heated (silver) metal grid for tempering and sterilizing surfaces. For wearable surfaces (textiles), a maximum temperature of 60°C is targeted, which can be achieved with a 5V power supply and results in a consumption of 2.1W. The description also addresses efficacy against E. coli bacteria.

[0009] The Chinese utility model application CN 212393978 U from 2020 describes a multifunctional face mask that includes filter and UV generating layers as well as an electrical tempering layer. The device houses a microcontroller embedded in a flexible PCB. In one embodiment, the passive and active layers are flexibly configurable, interchangeable, and can be placed in the mask with magnetic fastening. The sterilization of the inhaled air is primarily performed by the layer using UV light.

[0010] The Korean publication document KR 20130094392 A from 2012 presents a method for providing various garments with portable electric heating. The solution primarily serves a comfort function, although in addition to tempering, it also inhibits the growth of fungi that cause unpleasant body odours. The documentation presents several solutions for power supply, in one embodiment the electrodes of the insert are connected to a portable dedicated battery, while in another embodiment they are connected to the charging port of a mobile phone through a voltage regulator. Its disadvantage is that the desired temperature is not regulated, but can be controlled with a single on-off switch, and according to tests, a temperature of 40°C can be achieved with a 3.7V battery power supply [paragraph 0081],

[0011] Solutions belonging to the state of the art are expensive to implement, and the Korean solution, considered the closest, is only effective up to 40 degrees, which is not a sufficient temperature to destroy bacteria or significantly reduce their growth; in fact, this temperature is barely more than the optimal growth temperature of E. coli bacteria. Therefore, there has been a need for developing a more favourable solution applicable to underwear, especially women's panties. The aim of the invention is to develop an economical, heatable sanitary pad that is suitable for providing a temperature at the urinary tract at which the reproduction and survival ability of E. coli bacteria significantly decreases.

[0012] The inventive step is based on the fact that if we implement the sanitary pad according to claim 1, we can obtain a more favourable solution than before. The potential solution is described in the dependent claim.

[0013] The heated sanitary pad according to the invention, especially for the prevention of female urinary tract infections, comprising a body-contacting, breathable absorbent layer, a heating device and an insulating layer. It is characterized in that a heating wire is firmly embedded between the casing layers of the heating device, the absorbent layer is detachably attached to one of the casing layers, while the insulating layer is detachably attached to the other casing layer, the heating device is connected to a control unit by an electrical wired connection, a battery is connected to the control unit by an electrical wire, and the control unit is connected to a multifunctional switch device.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment, the multifunctional switch is integrated into the control unit and is operated via a wireless remote control. The heating wire is a silicone-coated carbon fibre, which is fixed between the casing layers by gluing or sewing. In the case of small and normal sizes, it is advantageous if a wing treated with detachable adhesive is attached to the insulating layer for attaching to the underwear. If the sanitary pad is diaper-sized, used independently without underwear, then wings with Velcro are attached to the insulating layer and the absorbent layer, which are expediently attached to each other and, after folding, to the insulating layer.

[0015] The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with embodiments. In the accompanying drawings

[0016] Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of the sanitary pad,

[0017] Figure 2 is a top view schematic diagram of the sanitary pad.

[0018] In Figure 1, we have indicated the absorbent layer 1 made preferably of cotton, the heating device 2, the casing layers 2a, 2c of the heating device 2, the carbon fibre heating wire 2b preferably coated with silicone, the insulating layer 3, and the wing 4. The heating wire 2b is firmly embedded between the casing layers 2a, 2c of the heating device 2, thus firmly embedded by gluing, sewing or other means. The absorbent layer 1 is detachably attached to the upper casing layer 2a, for example, by detachable gluing, while the insulating layer 3 is similarly detachably attached to the other casing layer 2c. The material of the adhesive may be identical to the known adhesive of sanitary pads, the essence is hygienic replaceability.

[0019] In Figure 2, we have indicated the heating device 2, the carbon fibre heating wire 2b, the insulating layer 3, and the wing 4. We can also observe the control unit 5, the switch device 6, and the battery 7, which are connected to the heating device 2 by detachable electrical connection.

[0020] It is also possible to have an advantageous solution where the multifunctional switch device 6 is integrated into the control unit 5 and is operated via a wireless remote control, but the switch device 6 itself can also be one that is operated via a remote control.

[0021] The switch device 6 has four operating modes (OFF, LO - 50°C, MED - 60°C, HI - 70°C). The battery 7 is at least a 1800 mAh Li-ion or Li-PO battery, which can be charged in a known manner via a USB-C connection. The power of the heating device 2 is preferably 2.22 W and operates at 50-60-70°C. A thermostat is connected to the heating wire 2b and to the control unit 5 as needed. The control unit 5 contains a microcontroller and / or a shunt resistor.

[0022] The heated sanitary pad according to the invention has numerous advantages. The sanitary pad can be used both when worn on the human body and independently, purely for antibacterial treatment of underwear. It reduces or inhibits the growth of bacteria, especially E. coli bacteria, and destroys them, thus preventing urinary tract diseases and, in some cases, eliminating the need for antibiotic treatment, which also damages the beneficial microbiome. It is advantageous that the external parts are replaceable and the electrical connection can be easily disconnected. The small size (17 cm length, 1 cm thickness) practically fits the size of the usual sanitary pads. The sanitary pad can also be implemented in large sizes, in which case it can be used like a diaper. It is also advantageous that it can be manufactured economically.

[0023] The heated sanitary pad according to the invention can also be envisioned in other advantageous embodiments within the scope of protection. Its application is expected in the hygiene industry.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A heated sanitary pad especially for the prevention of female urinary tract infections, comprising a body-contacting, breathable absorbent layer (1), a heating device (2), and an insulating layer (3), characterized in that a heating wire (2b) is firmly embedded between the casing layers (2a, 2c) of the heating device (2), the absorbent layer (1) is detachably attached to one of the casing layers (2a), while the insulating layer (3) is detachably attached to the other casing layer (2c), the heating device (2) is connected to a control unit (5) by an electrical wired connection, a battery (7) is connected to the control unit (5) by an electrical wire, and the control unit (5) is connected to a multifunctional switch device (6).

2. The sanitary pad according to claim 1, characterized in that the multifunctional switch device (6) is integrated into the control unit (5) and is operated via a wireless remote control.

3. The sanitary pad according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heating wire (2b) is a silicone-coated carbon fibre, which is fixed between the casing layers (2a, 2c) by gluing or sewing.

4. The sanitary pad according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that a wing (4) treated with detachable adhesive is attached to the insulating layer (3).

5. The sanitary pad according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that a wing (4) provided with Velcro is attached to the insulating layer (3) and the absorbent layer (1).

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