Nail Penetration Composition with Ethanol and Terpene Oil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current topical treatments for nail infections, such as onychomycosis, face challenges in effectiveness and patient compliance due to inadequate nail penetration, with compositions either being ineffective above 30% water content or having reduced absorption times and increased risk of removal with high terpene/aetheric oil content.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising ethanol as a water-miscible organic solvent, water, and a terpene/aetheric oil, with specific ratios (1-15% terpene/aetheric oil and 10-25% water by weight) to enhance nail penetration, combined with lactic acid and optionally urea, to achieve rapid and effective absorption within 30 seconds, reducing the risk of composition removal and improving treatment efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water content in the composition is increased above 30%, then the composition becomes less effective for nail penetration, but using higher water content may improve patient comfort and reduce irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water content parameter to a specific range (10-25% by weight) rather than using high water content formulations. This parameter optimization achieves the counterintuitive result of improving both nail penetration effectiveness and patient comfort, resolving the contradiction between penetration reliability and patient comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite solvent system combining ethanol (water-miscible organic solvent), water, and terpene/aetheric oil in specific proportions. This composite formulation achieves synergistic effects where the combination penetrates nail more effectively than water alone while maintaining patient comfort, thus resolving the contradiction between penetration effectiveness and comfort.
2Productivity
If terpene/aetheric oil content is increased to enhance penetration, then absorption time decreases and effectiveness improves, but the composition becomes more prone to removal and patient compliance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes terpene/aetheric oil content to a specific range (1-15% by weight) rather than using high concentrations. This parameter optimization achieves rapid absorption (within 30 seconds) while maintaining composition stability and patient compliance, resolving the contradiction between absorption productivity and treatment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ethanol as an intermediary substance that facilitates the balance between terpene/aetheric oil and water. The ethanol acts as a mediator that allows the terpene/aetheric oil to enhance penetration without causing excessive volatility or removal, thus maintaining patient compliance while achieving rapid absorption.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional topical treatments are used with high water content, then patient comfort is maintained, but nail penetration is inadequate and treatment effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a composite solvent system combining ethanol, water, and terpene/aetheric oil that overcomes the limitation of conventional water-based formulations. This composite material achieves both patient comfort (maintained through controlled water content at 10-25%) and effective nail penetration (achieved through the synergistic combination of solvents), resolving the contradiction between comfort and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solvent composition parameters from conventional high-water formulations to a optimized mixture with controlled water content (10-25%) combined with ethanol and terpene/aetheric oil. This parameter change enables the formulation to maintain patient comfort while achieving adequate nail penetration and treatment effectiveness.
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 and effective nail penetration, increasing the absorption of active ingredients, enhancing treatment effectiveness and patient compliance by ensuring complete absorption within 30 seconds, with optimal results at 10-20% water content and 1-10% terpene/aetheric oil content, thereby improving the treatment of onychomycosis.
Implementation Method 1
Penetration of the composition into the nail is essential for treatment of nail diseases... the compounds present in the composition are absorbed by the nail in a more efficient way
Implementation Method 2
enhanced nail penetrating properties of the composition... absorption time of the composition is less than 60 and even faster absorption times, e.g. less than 30 seconds
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a composition for delivering components topically to mammal nails having enhanced nail penetration properties comprising: a water-miscible organic solvent present in an amount of more than 50% by weight of the total weight of the composition, a hydrophilic solvent present in an amount of less than 30% by weight of the total weight of the composition and a terpene and/or aetheric oil, wherein the total amount of terpene and aetheric oil is less than 20% by weight of the total weight of the composition. The present invention further relates to the use of the composition for the treatment of a nail disease, including nail infections preferably onychomycosis and a device comprising the composition for the application of the composition to a to be treated area.