Reconstructed Infant Skin Model for Urine Effect Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for treating diaper rash in infants are limited in efficacy, often causing irritation and failing to preserve the skin's barrier function and renewal capacity, particularly due to their pharmacological composition and concentration, and do not effectively address the immaturity of infants' skin in handling urine and pH-related challenges.
Innovation Solution
Development of a method using reconstructed skin models from children to evaluate the efficacy of active agents and formulations in preventing the harmful effects of urine, by measuring specific biological markers such as inflammation, barrier function, and stem cell markers, to identify effective and tolerable products for infants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pharmaceutical and cosmetic products are used to treat diaper rash, then some relief is provided during mild redness/irritation episodes, but the products show only very relative efficacy against more significant diaper rashes and may cause irritation or allergenic reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pharmacological parameters by formulating products with specific active ingredients (zinc oxide, vitamins A, D, and D3) at optimized concentrations. This resolves the contradiction by achieving broader efficacy across different severity levels of diaper rash while maintaining tolerability through careful parameter selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite formulations combining multiple active agents (zinc oxide, vitamins A, D, and D3) in specific ratios within a cream or ointment base. This composite approach provides comprehensive protection against urine and pH-related challenges while reducing the risk of irritation compared to single-component products
2Reliability
If existing products are used to treat diaper rash, then some symptom relief is achieved, but they fail to preserve the skin's barrier function and renewal capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies protective agents before urine exposure to prevent harmful effects. The formulations create a protective barrier that preserves skin integrity and supports barrier function maturation in infants, rather than merely treating symptoms after damage occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses zinc oxide and vitamins as intermediary substances that mediate between urine exposure and skin damage. These active agents act as protective intermediaries that maintain barrier function and renewal capacity while allowing the skin to withstand urine contact
3Ease of manufacture
If adult skin models are used to evaluate urine effects, then the evaluation process is simpler, but the results do not accurately reflect infants' skin sensitivity due to developmental differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates reconstructed skin models that copy the structural and functional characteristics of infant skin, including the immature stratum corneum and epidermal barrier. This allows accurate assessment of urine effects in infants using in vitro models that replicate their specific skin properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using skin models with specific regional characteristics of infant skin, particularly focusing on the diaper area skin properties. This localized approach ensures the evaluation accurately reflects the specific skin quality most susceptible to urine damage in infants
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to biomarkers of the skin of children and, in particular, that of infants, having altered expression in the presence of urine. Such markers are particularly advantageous as they allow the skin's response to urine to be monitored. The inventors have developed methods for evaluating the efficacy in vitro of formulations in preventing the harmful effects of urine on a child's skin, using a skin model specifically capable of reproducing the characteristics of children's skin.