Effervescent Rehydration Tablet with Controlled Electrolyte Levels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rehydration beverages, particularly effervescent tablets and granules, face challenges in delivering effective rehydration levels of electrolytes and carbohydrates while maintaining a palatable taste, as they often result in salty solutions due to high sodium and chloride content, and existing formulations lack sufficient carbohydrate levels for optimal osmolality and consumer acceptability.
Innovation Solution
The development of effervescent tablet, powder, or granule compositions that combine an edible acid, a carbonate salt, and a carbohydrate, which, when dissolved in water, produce hypotonic, isotonic, or slightly hypertonic solutions with controlled sodium and chloride levels, ensuring rehydration benefits without a salty taste, and optionally include flavors, sweeteners, and additional ingredients for enhanced consumer appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high levels of electrolytes (sodium and chloride salts) are used to achieve effective rehydration, then rehydration efficacy is improved, but the solution becomes salty and less palatable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by substituting traditional chloride salts with alternative electrolyte compounds that provide similar rehydration benefits without the salty taste. This includes using potassium salts, magnesium salts, calcium salts, or bicarbonate salts instead of or in combination with sodium chloride, thereby maintaining therapeutic efficacy while improving sensory acceptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs effervescent tablet technology where the electrolyte compounds are delivered in a controlled, single-use format that dissolves completely in water. This disposable tablet form allows precise control of electrolyte delivery without requiring taste-masking, and the effervescent mechanism ensures complete dissolution and uniform distribution of active ingredients.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electrolyte levels are reduced to improve palatability, then taste acceptability is improved, but rehydration efficacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrolyte composition parameters by using alternative salt types (potassium, magnesium, calcium, bicarbonate salts) that have different taste profiles and solubility characteristics. These substitutions allow formulation of solutions with adequate electrolyte concentrations for rehydration while maintaining acceptable taste through inherent flavor properties of the alternative compounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite electrolyte formulations combining multiple types of salts and electrolyte compounds in specific ratios. This composite approach allows optimization of both rehydration efficacy and taste acceptability by balancing different electrolyte sources, each contributing different functional and sensory properties to the final solution.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If carbohydrates are added to improve osmolality and consumer acceptability, then product appeal is improved, but the complexity of formulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates carbohydrates into the effervescent tablet formulation to serve multiple functions simultaneously: providing energy substrate for rehydration, contributing to optimal osmolality for fluid absorption, enhancing taste through sweetness, and acting as a bulking agent for tablet structure. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall formulation strategy despite the added ingredient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines carbohydrates with electrolyte compounds and effervescent agents into a single integrated tablet formulation. This merging of multiple functional components into one dosage form simplifies manufacturing, dosing, and consumer use, while achieving synergistic rehydration effects through the combined action of carbohydrates and electrolytes.
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
These compositions effectively deliver electrolytes and carbohydrates at levels suitable for rehydration while keeping the solution's osmolality below 310 mOsm/kg, preventing a salty taste and making the product more palatable, with the ability to include additional nutrients and flavorings for improved consumer acceptance.
Implementation Method 1
effervescent tablet, powder or granule comprising an edible acid, a carbonate salt and a carbohydrate
Implementation Method 2
When diluted in an appropriate amount of water, the effervescent tablet, powder or granule yields a hypotonic, isotonic or slightly hypertonic solution
Data Source
AI summary
Effervescent tablets, powders and granules are provided which may be dissolved in water to produce an effervescent rehydrating beverage. The effervescent tablet, powder and granule compositions of the invention deliver electrolytes and carbohydrates at levels that provide hypotonic, isotonic or slightly hypertonic solution when dissolved in water, with acceptable taste.