Alcohol Emulsion Stabilized by Solid Particles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hand sanitizers often cause skin irritation and dryness due to their composition, which can lead to conditions like irritant contact dermatitis, and they lack physical stability and desirable tactile properties.

Innovation Solution

An alcohol-based oil-in-water emulsion composition stabilized with solid or soft gel particles, comprising a liquid continuous aqueous phase, a dispersed fatty phase, and stabilizing particles, which provides antimicrobial properties while minimizing skin irritation and improving tactile perception.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional hand sanitizers use alcohol and humectants, then antimicrobial properties are achieved, but skin irritation and dryness increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantimicrobial propertiesVSAvoidskin irritation and dryness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Solid particles act as intermediaries that stabilize the emulsion interface between oil and aqueous phases, enabling the system to maintain physical stability without requiring conventional surfactants. This intermediary role allows the formulation to achieve both antimicrobial efficacy and skin friendliness simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite emulsion system combining alcohol, oil phase, humectants, and solid particles into a unified formulation. This composite structure enables the product to deliver antimicrobial action while the oil and humectant components provide skin conditioning, reducing irritation and dryness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If emollients like mineral oil or triglyceride oil are added to hand sanitizers, then skin conditioning is improved, but physical stability is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskin conditioningVSAvoidphysical stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Solid particles serve as intermediary stabilizers at the oil-water interface, replacing conventional surfactants. These particles enable the emulsion to maintain physical stability while accommodating emollient oils, thus resolving the contradiction between skin conditioning and stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the stabilization mechanism from surfactant-based to particle-based stabilization. This parameter change in the emulsion formulation allows emollients to be incorporated without compromising physical stability, as the solid particles provide steric and electrostatic stabilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If surfactants are used to stabilize emulsions, then physical stability is improved, but skin irritation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemulsion stabilityVSAvoidskin irritation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes conventional surfactants from the formulation, replacing them with solid particles for stabilization. This extraction eliminates the source of skin irritation while maintaining emulsion stability through the alternative particle-based mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Solid particles act as intermediary stabilizers that replace surfactants at the oil-water interface. These particles provide stabilization through steric and electrostatic mechanisms without the irritating effects associated with conventional surfactants, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and skin friendliness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi, offers reduced skin irritation, and provides a pleasant, non-greasy feel, maintaining skin hydration and friction, thus addressing the limitations of existing hand sanitizers.

Implementation Method 1

stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions by addition of particles or granules

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3883654B1Stabilized oil-in-water emulsion
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 ENGBLOM JOHAN
  • EP3883654B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B-a
  • EP3883654B1 patent drawingFigure 1B-b~1C
  • EP3883654B1 patent drawingFigure 1D-a

AI summary

The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsion composition comprising a) at least one liquid continuous aqueous phase (X) comprising alcohol in water; b) at least one dispersed fatty phase (Y), of at least one oil; c) stabilizing particles (Z), being selected from solid particles and soft-gel particles. Also, a topical sanitizing composition, a method for preparing the oil-in-water emulsion composition as well as the topical sanitizing composition is described.