Antimicrobial body covering articles
View Patent ↗A polymeric body covering article that generates and releases gas upon activation by electromagnetic energy and/or moisture. The gas provides antimicrobial and/or antiodor protection to objects in contact or in proximity to the interior surface of the article and/or to objects in contact or in proximity to the exterior surface of the article.
1. A glove for reducing microbiological contamination and/or odor, the glove comprising a gas releasing monolayer, the gas releasing monolayer prepared from a composition comprising:
from about 74% to about 99% by weight of a plastisol comprising PVC resin and a plasticizer;
from about 0.005% to about 3% by weight of a thixotropic agent;
from about 0.01% to about 3% by weight of a dispersing agent; and
from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight of a gas-generating composition which is capable of generating and releasing at least one gas selected from chlorine dioxide, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrous oxide,
the gas being released from the glove upon exposure of a surface of the glove to light and/or humidity.
2. The glove of claim 1 wherein the surface is the interior surface of the glove.
3. The glove of claim 1 wherein the gas-generating composition comprises anions capable of being oxidized or reacted to generate the gas upon exposure to light and/or humidity.
4. The glove of claim 3 wherein the gas-generating composition comprises anions capable of reacting with hydronium ions to generate the gas upon exposure to humidity.
5. The glove of claim 1 wherein the glove contains a colorant capable of changing color when oxidized by the gas.
6. The glove of claim 1 wherein the composition is capable of generating and releasing at least one gas upon exposure to light.
7. A glove for covering a portion of a mammalian body wherein the glove, when exposed to light and/or moisture, is capable of reducing odor and/or microbiological contamination on the portion of the body and reducing odor and/or contamination of a surface in contact with the glove, wherein the glove comprises a gas releasing monolayer, the gas releasing monolayer prepared from a composition comprising:
from about 74% to about 99% by weight of a plastisol comprising PVC resin and a plasticizer;
from about 0.005% to about 3% by weight of a thixotropic agent;
from about 0.01% to about 3% by weight of a dispersing agent; and
from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight of a gas-generating composition which is capable of generating and releasing at least one gas selected from chlorine dioxide, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrous oxide,
the gas being released from the glove upon exposure of a surface of the glove to light and/or humidity.
8. A method of using a gas-releasing body covering article to reduce microbiological contamination and/or odor, the method comprising:
contacting a portion of a mammalian body with a body covering article;
exposing the body covering article to light and/or humidity to generate at least one gas, the body covering article comprising a gas releasing monolayer prepared from a composition comprising
from about 74% to about 99% by weight of a plastisol comprising PVC resin and a plasticizer,
from about 0.005% to about 3% by weight of a thixotropic agent, from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of a dispersing agent, from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight anions which are capable of generating and releasing the at least one gas selected from chlorine dioxide, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrous oxide,
and a colorant capable of changing color when oxidized by the gas; and
monitoring the color change of the colorant as an indicator of gas-releasing activity.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the composition is capable of generating and releasing at least one gas upon exposure to light.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the covering and/or body is contaminated with a microbe and the contamination and/or odor is reduced in less than five minutes after the exposure to light or moisture.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the covering and/or body is contaminated with a microbe and the contamination and/or odor is reduced in less than one minute after the exposure to light or moisture.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the covering and/or body is contaminated with a microbe and at least 50% of the microbial contamination is reduced in less than one minute after the exposure to light or moisture.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the covering and/or body is contaminated with a microbe and at least 80% of the microbial contamination is reduced in less than one minute after the exposure to light or moisture.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the covering and/or body is contaminated with a microbe and at least 90% of the microbial contamination is reduced in less than one minute after the exposure to light or moisture.
15. The method of claim 8 wherein the contamination and/or odor is reduced on an exterior surface of the covering and on an interior surface of the covering in contact with the portion of the body.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the covering is a glove and the portion of the body is a human hand and the glove covers the hand, wherein the contamination and/or odor is reduced on the interior surface of a glove in contact with skin on a hand.