Liquid absorbable non-permeable fabrics and methods of making, using, and disposing thereof

• US 5,891,812 A
• Filed: 06/05/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isolyser Co., Inc. (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Isolyser Co., Inc. (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Robert E., Khamvongsa, Bryan, Honeycutt, Travis W., Lee, Baosheng, Dai, Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US08/869,470
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 442/50, 442/82, 442/84, 442/239, 442/112, 128/849
• US Class Current: 442/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/40 Drape material, e.g. laminates; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15073 as drapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15235 by its solubility in water
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2484 Coating or impregnation is water absorbency-increasing or hydrophilicity-increasing or hydrophilicity-imparting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3472 Woven fabric including an additional woven fabric layer

Abstract

An article made from a fabric layer permeable to a first liquid such as water, blood or urine. The article has one side that repels the liquid and another side which absorbs the liquid. The article can be disposed of by heating in a selected liquid, which dissolves or disperses the article. The article may also have a plastic layer affixed thereto to provide additional impermeability. Two of the fabric layers may be affixed with the impermeable sides facing each other to provide an article capable of absorbing fluids from both sides, yet preventing fluids from penetrating from one side to the other. An optional plastic layer may be juxtaposed between the facing sides to provide a further fluid barrier. A method of disposing of such articles comprising contacting the articles with a sufficiently hot second liquid for a sufficient period of time to disperse or dissolve substantially the articles.

Claims

1. An article comprising a fabric layer permeable to a first liquid and having a first side and an opposed second side, wherein the first side of the fabric layer further comprises a coating repellent to the first liquid, wherein the coating substantially penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer thereby forming a first liquid proof first side, and wherein the fabric layer is soluble in a second liquid when the second liquid is hot and insoluble in the second liquid when the second liquid is cold.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first liquid is water.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the second liquid is water.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is a surgical fabric.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is a surgical drape.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the fabric layer of the drape has a portion cut therefrom, thereby defining an operating aperture of the drape.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer has a thickness of from 0.02 to about 60 mils.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 37°

C.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 40°

C.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 45°

C.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 50°

C.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 75°

C.

13. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 90°

C.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises poly(vinyl) alcohol.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the poly(vinyl) alcohol is a greater than 95% saponified poly vinyl acetate.

16. The article of claim 1, further comprising a plastic layer having a first side and an opposed second side, wherein the first side of the plastic layer faces the first side of the fabric layer.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the plastic layer comprises poly(vinyl) alcohol or polycaprolactone copolymer.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein the fabric layer and the plastic layer are laminated.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the fabric layer and the plastic layer are adhered together with an adhesive.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the adhesive is a glue.

21. The article of claim 16, wherein the fabric layer is soluble in a second liquid when the second liquid is hot and insoluble in the second liquid when the second liquid is cold.

22. The article of claim 16, wherein the first liquid is water.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the second liquid is water.

24. The article of claim 16, wherein the article is a surgical fabric.

25. The article of claim 16, wherein the article is a surgical drape.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein the fabric layer of the drape has a portion cut therefrom, thereby defining an operating aperture of the drape.

27. The article of claim 16, wherein each fabric layer has a thickness of from about 0.02 mils to about 60 mils.

28. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 37°

C.

29. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 40°

C.

30. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 45°

C.

31. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 50°

C.

32. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 75°

C.

33. The article of claim 21, wherein the fabric layer dissolves in the second liquid only at a temperature above 90°

C.

34. The article of claim 16, wherein the fabric comprises poly(vinyl) alcohol.

35. The article of claim 34, wherein the poly(vinyl) alcohol is a greater than 95% saponified poly vinyl acetate.

70. The article of claim 1, wherein the coating penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer from 10% to 90% of the thickness of the fabric layer.

71. The article of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a fluorocarbon and a wax.

72. The article of claim 1, wherein the coating penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer from 10% to 90% of the thickness of the fabric layer.

73. The article of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a fluorocarbon and a wax.

74. The article of claim 16, wherein the coating penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer from 10% to 90% of the thickness of the fabric layer.

75. The article of claim 16, wherein the coating comprises a fluorocarbon and a wax.

80. A method of disposing of the article of claim 1, comprising contacting the article with a sufficiently hot second liquid for a sufficient period of time to disperse or dissolve substantially the article.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the article is a surgical drape.

82. A method of disposing of the article of claim 16, comprising contacting the article with a sufficiently hot second liquid for a sufficient period of time to disperse or dissolve substantially the article.

36. An article comprising:

a) a first fabric layer permeable to a first liquid and having a first side and an opposed second side, wherein the first side of the first fabric layer further comprises a coating repellent to the first liquid, wherein the coating substantially penetrates into the first side of the first fabric layer, thereby forming a first liquid proof first side of the first fabric layer; and

b) a second fabric layer permeable to the first liquid and having a first side and an opposed second side, wherein the first side of the second fabric layer further comprises a coating repellent to the first liquid, wherein the coating substantially penetrates into the first side of the second fabric layer, thereby forming a first liquid proof first side of the second fabric layer,

whereby the first liquid proof first side of the first fabric layer faces the first liquid proof first side of the second fabric layer.

37. The article of claim 36, wherein the first and second fabric layers are soluble in a second liquid when the second liquid is hot and insoluble in the second liquid when the second liquid is cold.

38. The article of claim 36, wherein the first liquid is water.

39. The article of claim 37, wherein the second liquid is water.

40. The article of claim 36, wherein the article is a surgical fabric.

41. The article of claim 36, wherein the article is a surgical drape.

42. The article of claim 41, wherein the first and second fabric layers of the drape have a portion cut therefrom, thereby defining an operating aperture of the drape.

43. The article of claim 36, wherein the first and second fabric layers have, independently, a thickness of from 0.02 to 60 mils.

44. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 37°

C.

45. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 40°

C.

46. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 45°

C.

47. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 50°

C.

48. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 75°

C.

49. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 90°

C.

50. The article of claim 36, wherein the first and second fabric layers comprise, independently, poly(vinyl) alcohol.

51. The article of claim 50, wherein the poly(vinyl) alcohol is a greater than 95% saponified poly vinyl acetate.

52. The article of claim 36, wherein the first fabric layer is adhered to the second fabric layer.

53. The article of claim 36, further comprising at least one plastic layer disposed between the first liquid proof side of the first fabric layer and the first liquid proof side of the second fabric layer.

54. The article of claim 53, wherein the at least one plastic layer is adhered to both the first liquid proof side of the first fabric layer and the first liquid proof side of the second fabric layer.

55. The article of claim 53, wherein the first and second fabric layers are soluble in a second liquid when the second liquid is hot and insoluble in the second liquid when the second liquid is cold.

56. The article of claim 53, wherein the first liquid is water.

57. The article of claim 55, wherein the second liquid is water.

58. The article of claim 53, wherein the article is a surgical fabric.

59. The article of claim 53, wherein the article is a surgical drape.

60. The article of claim 59, wherein the first and second fabric layers of the drape have a portion cut therefrom, thereby defining an operating aperture of the drape.

61. The article of claim 53, wherein the first and second fabric layers have, independently, a thickness of from 0.02 to 60 mils and the at least one plastic layer has a thickness of from 1 to 2 mils.

62. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 37°

C.

63. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 40°

C.

64. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 45°

C.

65. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 50°

C.

66. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 75°

C.

67. The article of claim 55, wherein the first and second fabric layers dissolve in the second liquid only at a temperature above 90°

C.

68. The article of claim 53, wherein the first and second fabric layers comprise, independently, poly(vinyl) alcohol.

69. The article of claim 68, wherein the poly(vinyl) alcohol is a greater than 95% saponified poly vinyl acetate.

76. The article of claim 36, wherein the coating penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer from 10% to 90% of the thickness of the fabric layer.

77. The article of claim 36, wherein the coating comprises a fluorocarbon and a wax.

78. The article of claim 53, wherein the coating penetrates into the first side of the fabric layer from 10% to 90% of the thickness of the fabric layer.

79. The article of claim 53, wherein the coating comprises a fluorocarbon and a wax.

83. A method of disposing of the article of claim 36, comprising contacting the article with a sufficiently hot second liquid for a sufficient period of time to disperse or dissolve substantially the article.

84. A method of disposing of the article of claim 53, comprising contacting the article with a sufficiently hot second liquid for a sufficient period of time to disperse or dissolve substantially the article.