Patent Application
20070292468
The present invention is directed to a skin-contacting article bearing a medicated coating. The coating comprises film-forming materials such as natural or synthetic resins. Collodion is also a useful film former. Medicaments such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, i.e., steroids can be added to the coating material. The coated articles prevent skin irritations that often arise during wearing of or piercing with jewelry of uncoated metals. Skin irritations may arise from an allergic reaction between the skin and the metal and can lead to aggravated problems such as cysts or abscesses. The coating of the present invention prevents skin irritation by providing a barrier between the metal surface and the skin and can provide medication for already irritated skin.
Suitable resinous film-forming materials used herein include thermoplastic polymers such as, but not limited to, polycarbonates, particularly aromatic polycarbonates, polyacetals, polyarylates, polyarylene ethers, polyphenylene ethers, polyarylene sulfides, polyphenylene sulfides, polyimides, polyamideimides, polyetherimides, polyetherketones, polyaryletherketones, polyamides, polyesters, liquid crystalline polyesters, polyetheresters, polyetheramides, polyesteramides, and polyestercarbonates.
Suitable additional polymers include homo- and copolymeric aliphatic olefin and functionalized olefin polymers (which are homopolymers and copolymers comprising structural units derived from aliphatic olefins or functionalized olefins or both), and their alloys or blends. Illustrative examples include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyolefin (“TPO”), ethylene-propylene copolymer, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinylidene chloride), poly(vinyl fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl butyral), poly(acrylonitrile), acrylic polymers such as those of (meth)acrylamides or of alkyl (meth)acrylates such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (“PMMA”), and polymers of alkenylaromatic compounds such as polystyrenes, including syndiotactic polystyrene.
Blends of any of the foregoing polymers may also be employed herein as film-forming material. These include blends of thermoset polymers with thermoplastic polymers such as polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polyetherimide or polyester. The thermoplastic polymer is typically combined with thermoset monomer mixture before curing.
Another suitable film-forming material of the present invention is Collodion or Flexible Collodion. Collodion is a solution of 4 g. of pyroxylin (chiefly nitrocellulose) in 100 ml of a mixture of 25 milliliters alcohol and 75 milliliters ether. Collodion is a colorless or slightly yellow, clear or slightly opalescent syrupy liquid. The Flexible Collodion comprises simple Collodion with the addition of camphor and 3% castor oil (by weight). Flexible Collodion is slightly yellow and is a syrupy liquid which contains 67% ether and about 22% absolute alcohol by volume. When the Collodion or Flexible Collodion dries it leaves a tough and colorless film. Collodion with or without an additional medicament as described below is a particularly useful coating material to prevent allergenic reaction between metal and skin.
Regardless of what film-forming materials are used, the coating may have incorporated therein dermatologically active components which can be used to readily and effectively treat a variety of adverse skin conditions arising from contacting skin-irritating substances with the skin. The film-forming material contains one or more medicaments (active ingredients) for application onto the desired substrate. In this invention, topical actives including antibiotics and steroids are incorporated into the film-forming material.
Medicaments used herein are employed to thwart infections, allergies, inflammation and itching. Suitable medicaments include antimicrobial substances that kill or slow microbial growth. One class of antimicrobials include antibiotic drugs. Antibiotics are relatively harmless to humans and are often used to treat infections. Specific antibiotics include, but are not limited to:
Antibacterial antibiotics:
Aminoglycosides (e.g., amikacin, apramycin, arbekacin, bambermycins, butirosin, dibekacin, dihydrostreptomycin, fortimicin(s), gentamicin, isepamicin, kanamycin, micronomicin, neomycin, neomycin undecylenate, netilmicin, paromomycin, ribostamycin, sisomicin, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tobramycin, trospectomycin), amphenicols (e.g., azidamfenicol, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, thiamphenicol), ansamycins (e.g., rifamide, rifampin, rifamycin sv, rifapentine, rifaximin), β-lactams (e.g., carbacephems (e.g., loracarbef), carbapenems (e.g., biapenem, imipenem, meropenem, panipenem), cephalosporins (e.g., cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefamandole, cefatrizine, cefazedone, cefazolin, cefcapene pivoxil, cefclidin, cefdinir, cefditoren, cefepime, cefetamet, cefixime, cefinenoxime, cefodizime, cefonicid, cefoperazone, ceforanide, cefotaxime, cefotiam, cefozopran, cefpimizole, cefpiramide, cefpirome, cefpodoxime proxetil, cefprozil, cefroxadine, cefsulodin, ceftazidime, cefteram, ceftezole, ceftibuten, ceftizoxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, cefuzonam, cephacetrile sodium, cephalexin, cephaloglycin, cephaloridine, cephalosporin, cephalothin, cephapirin sodium, cephradine, pivcefalexin), cephamycins (e.g., cefbuperazone, cefinetazole, cefininox, cefotetan, cefoxitin), monobactams (e.g., aztreonam, carumonam, tigemonam), oxacephems, flomoxef, moxalactam), penicillins (e.g., amdinocillin, amdinocillin pivoxil, amoxicillin, ampicillin, apalcillin, aspoxicillin, azidocillin, azlocillin, bacampicillin, benzylpenicillinic acid, benzylpenicillin sodium, carbenicillin, carindacillin, clometocillin, cloxacillin, cyclacillin, dicloxacillin, epicillin, fenbenicillin, floxacillin, hetacillin, lenampicillin, metampicillin, methicillin sodium, mezlocillin, nafcillin sodium, oxacillin, penamecillin, penethamate hydriodide, penicillin g benethamine, penicillin g benzathine, penicillin g benzhydrylamine, penicillin g calcium, penicillin g hydrabamine, penicillin g potassium, penicillin g procaine, penicillin n, penicillin o, penicillin v, penicillin v benzathine, penicillin v hydrabamine, penimepicycline, phenethicillin potassium, piperacillin, pivampicillin, propicillin, quinacillin, sulbenicillin, sultamicillin, talampicillin, temocillin, ticarcillin), other (e.g., ritipenem), lincosamides (e.g., clindamycin, lincomycin), macrolides (e.g., azithromycin, carbomycin, clarithromycin, dirithromycin, erythromycin, erythromycin acistrate, erythromycin estolate, erythromycin glucoheptonate, erythromycin lactobionate, erythromycin propionate, erythromycin stearate, josamycin, leucomycins, midecamycins, miokamycin, oleandomycin, primycin, rokitamycin, rosaramicin, roxithromycin, spiramycin, troleandomycin), polypeptides (e.g., amphomycin, bacitracin, capreomycin, colistin, enduracidin, enviomycin, fusafungine, gramicidin s, gramicidin(s), mikamycin, polymyxin, pristinamycin, ristocetin, teicoplanin, thiostrepton, tuberactinomycin, tyrocidine, tyrothricin, vancomycin, viomycin, virginiamycin, zinc bacitracin), tetracyclines (e.g., apicycline, chlortetracycline, clomocycline, demeclocycline, doxycycline, guamecycline, lymecycline, meclocycline, methacycline, minocycline, oxytetracycline, penimepicycline, pipacycline, rolitetracycline, sancycline, tetracycline), and others (e.g., cycloserine, mupirocin, tuberin).
Synthetic antibacterials:
2,4-Diaminopyrimidines (e.g., brodimoprim, tetroxoprim, trimethoprim), nitrofurans (e.g., furaltadone, furazolium chloride, nifuradene, nifuratel, nifurfoline, nifurpirinol, nifurprazine, nifurtoinol, nitrofurantoin), quinolones and analogs (e.g., cinoxacin, ciprofloxacin, clinafloxacin, difloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, flumequine, grepafloxacin, lomefloxacin, miloxacin, nadifloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, oxolinic acid, pazufloxacin, pefloxacin, pipemidic acid, piromidic acid, rosoxacin, rufloxacin, sparfloxacin, temafloxacin, tosufloxacin, trovafloxacin), sulfonamides (e.g., acetyl sulfamethoxypyrazine, benzylsulfamide, chloramine-b, chloramine-t, dichloramine t, n2-formylsulfisomidine, n4-β-d-glucosylsulfanilamide, mafenide, 4′-(methylsulfamoyl)sulfanilanilide, noprylsulfamide, phthalylsulfacetamide, phthalylsulfathiazole, salazosulfadimidine, succinylsulfathiazole, sulfabenzamide, sulfacetamide, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfachrysoidine, sulfacytine, sulfadiazine, sulfadicramide, sulfadimethoxine, sulfadoxine, sulfaethidole, sulfaguanidine, sulfaguanol, sulfalene, sulfaloxic acid, sulfamerazine, sulfameter, sulfamethazine, sulfamethizole, sulfamethomidine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfametrole, sulfamidochrysoidine, sulfamoxole, sulfanilamide, 4-sulfanilamidosalicylic acid, n4-sulfanilylsulfanilamide, sulfanilylurea, n-sulfanilyl-3,4-xylamide, sulfanitran, sulfaperine, sulfaphenazole, sulfaproxyline, sulfapyrazine, sulfapyridine, sulfasomizole, sulfasymazine, sulfathiazole, sulfathiourea, sulfatolamide, sulfisomidine, sulfisoxazole) sulfones (e.g., acedapsone, acediasulfone, acetosulfone sodium, dapsone, diathymosulfone, glucosulfone sodium, solasulfone, succisulfone, sulfanilic acid, p-sulfanilylbenzylamine, sulfoxone sodium, thiazolsulfone), and others (e.g., clofoctol, hexedine, methenamine, methenamine anhydromethylene-citrate, methenamine hippurate, methenamine mandelate, methenamine sulfosalicylate, nitroxoline, taurolidine, xibomol).
Antifungal antibiotics:
Polyenes (e.g., amphotericin b, candicidin, dermostatin, filipin, fungichromin, hachimycin, hamycin, lucensomycin, mepartricin, natamycin, nystatin, pecilocin, perimycin), others (e.g., azaserine, griseofulvin, oligomycins, neomycin undecylenate, pyrrolnitrin, siccanin, tubercidin, viridin).
Synthetic antifungals:
Allylamines (e.g., butenafine, naftifine, terbinafine), imidazoles (e.g., bifonazole, butoconazole, chlordantoin, chlormidazole, cloconazole, clotrimazole, econazole, enilconazole, fenticonazole, flutrimazole, isoconazole, ketoconazole, lanoconazole, miconazole, omoconazole, oxiconazole nitrate, sertaconazole, sulconazole, tioconazole), thiocarbamates (e.g., tolciclate, tolindate, tolnaftate), triazoles (e.g., fluconazole, itraconazole, saperconazole, terconazole) others (e.g., acrisorcin, amorolfine, biphenamine, bromosalicylchloranilide, buclosamide, calcium propionate, chlorphenesin, ciclopirox, cloxyquin, coparaffinate, diamthazole dihydrochloride, exalamide, flucytosine, halethazole, hexetidine, loflucarban, nifuratel, potassium iodide, propionic acid, pyrithione, salicylanilide, sodium propionate, sulbentine, tenonitrozole, triacetin, ujothion, undecylenic acid, zinc propionate).
Antibiotics and analogs (e.g., aclacinomycins, actinomycin f1, anthramycin, azaserine, bleomycins, cactinomycin, carubicin, carzinophilin, chromomycins, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, menogaril, mitomycins, mycophenolic acid, nogalamycin, olivomycines, peplomycin, pirarubicin, plicamycin, porfiromycin, puromycin, streptonigrin, streptozocin, tubercidin, zinostatin, zorubicin), antimetabolites (e.g. folic acid analogs (e.g., denopterin, edatrexate, methotrexate, piritrexim, pteropterin, Tomudex®, trimetrexate), purine analogs (e.g., cladribine, fludarabine, 6-mercaptopurine, thiamiprine, thioguanine), pyrimidine analogs (e.g., ancitabine, azacitidine, 6-azauridine, carmofur, cytarabine, doxifluridine, emitefur, enocitabine, floxuridine, fluorouracil, gemcitabine, tagafur).
The polymyxin antibiotics, most notably polymyxin B and polymyxin E (also known as colistin) are cyclic polypeptide compounds produced by certain strains of Bacillus polymyxa. Polymyxins serve to damage cytoplasmic membranes of bacteria. Polymyxins are common components in topical ointments.
The antibiotic, regardless of type, may be present in the coating in a range about 0-5 w.t. %, preferably in a range about 0.5-4 w.t. %, and more preferably in a range about 1-3 w.t. %.
The coating may also include components to alleviate itching, relieve pain and/or inflammation such as a steroid/anti-inflammatory. Steroids are known to have many functions. The steroids having anti-inflammatory effect employed in the present composition are also used to reduce swelling, pain as well as inflammations. Corticosteroids are a natural or synthetic steroid that have anti-inflammatory properties. Synthetic corticosteroids mimic or augment the effects of natural corticosteroid hormones that are produced by adrenal glands. Corticol is a naturally produced example of a corticosteroid.
Steroid compounds used in the invention to provide an anti-inflammatory effect may include cortisone, hydrocortisone, fluxinanide, fluoromethalone. Other anti-inflammatory steroid agents include, but are not limited to: triamcinolone and its derivatives (particularly the diacetate, hexacetonide, and acetonide), betamethasone and its derivatives (including particularly the dipropionate, benzoate, sodium phosphate, acetate, and valerate), dexamethasone and its derivatives (particularly the dipropionate and valerate), flunisolide, prednisone and its derivatives (particularly its acetate), prednisolone and its derivatives (particularly its acetate, sodium phosphate and tebutate), methylprednisolone and its derivatives (particularly its acetate and sodium succinate), fluocinolone and its derivatives (particularly the acetonide), diflorasone and its derivatives (particularly the diacetate), halcinonide, desoximetasone (desoxymethasone), diflucortolone and its derivatives (particularly the valerate), flucloronide (fluclorolone acetonide), fluocinonide, fluocortolone, fluprednidene and its derivatives (particularly the acetate), flurandrenolide (flurandrenolone), clobetasol and its derivatives (particularly the propionate), clobetasone and its derivatives (particularly the butyrate), alclometasone, flumethasone and its derivatives (particularly the pivalate), fluocortolone and its derivatives (particularly the hexanoate), amcinonide, beclometasone and its derivatives (particularly the dipropionate), fluticasone and its derivatives (particularly the propionate), difluprednate, and desonide.
The preferred anti-inflammatory steroid used herein is hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone is a well-known chemical that may be produced either by the human adrenal cortex, or synthetically. It is often used in the treatment of a wide array of ailments, including inflammations, allergies and arthritis. Hydrocortisone is used in many topical preparations as a treatment for temporary relief of itching associated with minor skin irritation, inflammation and rashes due to eczema, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and itching in the genital and anal areas of the body. Hydrocortisone speeds up the healing process in wounds or sores that are especially prone to swelling. Hydrocortisone is also helpful in applications where the sores are not particularly prone to swelling. The steroid may be present in the coating in a range about 0-5 w.t. %, preferably in a range about 0.1-4 w.t. %, and more preferably in a range about 0.2-2 w.t. %.
The invention is particularly useful for coating jewelry, including pierced jewelry. To coat the jewelry, the film-forming composition likely needs to be contained within a carrier solvent for application. In general, organic solvents are useful for providing the synthetic resin in liquid form and allowing ready application to the jewelry. Specific examples of organic solvents are alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n- or iso-propyl alcohol, n- or iso-butyl alcohol and diacetone alcohol; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl propyl ketone, methyl butyl ketone, methyl amyl ketone, methyl hexyl ketone, diethyl ketone, di-isobutyl ketone, cyclohexanone, methyl cyclohexanone and acetyl acetone; hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane and methoxy benzene; acetic acid esters such as ethyl acetate, n- or iso-propyl acetate, n- or iso-butyl acetate, ethylbutyl acetate and hexyl acetate; halides such as methylene dichloride, ethylene dichloride and monochloro-benzene; ethers such as isopropyl ether, n-butyl ether, dioxane, dimethyl dioxane and tetrahydrofuran; polyhydric alcohols and derivatives thereof such as ethylene glycol, methyl cellosolve, methyl cellosolve acetate, ethyl cellosolve, diethyl cellosolve, cellosolve acetate, butyl cellosolve, butyl cellosolve acetate, methoxy-methoxy ethanol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl-ethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monobutyl ether and 3-methyl-3-methoxy butanol; and special solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide and N,N-dimethyl-formamide, which may suitably be used alone or in any combination.
If the film-forming composition is water-soluble or -dispersable, water can be used as the carrier for the film-forming composition. Surfactants may be needed to readily disperse the film-forming composition in water. Combinations of water with organic solvents may also be used. Instead of a solvent as a carrier for the film-former, some film-formers may be useful in molten form without use of a solvent.
Once dispersed in the liquid carrier, the film-forming composition can be used via an easy-to-use dispensing package/device to facilitate dispensing of the coating on the intended article. For example, the composition may be dispensed using common applicators such as a brush, roll or eye dropping apparatus, spray bottles, sheets retaining the coating in liquid form, etc. Thus the coating can be applied to the jewelry substrate or other skin-contacting article, preferably after cleaning, by dipping, swabbing, wiping, spraying, or a combination of theses and other methods.
Pierced earrings are one type of jewelry substrate that can cause skin irritations upon wearing. Often the post of the earring that pierces the skin has caused skin allergies, inflammation and infections. Likewise, other skin-contacting portion of the earring such as the earring backing and the inner-rear surface of the front of the earring have caused allergic reactions, inflammation and infections to the portions of the skin it contacts. The present invention provides relief for such problems by application of the coating on these specific substrate surfaces.
With regard to application via spray bottles, aerosol container or a non-aerosol spray device may be used. Said spray means is any of the manually activated, preferably “trigger-type,” means for producing a spray of liquid droplets as is known in the art. Typical spray means are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,223, Nozawa, issued Apr. 4, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,288, McKinney, issued Jul. 17, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,821, Tada et al., issued Dec. 17, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,917, Saito et al., issued Mar. 6, 1984; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,835, Tasaki, issued Apr. 11, 1989, all of said patents being incorporated herein by reference. Examples of spray bottles are those in U.S. Design Pat. No. 244,991, Weekman et al., issued Jul. 12, 1977; and U.S. Design Pat. No. 275,078, Wassergord et al., issued Aug. 14, 1984, said patents being incorporated herein by reference.
The spray device can also be one that can be adjusted to either give a liquid spray or a foam. The spray means herein are typically those that act upon a discrete amount of the coating itself, typically by means of a piston that displaces the coating and expels the coating through a nozzle to create a spray of thin liquid. After application to the surface of the article it is then dried.
Consumers may apply the coating to the desired skin-contacting article, e.g. pierced earring, via brushing or swabbing. For example, the composition may be semi- viscous, gel-like or liquid disposed in a closed container. The container may have a screw-on cap or otherwise tightly closing cap bearing an applicator on its inner side. The applicator has a long shaft bearing bristles or a swab at its distal end. The applicator is long enough to reach more than half-way inside the container without touching the bottom of the container. Thus, the applicator is already immersed in the coating.
In use, the consumer would unscrew the cap from the container wipe-off any excess amounts of coating already on the applicator and apply the coating via brushing or swabbing on the pierced earring. Any number of layers may be applied to the article. Drying time should be allotted either between or after the application of layer(s) to form the coating into a dry film.
In another method of use, the consumer may be provided the coating as a liquid in a tub. The consumer would dip the pierced earring or other jewelry into the coating, remove any excess coating from the substrate and allow time to dry to form the dry film. In yet another method, a single-use wipe retaining the coating could be used to apply the coating on the jewelry. The wipe could be a 1″×1″ cloth saturated with the coating. The wipe is disposed in an individual, sterile wrapper that is ripped open to expose the swab. The wipe is then wiped, rubbed, dabbed or otherwise spread on the jewelry, and finally allowed to dry to form the dry film.
After application of the coating, by the methods disclosed above, the article is dried to form the irritant-free article. In general, the drying of the coating is conducted using air at any temperature. In some cases, good results would be obtained by removing any humidity in the air for drying.
The coating may initially have any viscosity when applied directly onto the substrate, but after the coating dries, it forms a protective film close to the article's surface to maintain contact of the active ingredients on the skin and prevent removal of the active ingredients from the article.
