Biocidal Composition with Biguanide Polymer and Amine Oxide
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional biocidal compositions are often ineffective against spore-forming bacteria like Clostridium difficile due to their resistance and the toxicity of known sporicidal agents, which limits their application and safety for frequent use.
Innovation Solution
A biocidal composition comprising a biguanide polymer, a quaternary ammonium salt, and a tertiary amine oxide, which synergistically enhances sporicidal activity, achieving rapid and effective killing of spores without the need for high concentrations of active agents, thereby reducing toxicity and skin/eye irritation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sporicidal agents (hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, peracetic acid) are used to achieve high sporicidal activity, then spore-killing effectiveness is improved, but toxicity increases making them unsuitable for frequent use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines three biocidal agents (biguanide polymer, quaternary ammonium salt, and tertiary amine oxide) in specific concentrations to create a composite biocidal composition. This composite approach achieves sporicidal activity against C. difficile while maintaining lower individual agent concentrations, thereby reducing toxicity compared to conventional single-agent sporicides like hydrogen peroxide or formaldehyde.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of each biocidal agent within specific ranges: biguanide polymer (0.1-5% w/w), quaternary ammonium salt (0.1-5% w/w), and tertiary amine oxide (0.1-5% w/w). By carefully controlling these parameters, the composition achieves effective sporicidal activity while maintaining safety for frequent use, resolving the contradiction between efficacy and toxicity.
2Productivity
If the concentration of active agents is increased to improve the rate of disinfection, then sporicidal rate is improved, but toxicity and skin irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The synergistic combination of three biocidal agents allows the composition to achieve rapid sporicidal activity at lower overall concentrations than would be required for single agents. This composite approach maintains high disinfection rate while reducing skin irritation and toxicity associated with higher concentrations of individual agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent assigns different functional roles to each biocidal agent in the composition, with the tertiary amine oxide specifically enhancing sporicidal activity against C. difficile spores. This localized functional differentiation allows optimized performance at lower concentrations, reducing skin irritation while maintaining high disinfection rate.
3Reliability
If conventional biocidal agents are used to achieve sporicidal activity, then spore-killing effectiveness is improved, but the composition becomes less suitable for frequent use due to toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The composite biocidal composition combines three agents in optimized concentrations to achieve sporicidal effectiveness comparable to conventional agents while significantly reducing toxicity. This enables frequent use in healthcare settings without the safety concerns associated with hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, or peracetic acid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes specific concentration ranges for each biocidal agent that balance sporicidal effectiveness with safety for frequent use. By controlling these parameters, the composition achieves reliable spore-killing activity while maintaining adaptability for regular application in clinical environments.
Data Source
AI summary
A biocidal composition is presented comprising at least one biguanide polymer, at least one further active agent and at least one tertiary amine oxide. The provision of at least one tertiary amine oxide results in an improved efficacy of the said biocidal composition of approximately 1000 times.