Copper Zinc Biocide Formulation for Mastitis Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disinfectant products for bovine mastitis, particularly iodine-based and chlorhexidine products, are ineffective in the presence of organic matter and can irritate the skin, leading to persistent infections and economic losses in the dairy industry.
Innovation Solution
A biocide formulation combining pentahydrate copper salts and heptahydrate zinc salts, with added plasticizers and emollients, is developed to create a water-soluble, non-irritating solution that maintains antibacterial efficacy even in the presence of organic matter, forming a protective film on the teat skin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If iodine-based disinfectants are used to protect teat skin, then biocide power is improved, but the product becomes inactivated in the presence of organic matter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the disinfectant by using copper and zinc salts instead of iodine compounds. This substitution maintains biocidal effectiveness while providing stability in the presence of organic matter, as copper and zinc salts do not become inactivated by organic substances the way iodine does.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite formulation combining copper salts (0.01-2% w/v) and zinc salts (0.01-2% w/v) together with plasticizers and emollients. This composite approach creates a disinfectant that maintains both biocidal power and stability, leveraging the complementary properties of different materials to overcome the limitations of single-component iodine-based products.
2Reliability
If iodine-based disinfectants are used to eliminate bacteria, then biocide effectiveness is improved, but skin irritation occurs leading to persistent infections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical nature of the active ingredient from iodine compounds to copper and zinc salts. This parameter change maintains the antimicrobial effectiveness while eliminating the skin irritation problem associated with iodine, as copper and zinc are less irritating to mammalian skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The formulation introduces plasticizers and emollients as intermediary substances that mediate between the biocidal action and skin health. These additives help the disinfectant formulation maintain effectiveness against bacteria while being gentler on the skin, preventing the irritation that leads to persistent infections.
3Reliability
If disinfectant solution is applied to teat skin, then protection against infections is improved, but the product runs off the skin losing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates plasticizers and emollients that form a flexible film on the teat skin surface. This film acts as a retaining layer that holds the biocidal copper and zinc salts in place, preventing them from running off due to gravity or milk flow, thereby extending the duration of protective action.
Solution Approach 2:
The formulation creates a composite system where copper salts, zinc salts, plasticizers, and emollients work together. The plasticizers and emollients provide adhesion and film-forming properties, while the copper and zinc salts provide biocidal activity, creating a formulation that both protects against infection and remains on the skin long enough to be effective.
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 formulation effectively prevents and treats bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections by maintaining biocide activity and adherence to the skin, significantly reducing bacterial loads and somatic cell counts in milk, even against antibiotic-resistant strains.
Implementation Method 1
The antibacterial effect of copper is as a favorable alternative to prevent mastitis, among other skin diseases, strengthened by the joint use of zinc
Implementation Method 2
Bad adherence may cause the product to run off the skin, losing all its effectiveness due to a mechanical defect
Data Source
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AI summary
Biocide formulation for protecting skin that comprises pentahydrate copper salts and heptahydrate zinc salts. The present invention is related to a biocide formulation to protect, prevent or treat skin infections in a combination of pentahydrate copper salts and heptahydrate zinc salts as active biocide compounds. Preferably, the copper salt is pentahydrate copper salt and the zinc salt is heptahydrate zinc salt. In a preferred realization, the formulation comprises agents to enhance adhesion to the skin. In another preferred realization of the invention, the formulation is suitable to be applied to the teats or udders of the milking animals, inter milking, for the treatment and prevention of mastitis.