SORBACT Treated Absorbent Articles for Candida Albicans Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sanitary protection articles, such as tampons and sanitary napkins, lack antifungal properties to effectively prevent and treat vaginal fungal infections caused by Candida albicans, relying on external drug delivery or pH-decreasing compounds that can be unpredictable and uncomfortable.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a hydrophobic layer, treated with dialkyl carbamoyl chloride (DACC) and/or alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), to create a SORBACT®-based cover layer on conventional absorbent articles, which binds and removes fungal pathogens, providing a continuous antifungal barrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional absorbent articles are used, then fluid absorption is provided, but antifungal protection is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines conventional absorbent materials (hydrophilic) with a hydrophobic layer treated with DACC and/or AKD to create a composite structure. This composite material provides both fluid absorption capability and antifungal properties through the hydrophobic layer's ability to bind to fungal cell surfaces, resolving the contradiction between maintaining absorption function and adding antifungal protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies the hydrophobic antifungal layer specifically at the surface of the absorbent article that contacts the vaginal environment, while the internal absorbent core maintains its hydrophilic properties for fluid absorption. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of antifungal protection at the interface and effective fluid management internally.
2Reliability
If external drug delivery or pH-decreasing compounds are used, then fungal infection treatment is attempted, but unpredictability and discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophobic layer with DACC/AKD treatment provides passive, continuous antifungal protection through its inherent binding properties without requiring active release mechanisms, pH changes, or user intervention. The layer automatically binds to fungal pathogens through hydrophobic interactions and cationic charges, providing predictable and comfortable protection without the unpredictability associated with drug delivery systems.
3Reliability
If hydrophobic treatment is applied to create antifungal barrier, then fungal binding capacity is improved, but fluid absorption may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the absorbent article into distinct functional layers: a surface hydrophobic layer (thickness not exceeding 0.5 mm) dedicated to fungal binding, and an internal hydrophilic absorbent core for fluid absorption. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between fungal adsorption and fluid absorption capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrophobic treatment is applied locally only to the surface layer that contacts the vaginal environment, while the bulk absorbent material retains its hydrophilic properties. This localized application ensures that fungal binding occurs at the interface without compromising the overall fluid absorption capacity of the article.
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 SORBACT®-treated articles effectively adsorb and remove Candida albicans within 30 seconds, demonstrating high adsorption capacity and comfort, with in vitro and in vivo tests showing significant reduction in symptoms and pathogen presence.
Implementation Method 1
The treatment with fatty acid esters provides the SORBACT® material with a strong hydrophobic property. Numerous studies during the last few decades have shown that pathogenic microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Group A streptococci and the yeast Candida albicans commonly express profound cell surface hydrophobicity.
Implementation Method 2
Another antimicrobial property of the SORBACT® product is its cation activity, described in US Patent application 2006/0163149. The exterior membranes of mammalian cell exterior membranes are generally neutral. Thus the positively charged SORBACT® material preferentially binds to the negatively charged membranes of microorganisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An absorbent article, e.g. tampons, sanitary napkins, panty liners and the like, and the process for their preparation in which a hydrophobic and/or cationactive layer is attached to a conventional absorbent layer, for the binding of microorganisms, specifically for treating or alleviating or prophylactically preventing vaginal fungal infections.