Claims
- 1. A process for thickening a liquid food which comprises admixing an effective amount of an aqueous concentrate thickener composition with a liquid food which is capable of being thickened by a concentrate thickener composition.
- 2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches, xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 3. A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 4. A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said concentrate thickener comprises xanthan gum.
- 5. A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the xanthan gum comprises a dilutable concentrate.
- 6. A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein the concentrate thickener composition is a jelly.
- 7. A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein the concentrate thickener composition is a highly viscous liquid.
- 8. A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein the concentrate thickener composition has the visual appearance of honey.
- 9. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said food is a liquid based on water.
- 10. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liquid is selected from at least one of milk, soda, coffee, tea, juice, water, beer, wine and nutritional supplements.
- 11. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the food is a food with a substantial amount of unbound liquid.
- 12. A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein the food with a substantial amount of unbound liquid is selected from at least one of a broth, soup, stew, puree of solid food and a liquid, and a puree of high liquid foods.
- 13. A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum by weight.
- 14. A process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 15. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 16. A process for thickening a barium sulfate composition which comprises admixing a thickening amount of an aqueous concentrate thickener composition with said barium sulfate composition.
- 17. A process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said thickener concentrate is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches, xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 18. A process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 19. A process in accordance with claim 18 wherein the concentrate thickener comprises a xanthan gum.
- 20. A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 21. A process in accordance with claim 20 wherein said xanthan gum comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 22. A process in accordance with claim 21 wherein said xanthan gum comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3%.
- 23. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said barium sulfate is used for a medicinal purpose.
- 24. A treatment for dysphagia which comprises feeding an aqueous concentrate thickener composition contained within a food to a patient having the condition of dysphagia.
- 25. A process in accordance with claim 24 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 26. A process in accordance with claim 25 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 27. A treatment in accordance with claim 26 wherein the concentrate thickener composition is a liquid which comprises xanthan gum.
- 28. A treatment in accordance with claim 27 wherein the food is a liquid and the dysphagia patient swallows the thickened food.
- 29. A treatment in accordance with claim 28 wherein said liquid is selected from milk, soda, coffee, tea, juice, water, beer, wine, and nutritional supplement.
- 30. A treatment in accordance with claim 28 wherein the food is a food with a substantial amount of unbound liquid.
- 31. A treatment in accordance with claim 30 wherein the food with a substantial amount of unbound liquid is selected from broths, soups, stews, purees of solid food and a liquid, and purees of high liquid content foods.
- 32. A treatment in accordance with claim 27 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 33. A treatment in accordance with claim 32 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 34. A treatment in accordance with claim 33 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 35. A system for operating a medical facility possessing the capability of treating persons afflicted with dsyphagia wherein said facility provides thickened foods to the patients and wherein the thickened food comprises an aqueous thickener concentrate composition.
- 36. A process in accordance with claim 35 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxyproplycellulose and/or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose), food starches, xanthan gum, and gum arabic.
- 37. A process in accordance with claim 36 wherein said concentrate thickener is selected from at least one of carregeenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 38. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein said concentrate thickener composition is a concentrate of xanthan gum.
- 39. A system in accordance with claim 38 wherein said concentrate comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 40. A system in accordance with claim 39 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 41. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 42. A process for treating patients of dysphagia at home, said process comprising feeding said patients an aqueous concentrate thickener composition.
- 43. A process in accordance with claim 42 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches, xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 44. A process in accordance with claim 43 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 45. A system in accordance with claim 44 wherein said concentrate thickener composition is a concentrate of xanthan gum.
- 46. A system in accordance with claim 45 wherein said concentrate comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 47. A system in accordance with claim 46 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 48. A system in accordance with claim 47 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 49. A process improving patient fluid consumption by providing said patients with a food thickened with an aqueous thickener concentrate.
- 50. A process in accordance with claim 49 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches, xanthan gum, and gum arabic.
- 51. A process in accordance with claim 50 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 52. A system in accordance with claim 51 wherein said concentrate thickener composition comprises xanthan gum.
- 53. A system in accordance with claim 52 wherein said concentrate comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 54. A system in accordance with claim 53 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 55. A system in accordance with claim 54 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 56. A process for reducing the time in the preparation of a beverage, said process comprising admixing with said beverage an aqueous thickener concentrate.
- 57. A process in accordance with claim 56 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium and ammonium salts), carrageenan, galactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches, xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 58. A process in accordance with claim 57 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium and xanthan gum.
- 59. A system in accordance with claim 58 wherein said concentrate thickener composition is a concentrate of xanthan gum.
- 60. A system in accordance with claim 59 wherein said concentrate comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 61. A system in accordance with claim 60 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 62. A system in accordance with claim 61 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 63. A process for increasing beverage variety by admixing said beverage with an aqueous thickener concentrate.
- 64. A process in accordance with claim 63 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), food starches xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 65. A process in accordance with claim 64 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and xanthan gum.
- 66. A system in accordance with claim 65 wherein said concentrate thickener composition comprises xanthan gum.
- 67. A system in accordance with claim 66 wherein said concentrate comprises about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum.
- 68. A system in accordance with claim 67 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 69. A system in accordance with claim 68 wherein said concentrate comprises about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 70. A process for improving the appearance of thickened liquid foods, said process comprising admixing an effective amount of an aqueous concentrate thickener with a liquid food which is capable of being thickened by a concentrate thickener composition.
- 71. A process in accordance with claim 70 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, galactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxy propyl, cellulose, and/or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose), food starches, xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 72. A process in accordance with claim 71 wherein said concentrate thickener comprises xanthan gum.
- 73. A process in accordance with claim 72 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum by weight.
- 74. A process in accordance with claim 73 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 75. A process in accordance with claim 74 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
- 76. A process in accordance with claim 71 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of carrageenan, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and xanthan gum.
- 77. A process for thickening human breast milk, said process comprising admixing said human breast milk with an effective amount of an aqueous thickener concentrate.
- 78. A process in accordance with claim 77 where said thickener is selected from at least one of alginates (sodium, potassium, or ammonium salts), carrageenan, glactomannans (guar gum, locust bean gum, and/or carob bean gum), cellulosics (sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and/or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), xanthan gum and gum arabic.
- 79. A process in accordance with claim 78 wherein said thickener is selected from at least one of guar gum, carrageenan, and xanthan gum.
- 80. A process in accordance with claim 79 wherein said concentrate thickener comprises xanthan gum.
- 81. A process in accordance with claim 80 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 2% to about 5% xanthan gum by weight.
- 82. A process in accordance with claim 81 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.5% to about 4.5% xanthan gum.
- 83. A process in accordance with claim 82 wherein said xanthan gum composition comprises from about 3.6% to about 4.3% xanthan gum.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of pending U.S. provisional application 60/309,764 filed Aug. 2, 2001 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US02/24525 |
8/2/2002 |
WO |
|