Sustained-release matrices for dental application

• US 5,340,581 A
• Filed: 06/15/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Philbrook, Carl M., Tseng, Mingchih M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Shep K.
• Application Number:
  US07/898,471
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 15/159, 15/160, 15/167.1, 15/109.93, 15/104.94, 119/88, 132/162, 132/163, 132/313, 132/319, 424/401, 424/486, 424/487
• US Class Current: 424/401
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/00 Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water driven brush bodies A46B13/00; massage apparatus with liquid delivery A61H7/002, A61H2201/105; applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by liquid carrying members in general, e.g. by pads B05C1/00, B05D1/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/43 Pigments; Dyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/43 Guanidines
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/8135 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an acyloxy radical of a saturated carboxylic acid, of carbonic acid or of a haloformic acid; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers, e.g. vinyl esters (polyvinylacetate)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/86 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 11/00 Preparations for care of the teeth, of the oral cavity or of dentures; Dentifrices, e.g. toothpastes; Mouth rinses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2967 Synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2969 Polyamide, polyimide or polyester
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2971 Impregnation

Abstract

A sustained-release matrix for dental application includes either an anti-microbial agent or a colorant that is released from the matrix when the matrix contacts water. The preferred matrices include a water-soluble polymer and a water-insoluble support resin.

Claims

1. An oral brush comprising:

a body comprising a handle and head;

a bristle portion formed of tufts of bristles connected to the head of said body; and

a sustained-release template comprising a water-insoluble support resin, a water-soluble polymer that dissolves from said template when said template is exposed to water, and an antimicrobial agent,

said template being attached to said head at the base of the tufts of bristles and including a set of holes corresponding to the pattern of the tufts of bristles so that said tufts can extend through said holes, or being attached to the brush in some other manner on or sufficiently close to the head of the brush so that said template is inserted into the mouth during normal use of the brush,

said template being sufficiently thick to ensure adequate mechanical strength, said thickness being up to about 10 mm.

2. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said resin comprises ethylene vinyl acetate.

3. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said polymer comprises polyethylene oxide.

4. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said anti-microbial agent comprises chlorhexidine.

5. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said resin comprises ethylene vinyl acetate, said water soluble substance comprises polyethylene oxide, and said anti-microbial comprises chlorhexidine.

6. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said matrix comprises a flat template no greater than 4 mm thick.

7. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said template comprises between 50 percent and 90 percent by weight ethylene vinyl acetate;

between 5 percent and 40 percent by weight polyethylene oxide; and

between 1 percent and 30 percent by weight anti-microbial agent.

8. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said template comprises

a. a first layer including said water-soluble polymer and said anti-microbial agent, and

b. a second layer joined with said first layer and comprising said support resin.

9. The oral brush of claim 8 wherein said water-soluble polymer is polyethylene oxide.

10. The oral brush of claim 8 wherein said support resin is ethylene vinyl acetate.

11. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said template comprises

a. a first layer comprises said polymer and said anti-microbial agent, wherein said polymer is a support resin, and

b. a second layer joined with said first layer and comprising a support resin.

12. The oral brush of claim 11 wherein said support resin comprises ethylene vinyl acetate.

18. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said template is disposed at the base of said bristles.

20. The oral brush of claim 1 wherein said template has at thickness of at least 0.5 mm.

21. The oral brush of claim 6 wherein said template has a thickness of at least 0.5 mm.

13. A method of releasing an antimicrobial agent from an oral brush, comprising

providing an oral brush including a body with a handle and a head, a bristle portion formed of tufts of bristles attached to said head, and a sustained-release template comprising a water-insoluble support resin, a water-soluble polymer, and an antimicrobial agent, said template being attached to said head at the base of the tufts of bristles and including a set of holes corresponding to the pattern of the tufts of bristles so that said tufts can extend through said holes, or being attached to the brush in some other manner on or sufficiently close to the head of the brush so that said template is inserted into the mouth during normal use, said template being sufficiently thick to ensure adequate mechanical strength, said thickness being up to about 10 mm;

and

contacting the portion of said brush to which said template is attached with water, causing said water-soluble polymer in said template to dissolve out of said template to release said anti-microbial agent into said water.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising inserting said portion of the brush including the template into the mouth of an animal, the saliva of the animal including water that causes said water-soluble polymer to dissolve thereby releasing said anti-microbial agent into said mouth.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said anti-microbial agent is chlorhexidine.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said resin comprises ethylene vinyl acetate.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said water-soluble polymer comprises polyethylene oxide.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said template is disposed at the base of said bristles.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein said template is less than about 4 mm thick.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said template has a thickness of at least 0.5 mm.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein said template has a thickness of at least 0.5 mm.