Detection of microbe contamination on elastomeric articles

• US 20060134613A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O&M Halyard, Inc. (Owens and Minor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: MacDonald, John Gavin, Martin, Stephanie M., Lye, Jason, Bagwell, Allison Salyer, Johnson, Robert B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,300,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/5
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/528 Atypical element structures, e.g. gloves, rods, tampons, toilet paper

Abstract

An elastomeric article that contains a chromogen that undergoes a detectable change in color in the presence of one or more microbes is provided. For example, in one embodiment, the chromogen is a solvatochromic dye (e.g., Reichardt'"'"'s dye) that undergoes a color change in the presence of bacteria or other microbes. More specifically, such dyes may respond to differences in polarity between microbe components (e.g., cell membrane, cytoplasm, etc.) and the environment outside the cell. Alternatively, other mechanisms may be wholly or partially responsible for the interaction between the dye and the microbe, such as acid-base reactions, redox reactions, and so forth.

Claims

1. An elastomeric article comprising an elastomeric material and a microbe-sensitive chromogen, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present in an amount effective to undergo a detectable color change in the presence of one or more microbes.

2. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric article is a glove.

3. The elastomeric article of claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material defines an inner donning surface and an outer gripping surface.

4. The elastomeric article of claim 3, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present on the outer gripping surface of the glove.

5. The elastomeric article of claim 3, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present on the inner donning surface of the glove.

6. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbes are selected from the group consisting of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

7. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is a solvatochromic dye.

8. The elastomeric article of claim 7, wherein the dye is a merocyanine dye.

9. The elastomeric article of claim 8, wherein the merocyanine dye has the following structure:

10. The elastomeric article of claim 9, wherein the dye is a zwitterionic dye.

11. The elastomeric article of claim 10, wherein the zwitterionic dye is an N-phenolate betaine dye.

12. The elastomeric article of claim 11, wherein the N-phenolate betaine dye is 4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl)-2,6-diphenylphenolate (Reichardt'"'"'s dye).

13. The elastomeric article of claim 10, wherein the zwitterionic dye has the following structure:

14. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the chromogen is present on one or more surfaces of the elastomeric article.

15. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is contained within the elastomeric material.

16. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present on an indicator strip, the indicator strip being adhered to one or more surfaces of the elastomeric article so that the chromgoen is capable of being exposed to one or more microbes.

17. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present in an amount of from about 0.001 wt. % to about 20 wt. % based on the dry weight of the elastomeric article.

18. The elastomeric article of claim 1, wherein the microbe-sensitive chromogen is present in an amount of from about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % based on the dry weight of the elastomeric article.

19. An elastomeric glove comprising:

an elastomeric material formed in the shape of a hand, the elastomeric material defining an inner donning surface and an outer gripping surface; and

a solvatochromic dye that is capable of undergoing a detectable color change in the presence of one or more microbes.

20. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the dye is a merocyanine dye, N-phenolate betaine dye, or combination thereof.

21. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the dye is 4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl)-2,6-diphenylphenolate (Reichardt'"'"'s dye).

22. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the solvatochromic dye is present on the inner donning surface, the outer gripping surface, or both.

23. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the solvatochromic dye is contained within the elastomeric material.

24. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the solvatochromic dye is present on an indicator strip, the indicator strip being adhered to the inner donning surface and/or the outer gripping surface of the elastomeric glove so that the solvatochromic dye is capable of being exposed to one or more microbes.

25. The elastomeric glove of claim 19, wherein the chromogen is present in an amount of from about 0.001 wt. % to about 20 wt. % based on the dry weight of the elastomeric glove.

26. A method for determining the presence of one or more microbes on an elastomeric article, the method comprising:

applying a treatment composition to the elastomeric article, the treatment composition comprising a chromogen and a carrier; and

thereafter, contacting the chromogen with one or more microbes so that the chromogen undergoes a detectable color change.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the chromogen is a solvatochromic dye.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the dye is a merocyanine dye, N-phenolate betaine dye, or combination thereof.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the dye is 4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl)-2,6-diphenylphenolate (Reichardt'"'"'s dye).

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the carrier is a solvent.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the chromogen is present in the treatment composition at a concentration from about 0.1 to about 100 milligrams per milliliter of carrier.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the chromogen is present in the treatment composition at a concentration from about 0.5 to about 60 milligrams per milliliter of carrier.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the treatment composition further comprises a cyclodextrin, a surfactant, a binder, or combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the treatment composition is applied using a technique selected from the group consisting of printing, dipping, spraying, melt extruding, coating, and combinations thereof.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising drying the treatment composition to leave a residue of the chromogen.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein the treatment composition is applied to a surface of the elastomeric article.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the elastomeric article is sterilized prior to application of the treatment composition.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein the elastomeric article is a glove.