Patent Application
20070156504
Existing systems recommend personal care products such as teas, vitamins, and cosmetics to a woman depending on the stage in life of the woman. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,302 discloses a method for providing a system of feminine hygiene products for use by individuals. The method includes collecting information from a female consumer regarding her menstrual cycle using a computer, selecting a system of feminine hygiene products based upon the information collected where the system contains at least one tampon and one sanitary napkin. The method further includes a step of providing information back to the consumer identifying the products that make up the selected system.
Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,865,322 and 5,839,585 disclose a method for dispensing absorbent articles for use by individuals with a dispensing device containing at least two different types of absorbent articles and a means for allowing an individual to select one or more types of the absorbent articles in the dispensing device.
These previous systems, however, use a limited set of generic information entered by the consumer for selecting the system of hygiene products for the consumer.
Embodiments of the invention provide personal care product recommendations adapted for a particular biological life stage of a woman's life. In one embodiment, the product recommendations are based on biological and rheological properties (e.g., a description) of the vaginal discharge of the consumer that are dependent in part upon the fluid differences or body characteristics of the consumer. Hormonal differences also affect the fluid properties of the consumer.
Aspects of the invention realign the product development and marketing of feminine care products using a biological model that incorporates the biological life stage or life event differences that occur in females and affect the fluid properties of menses, postmenopausal discharge, and other vaginal secretions.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Appendix A provides test data illustrating different performance of feminine care products as a function of fluid with varied viscoelastic properties.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring first to
Other systems provide personal care product education tailored to the consumer 102 based on physical characteristics of the consumer 102. For example, see commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/026,845, filed Dec. 30, 2004, entitled “INTERACTING WITH CONSUMERS TO INFORM, EDUCATE, CONSULT, AND ASSIST WITH THE PURCHASE AND USE OF PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS,” hereby incorporated by reference, as well as commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/325,440, filed Dec. 20, 2002 by Hantke et al., entitled “METHOD FOR AIDING CONSUMERS IN SELECTION OF THE PROPER SIZE OF INTERLABIAL ABSORBENT ARTICLES” (published as US20040122745A1), also hereby incorporated by reference. Embodiments of the present invention, however, provide scientific criteria for the use of biological life stage or life event differences that occur in females (e.g., hormonal changes) and affect the fluid properties of menses, postmenopausal discharge, and other vaginal secretions or discharge. The properties of the vaginal discharge may be observed, determined, and/or specified by the consumer 102. These physiological differences are used to design, develop, manufacture, and market feminine care products that specifically meet the needs at each biological life stage or life event such as puberty, pregnancy, child birth, and menopause.
Referring again to
The database component 110 maintains the predefined correlations 118 between predefined vaginal discharge data and attributes of feminine care products. The interface component 112 obtains the vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 regarding a biological property and a rheological property of vaginal discharge from the consumer 102. The recommendation component 114 identifies one or more of the attributes of the feminine care products corresponding to the obtained vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 based on the maintained predefined correlations 118. The interface component 112 further provides one or more of the identified attributes to the consumer 102 for use in selecting one of the feminine care products.
The vaginal discharge data in the predefined correlations 118 includes, for example, data obtained empirically or experimentally and is mapped to attributes of the feminine care products. The attributes generally relate to the materials, additives, absorbent system design, shape, and features of the feminine care products. Exemplary material attributes include the quantity, quality, type and properties (e.g., absorbency, stiffness, curl) of fiber, quantity, placement, shape, chemistry, properties and quality of super absorbent material (S.A.M.), type, location of and quantity of surfactant or additives, type and properties of body side liner (BSL), type of absorbent (e.g., airlaid, airformed, coform, bonded carded web, spunlace, spunbond) and type, quantity, and location of odor management components. Exemplary shape attributes include the length, width, resiliency, flexibility, and thickness of the product. Other attributes describe, for example, pad structure (e.g., wings, curved sides, elastic sides) and/or the presence of embossing and apertures in the feminine care products. Menses modifier additives alter the characteristics of menses to improve the performance of feminine care products, as shown in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,344 to Potts et al., hereby incorporated by reference. Red blood cell lysing agents disclosed therein include GLUCOPON 220, an octylpolyglycoside available from Henkel Corporation, Ambler, Pa., MASILE SF-19, an alkoxylated polysiloxane available from PPG Industries, Inc., Specialty Chemicals Division, Gurnee, Ill., nonionic surfactant LAURETH 7, an alkoxylated alcohol available from Heterene, Inc., Paterson, N.J., nonionic LAURETH 4, an alkoxylated alcohol available from Heterene, Inc., nonionic PPG 5-Laureth 5, an alkoxylated alcohol available from Henkel Corporation, amphoteric surfactant DERIPHAT 160S, an alkyl-substituted amino acid available from Henkel/Cospha, Ambler, Pa., anionic surfactant sodium laurel sulfate, an alkyl sulfate available from Henkel, amphoteric MACKAM 15-L, an alkyl substituted amino acid available from McIntyre Group, University Park, Ill., anionic MACKANATE LM-40, a sulfosuccinate available from McIntyre Group, anionic STANDOPOL SH124-3, a sulfosuccinate available from Henkel/Cospha, anionic HAMPOSYL L-30, a sarcosinate available from Hampshire Chemical, Lexington, Mass., and a saponin, a high molecular weight glycoside comprising a sugar part linked to a triterpene or steroid aglycone, such as that produced from quillaja bark and marketed by Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo. Related information is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,711 issued to Potts et al., herein incorporated by reference.
Further systems for modification of menses are given in U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,636 issued to Yahiaoui et al., herein incorporated by reference, which discloses a treatment applied to an absorbent article that alters the viscoelastic properties of menses and enhances its wicking and distribution throughout the absorbent structure. One such menses modifier is an alkyl polyglycoside, particularly those having 8 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. When applied so as to provide an amount of about 0.1 to about 5.0% solids add-on based on the weight of the dry nonwoven web, rapid fluid wicking and distribution may be obtained.
The use of enzymes to modify the viscous or viscoelastic properties of body fluids is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/837,133, “Absorbent Products with a Linked Enzyme Treatment,” filed Apr. 30, 2004 by K. Schroeder et al. (published as US20050256471A1), herein incorporated by reference (see also WO2005110503A1). Gelling the fluid further modifies the properties of the fluids (e.g., for low viscosity, thin menses fluid or in liners for light thin fluid).
Structural modifications to pads may also be used to tailor the intake and absorbent properties of the pads for various types of menses. Selection of suitable body side liner materials, body side liner treatments, and other components of the article may result in articles well suited for particular fluid types and flow characteristics. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,789 issued to VanDenBogart et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,253 issued to Daley et al., both of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Appendix A provides test data illustrating different performance of feminine care products as a function of fluid with varied viscoelastic properties.
Exemplary correlations between the vaginal discharge data and the product attributes are shown in Table 1 below. Table 1 provides various examples of information collected from the consumer 102 to direct and aid product selection. Product selection is tailored based on fluid and flow characteristics as well as characteristics of the consumer's age/biological life stage and body. Using body characteristics to direct product selection provides improved fit, reduced leakage, and comfort for the consumer 102. Other questions (not shown in Table 1) may be directed to the symptoms or status of menopause or perimenopause of the consumer 102.
A back pad with features such as gluteal-fold fit or other features suitable for use with thong-style underwear is described in W00072790A1, “ABSORBENT ARTICLE FOR USE IN THONG UNDERWEAR,” published Dec. 7, 2000. Increased back panty/body coverage and methods for customizing fit are disclosed in commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/750,404, entitled “CUSTOMIZABLE ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH EXTENSIBLE LAYERS,” filed Dec. 30, 2003 by Price et al. (published as US20050148981A1), herein incorporated by reference.
The vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 may be obtained directly from the consumer 102, or from via any means for obtaining the data (e.g., history) such as from an obstetrician or gynecologist. Aspects of the invention are operable with any means for obtaining the vaginal discharge data 116 from the consumer 102. A kiosk, doctor's office test, home tests (e.g., pH testing, hormonal testing), web site, telephone, wireless device (e.g., PDA, cellular telephone), and the like constitute the means for obtaining the vaginal discharge data 116 from the consumer 102. For example, the consumer 102 may input the vaginal discharge data 116 into the system 104, or the system 104 may infer or determine the vaginal discharge data 116 based on information supplied by the consumer 102 or other entity (e.g., doctor, hospital, or laboratory). The consumer 102 may determine the actual rheological properties through physical testing, measurements, observation, sampling, or the like. Alternatively or in addition, aspects of the invention infer, calculate, or otherwise determine the rheological properties based on the personal information obtained from the customer. By way of example, a method for obtaining cervicovaginal fluids from which viscoelastic properties may be measured is discussed by E. R. Boskey et al. in “A Self-Sampling Method to Obtain Large Volumes of Undiluted Cervicovaginal Secretions,” Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 30(2):107-109, February 2003. The use of a ROVUMETER (Recipe Pharmaceuticals, Munich, Germany) to obtain such fluids is also discussed by A. M. Flynn et al. in “Volumetric Self-Sampling of Cervicovaginal Fluid To Determine Potential Fertility: a Multicentre Preeffectiveness Study of the Rovumeter™,” Human Reproduction, 12(8):1826-1831, 1997. Testing of properties may be conducted by commercial laboratories or by self-testing using known methods and devices such as viscosity cups in which fluid drains through an orifice in a cup, with drainage time for a given volume being related to viscosity. An example of a viscosity cup is the Elcometer 2210 Zahn Viscosity Cup marketed by Elcometer Instruments Ltd. (Manchester, England). In addition to viscosity cups, specialized tampons may be used as a vaginal sampling device.
The vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 describes the composition and/or properties of the vaginal discharge of the consumer 102 including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: a biological property and a rheological property. Exemplary biological properties include one or more of the following: flow rate (e.g., volume per unit of time), red blood cell count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, albumin, fibrinogen, fibrin degradation products, phospholipids, mucin content, and qualitative viscosity. Exemplary rheological properties define the deformation and flow of matter including, for example, one or more of the following related to vaginal discharge (e.g., venous blood and menses): elasticity, viscosity, viscoelasticity, and spinnbarkeit (e.g., the stringiness or extensional viscosity of cervical mucus, menses, and/or other related fluids). Rheological properties may also be defined via observations of appearance (e.g., thick, thin, stringy) to relate descriptively to viscoelastic properties.
As shown in Table 1 above, the vaginal discharge data 116 and life event/stage of the consumer 102 may also include one or more of the following: parity, birth control use, ethnicity, ovulation stage, which ovaries are functioning, odor, volume, flow, color, basal temperature, mucoviscosity, and pregnancy. Exemplary ovulation stages include irregular ovulation due to puberty or a medical condition, no ovulation due to hormonal birth control or a medical condition, regular ovulation, peri-menopausal irregular ovulation, and no ovulation due to menopause.
The vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 is used to determine the attributes of the personal care products that are appropriate for the consumer 102 based on the predefined correlations 118 (e.g., see Table 1 above). This determination may be performed by a human or a computing device. In one example, the processor 108 is configured to execute computer-executable instructions for identifying one or more of the attributes of the feminine care products corresponding to the vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 stored in the memory area 106 based on the predefined correlations 118 stored in the memory area 106. The processor 108 is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions for providing one or more of the identified attributes to the consumer 102 for use in selecting one of the feminine care products. In another embodiment, recommendations are given to the consumer 102 about particular products that embody the identified attributes. The processor 108 may be further configured to determine the vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 rather than the consumer 102 providing the vaginal discharge data 116. For example, the processor 108 may be configured to determine the vaginal discharge data 116 of the consumer 102 based on body/age/life stage characteristics.
In another embodiment, body shape data obtained from the consumer 102 may also be used to determine the attributes of the personal care products that are appropriate for the consumer 102. For example, body shape data may be characterized in terms of two or more measurements such as hip-to-waist ratio, hip-to-rise ratio, rise-to-thigh circumference ratio, and the like. In another example, body shape data may be characterized in terms of clothing cuts such “for fuller hips,” “slim fit,” or the like. In yet another example, body shape data may be characterized in terms of body shape classifications such as “pear shape,” “apple shape,” “hourglass shape,” or the like.
Alternatively or in addition, the predefined correlations 118 may be updated or otherwise modified based on feedback data or other factors. Exemplary factors include, but are not limited to, purchasing habits of one or more of the consumers and feedback from the consumer 102. The feedback from the consumer 102 may relate to any aspect of the consumer 102 interaction with the system 104 (e.g., the information input process, the overall experience, the attributes identified, the products recommendations, and the products themselves). In one embodiment, the feedback from the consumer 102 may be obtained by a subsequent contact with the consumer 102 (e.g., via email or telephone). For example, a website for collecting the vaginal discharge data 116 from the consumer 102 may also ask the consumer 102 for an email address or telephone number. A subsequent email or telephone call to the consumer 102 may be used to obtain the feedback from the consumer 102.
Exemplary feedback data includes information about the pharmaceutical use of reproductive hormones, age, body dimensions, body mass index, vaginal size, and the use of dietary supplements (e.g., herbal products, phytoestrogens).
In one embodiment, the predefined correlations 118 are updated by the processor 108 configured to execute computer-executable instructions for receiving a product selection from the consumer 102 and modifying the predefined correlations 118 stored in the memory area 106 based on the received product selection. For example, the system 104 may determine the frequency that consumers with vaginal discharge having a particular biological or rheological property chose a particular product. The predefined correlations 118 are then updated with this determination to provide improved recommendations to future consumers.
In general, the processor 108 and the memory area 106 of system 104 may constitute or be part of a computing device. Aspects of the invention are operable with any form of computer or computing device known in the art. The consumer 102 may enter commands and information into the computing device through input devices or user interface selection devices well known in the art such as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, trackball, pen, or touch pad). Other input devices (not shown) may be connected to the computing device. The computing device typically has at least some form of computer readable media (e.g., memory area 106). Computer readable media, which include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media, may be any available medium that may be accessed by the general purpose computing device. By way of example and not limitation, computer readable media comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media, are examples of communication media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media. The computing device includes or has access to computer storage media in the form of removable and/or non-removable, volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The computing device may operate in networked or distributed computing environments using logical connections to one or more remote computers in which tasks may be performed by the remote computers.
Although embodiments of the invention are described in connection with an exemplary computing system environment, one or more aspects of the invention are operational with non-computer components as well as numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. The computing system environment described herein is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of aspects of the invention. Moreover, the computing system environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use in embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, mobile telephones, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
Referring next to
In one embodiment, one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing one or more of the operations illustrated in
Referring next to
In
In one embodiment, the kiosk 304 is local to the consumer 302 while the functionality of the processor 308 is located remotely from the interface and/or consumer 302. For example, the functionality of the processor 308 may be performed by the processor 308, and/or a human agent or the like located in another country. Alternatively or in addition, the functionality of the processor 308 may be performed by an intelligent agent and/or a live agent or the like.
The following examples further illustrate embodiments of the invention. Hardware, software, firmware, computer-executable components, computer-executable instructions, and/or the elements of
The order of execution or performance of the operations in embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, the operations may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and embodiments of the invention may include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular operation before, contemporaneously with, or after another operation is within the scope of aspects of the invention.
When introducing elements of aspects of the invention or the embodiments thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of aspects of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
The following test data illustrates different performance of feminine care products as a function of fluid with varied viscoelastic properties. The fluid acquisition results are illustrated in graph 1, and wicking results are shown in graph 2. Testing was done with menses simulants having varying levels of mucin present (X% mucin is less than Y% mucin in graph 1 and graph 2). The percentage of mucin is a factor in viscoelasticity, permeability, acquisition rate, and wicking. In general, vaginal discharge with some percentage of mucin may be expected to typically yield slow acquisition and low uptake/loading/wicking values.
