Ethanol Virucidal Composition with Tocopheryl Acetate and Panthenol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional virucidal disinfectants face challenges in effectively inactivating non-enveloped viruses like poliovirus due to rapid ethanol evaporation, leading to insufficient ethanol concentration and skin dryness issues during frequent use.
Innovation Solution
A virucidal composition comprising 70-95 wt.% C2 to C3 monoalcohol, 0.01-0.5 wt.% tocopheryl or tocopheryl acetate, 0.01-1 wt.% panthenol, 0.1-5 wt.% glycerol, and 0.01-5 wt.% myristyl alcohol, which provides enhanced efficacy against poliovirus with improved skin compatibility and reduced ethanol concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high concentrations of ethanol are used to inactivate non-enveloped viruses like poliovirus, then virucidal efficacy is improved, but ethanol evaporates very fast causing the concentration to decrease during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by adding tocopheryl acetate (0.01-0.5 wt.%) and panthenol (0.01-1 wt.%) to the ethanol-based formulation. These additives modify the evaporation characteristics and maintain effective ethanol concentration throughout the required contact time, resolving the contradiction between initial virucidal efficacy and sustained concentration during treatment.
2Reliability
If high ethanol concentration is applied to achieve virucidal effect, then virus inactivation is improved, but skin dryness and compatibility issues worsen during frequent use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tocopheryl acetate and panthenol as intermediary substances that mediate between the ethanol and skin. These additives form a protective film that reduces ethanol's drying effect on skin while maintaining its virucidal activity, thus resolving the contradiction between effective virus inactivation and skin compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite hand disinfectant formulation combining ethanol with tocopheryl acetate and panthenol. This composite material integrates the virucidal properties of ethanol with the skin-protective properties of the vitamin E derivative and panthenol, simultaneously achieving both effective virus inactivation and reduced skin dryness.
3Reliability
If ethanol based composition is applied frequently for hand disinfection, then hygiene protection is improved, but ethanol concentration decreases due to evaporation requiring reapplication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous virucidal action by formulating ethanol with tocopheryl acetate and panthese, which control evaporation and maintain effective concentration throughout the required contact time and beyond. This continuity eliminates the need for frequent reapplication, resolving the contradiction between maintaining hygiene protection and minimizing reapplication frequency.
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 achieves rapid inactivation of poliovirus by at least 4 log10 units within one minute, maintaining skin compatibility even with frequent use, meeting the European standard EN14476 for virucidal efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
Document WO 2011/072728 describes an ethanol-based virucidal composition in form of a gel to reduce the evaporation during use of the virucidal composition on the skin
Implementation Method 2
Many viruses, e.g. influenza, have viral envelopes covering their protein capsids. These viruses can normally be easily inactivated by compounds destroying this lipoid envelope
Implementation Method 3
US 2009/0226498 A1 generally relates to moisturizing hand sanitizers including alcohols that are effective in killing microorganisms while providing a moisturizing benefit to the user's skin
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a virucidal composition and method for the virucidal disinfection of mammalian skin. The virucidal composition comprises equal or more than about 70 wt.-% to less than about 95 wt.-% of a C2 to C3 monoalcohol; equal or more than about 0.01 wt.-% to equal or less than about 0.5 wt.-% of tocopheryl acetate; equal or more than about 0.01 wt.-% to equal or less than about 1 wt.-% of panthenol; and equal or more than about 0.1 wt.-% to equal or less than about 5 wt.-% of glycerol.