Anti-Viral Tissue pH Indicator for Visible Efficacy Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers are skeptical about the effectiveness of anti-viral tissue products like Kleenex Anti-Viral facial tissue, as there is no visible evidence that viruses in nasal discharge are inactivated during use.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pH indicator into the tissue that changes color when contacted with mucus, allowing users to visually confirm the presence and efficacy of the anti-viral component, which can be either integrated into the tissue pulp or applied topically as an ink medium, with specific indicators responding to pH ranges indicative of healthy or infected mucus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pH indicator is incorporated into the tissue product, then visual evidence of anti-viral efficacy is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-changing pH indicators that change color in response to pH differences between healthy and infected mucus. This provides immediate visual feedback to consumers about the presence of virus-containing mucus, directly addressing the reliability concern while maintaining simplicity through a well-established chemical phenomenon
Solution Approach 2:
The pH indicator acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the invisible chemical property (pH level indicating viral presence) and the user's visual perception. This allows indirect detection of viral inactivation through a visible color change without requiring complex testing equipment
2Reliability
If the pH indicator is incorporated into the tissue pulp, then visual indication is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pH indicator is incorporated into the tissue pulp during the papermaking process itself, before the tissue is formed and dried. This preliminary incorporation ensures uniform distribution of the indicator throughout the tissue structure and eliminates the need for separate post-manufacturing application steps, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pH indicator incorporation step with the existing tissue manufacturing process. By combining these functions into a single integrated process, the patent avoids adding separate manufacturing steps while ensuring the indicator is uniformly distributed throughout the tissue product
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pH indicator is applied topically by printing or spraying, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
When applied topically, an ink medium serves as an intermediary carrier that delivers the pH indicator to the tissue surface. This approach provides manufacturing flexibility by allowing application after tissue formation, while the ink medium simplifies the process by combining the indicator with a suitable solvent and binding agents in a single applicatable formulation
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 pH indicator provides a visual signal of the anti-viral component's effectiveness by changing color in response to mucus pH, offering consumers reassurance that the tissue is working to inactivate viruses, with specific color changes distinguishing between healthy and infected mucus.
Implementation Method 1
The color of the pH indicator in one or more tissue sheets can change when the tissues come into contact with mucus or mucosal discharge
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Anti-viral tissues are provided with a pH indicator which can communicate to a tissue user by means of visual indicia, via color changes, that the tissue has active ingredients. Furthermore, the pH indicators can be used to illustrate neutralization of the pH of infected nasal discharge, which has a higher pH than healthy nasal discharge, giving the user a reason to believe that the product is working to deactivate virus.