Method of using a simulated skin substrate and method for determining material dryness performance

1. A method for evaluating a material using a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching the substrate to an object;

at least partially covering the substrate with a material;

insulting the material with a fluid;

removing the fluid-insulted material prior to assessing the condition of the substrate; and

assessing a dryness or wetness of the fluid-insulted material from a condition of the substrate using a measuring device configured to measure the condition of the substrate by one of capacitance, conductance, electrical impedance, or transepidermal water loss.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a medical grade collagen film, a collagen disposed in a sausage casing, a chamois, a cellulose film, a cultured skin substrate, a bioengineered skin, a living skin sample, a dead skin sample and combinations thereof.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of heating the substrate with a heater from between 70° F. to about 120° F. to simulate human skin temperature, the heater disposed on the object proximate the substrate.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the heater defines a hole therethrough, the hole configured for passage of the fluid into the material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is disposed from between 5 cm to about 9 cm from the hole.

6. The method as in claim 4 , wherein the substrate defines an opening therein, the substrate opening and the hole cooperable to simulate an aperture selected from the group consisting of a tear duct, a urethra, a pore, a vaginal opening, a body cavity, and combinations thereof.

7. The method as in claim 4 , further comprising a tubing, the fluid delivery device and the tubing cooperably configured to deliver the fluid through the hole to insult the material.

8. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising a fluid delivery device, the fluid delivery device configured to deliver a measured quantity of the fluid to insult the material.

9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of a lower-torso mannequin, an upper-torso mannequin, a full-body mannequin, a mannequin forearm, a mannequin hand, a mannequin leg, a mannequin foot, a mannequin head, and combinations thereof.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the object is formed of a substance selected from the group consisting of a silicone, a neoprene, a plastic, an acetyl plastic, an acrylic plastic, an elastomeric material, a high density polyethylene, a polymer, a metal, a glass, a composite material and combinations thereof.

11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the material is a absorbent article selected from the group consisting of disposable or non-disposable diapers, disposable or non-disposable adult incontinence products, disposable or non-disposable feminine products, nursing healthcare products, disposable or non-disposable child training pants, face masks, bandages, gloves and combinations thereof.

12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, saline, synthetic or natural menses, synthetic or natural urine, artificial or natural breast milk, synthetic or natural blood, 0.9% sodium chloride solution, colored solution, an exudate, and combinations thereof.

13. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of removing the substrate from the object and placing the substrate on a layer to assess the condition of the substrate, the layer configured to simulate a subcutaneous skin.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the layer is selected from the group consisting of a sponge, a cosmetic sponge, a rubber article, and combinations thereof.

15. A method for evaluating a material insulted with a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an object having a fluid injection port therethrough and a heater arrangement having a hole therethrough, the fluid injection port and the heater hole cooperable to simulate a human orifice;

at least partially covering the object with a substrate, the substrate disposed proximate the heater arrangement;

at least partially covering the substrate with a material;

insulting a fluid from a fluid delivery device into the material via the fluid injection port and the hole;

leaving the material at least partially covering the substrate for a predetermined period before removing the material to assess the condition of the simulated skin; and

assessing the fluid-insulted material and a condition of the substrate by one of capacitance, conductance, electrical impedance, or transepidermal water loss.

16. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of a lower-torso mannequin, an upper-torso mannequin, a full-body mannequin, a mannequin forearm, a mannequin hand, a mannequin leg, a mannequin foot, a mannequin head, and combinations thereof.

17. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the object is formed of a base material selected from the group consisting of a silicone, a neoprene, a plastic, an acetyl plastic, an acrylic plastic, an elastomeric material, a high density polyethylene, a polymer, a metal, a glass, a composite material and combinations thereof.

18. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a medical grade collagen film, a collagen disposed in a sausage casing, a chamois, a cellulose film, a cultured skin substrate, a bioengineered skin, a living skin sample, a dead skin sample and combinations thereof.

19. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the substrate is disposed apart from the hole from between 5 cm to about 10 cm.

20. The method as in claim 15 , further comprising the step of heating the substrate with the heater arrangement from between 70° F. to about 120° F. to simulate human skin temperature.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the heater arrangement is selected from the group consisting of a removable heater cuff, a removable heater pad, an embedded heater element, and combinations thereof.

22. The method as in claim 15 , further comprising a tubing, the fluid delivery device and the tubing cooperably configured to insult the fluid through the hole.

23. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the material is a absorbent article selected from the group consisting of disposable or non-disposable diapers, disposable or non-disposable adult incontinence products, disposable or non-disposable feminine products, nursing healthcare products, disposable or non-disposable child training pants, face masks, bandages, gloves and combinations thereof.

24. The method as in claim 15 , further comprising the step of warming the fluid to a normal human temperature prior to insulting the material.

25. The method for evaluating a material as in claim 24 , further comprising the step of insulting the material with between about 50 cc/min to about 65 cc/min of the warmed fluid within about 10 seconds to about 15 seconds.

26. The method as in claim 24 , further comprising the substep of insulting 300 cc/min of the warmed fluid approximately every 45 seconds.

27. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the predetermined period is from between 30 minutes to about 90 minutes.

28. The method as in claim 15 , further comprising the steps of displaying the assessed condition of the substrate on a monitor and recording the assessed condition.