A light duty liquid detergent with desirable cleansing properties to the human skin comprising a C8-18 ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate anionic surfactant, a sulfonate anionic surfactant, and water.

This invention relates to a light duty liquid cleaning composition which imparts mildness to the skin which can be in the form of a microemulsion designed in particular for cleaning hard surfaces and which is effective in removing particular and grease soil in leaving unrinsed surfaces with a shiny appearance.
In recent years all-purpose light duty liquid detergents have become widely accepted for cleaning hard surfaces, e.g., dishes, glasses, sinks, painted woodwork and panels, tiled walls, wash bowls, washable wall paper, etc. Such all-purpose liquids comprise clear and opaque aqueous mixtures of water-soluble organic detergents and water-soluble detergent builder salts.
The present invention relates to light duty liquid detergent compositions with high foaming properties, which contain a sulfonate surfactant.
The prior art is replete with light duty liquid detergent compositions containing nonionic surfactants in combination with anionic and/or betaine surfactants wherein the nonionic detergent is not the major active surfactant, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,985 wherein an anionic based shampoo contains a minor amount of a fatty acid alkanolamide. U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,398 discloses a betaine-based shampoo containing minor amounts of nonionic surfactants. This patent states that the low foaming properties of nonionic detergents renders its use in shampoo compositions non-preferred. U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,335 also discloses a shampoo containing a betaine surfactant as the major ingredient and minor amounts of a nonionic surfactant and of a fatty acid mono- or di-ethanolamide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,204 discloses a shampoo comprising 0.8-20% by weight of an anionic phosphoric acid ester and one additional surfactant which may be either anionic, amphoteric, or nonionic. U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,334 discloses an anionic-amphoteric based shampoo containing a major amount of anionic surfactant and lesser amounts of a betaine and nonionic surfactants.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,129 discloses a liquid cleaning composition based on the alkali metal silicate content and containing five basic ingredients, namely, urea, glycerin, triethanolamine, an anionic detergent and a nonionic detergent. The silicate content determines the amount of anionic and/or nonionic detergent in the liquid cleaning composition. However, the foaming property of these detergent compositions is not discussed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,515 discloses a heavy duty liquid detergent for laundering fabrics comprising a mixture of substantially equal amounts of anionic and nonionic surfactants, alkanolamines and magnesium salts, and, optionally, zwitterionic surfactants as suds modifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,195 discloses an aqueous detergent composition for laundering socks or stockings comprising a specific group of nonionic detergents, namely, an ethylene oxide of a secondary alcohol, a specific group of anionic detergents, namely, a sulfuric ester salt of an ethylene oxide adduct of a secondary alcohol, and an amphoteric surfactant which may be a betaine, wherein either the anionic or nonionic surfactant may be the major ingredient.
It has now been found that a light duty liquid detergent can be formulated with an anionic surfactant which has desirable cleaning properties and mildness to the human skin.
An object of this invention is to provide a light duty liquid detergent composition which can be in the form of a microemulsion, and comprises a mixture of anionic surfactants, wherein the composition does not contain any N-alkyl alkanolamide, zwitterionic surfactant, silicas, abrasives, alkali metal carbonates, alkaline earth metal carbonates, alkyl glycine surfactant or a cyclic imidinium surfactant or more than 0.05 wt. % of a hydroxy aliphatic acid.
Another object of this invention is to provide a light duty liquid detergent with desirable high foaming and cleaning properties.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The clear microemulsion or nonmicroemulsion light duty liquid compositions of the instant invention comprises approximately by weight:
(a) 10% to 45% of a mixture of an alkali metal salt of an anionic sulfonate surfactant and an alkali metal salt of a C.sub.8-C.sub.18 ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate and/or a C.sub.8-C.sub.18 alkyl ether sulfate wherein the weight ratio of the sulfonate surfactant to the sulfate surfactant is from 15:1 to 1:1;
(b) 0% to 10% of an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant;
(c) 0 to 5% of polyethylene glycol;
(d) 0 to 10% of at least one solubilizing agent;
(e) 0 to 14% of at least one cosurfactant;
(f) 0 to 5% of an inorganic magnesium salt;
(g) 0 to 8% of a water insoluble organic ester or a water insoluble material such as terpene or essential oils;
(h) 0 to 2%, more preferably 0.05% to 2% of a thickener; and
(i) the balance being water.
The instant compositions do not contain an N-alkyl alkanolamide, choline chloride or buffering system which is a nitrogenous buffer which is ammonium or alkaline earth carbonate, guanidine derivates, alkoxylalkyl amines and alkyleneamines C3-C7 alkyl and alkenyl monobasic and dibasic acids such as C4-C7 aliphatic carboxylic diacids, phosphoric acid, amino alkylene phosphonic acid or more than 0.05 wt. % of a hydroxy aliphatic acid, and the composition is pourable and is not a gel.
The anionic sulfonate surfactants which may be used in the detergent of this invention are water soluble and include the sodium, potassium, ammonium and ethanolammonium salts of linear C8-C16 alkyl benzene sulfonates; C10-C20 paraffin sulfonates, alpha olefin sulfonates containing about 10-24 carbon atoms and C8-C18 alkyl sulfates and mixtures thereof. The preferred anionic sulfonate surfactant is a C12-18 paraffin sulfonate.
The paraffin sulfonates may be monosulfonates or di-sulfonates and usually are mixtures thereof, obtained by sulfonating paraffins of 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Preferred paraffin sulfonates are those of C2-18 carbon atoms chains, and more preferably they are of C14-17 chains. Paraffin sulfonates that have the sulfonate group(s) distributed along the paraffin chain are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,503,280; 2,507,088; 3,260,744; and 3,372,188; and also in German Patent 735,096. Such compounds may be made to specifications and desirably the content of paraffin sulfonates outside the C14-17 range will be minor and will be minimized, as will be any contents of di- or poly-sulfonates.
Examples of suitable other sulfonated anionic detergents are the well known higher alkyl mononuclear aromatic sulfonates, such as the higher alkylbenzene sulfonates containing 9 to 18 or preferably 9 to 16 carbon atoms in the higher alkyl group in a straight or branched chain, or C8-15 alkyl toluene sulfonates. A preferred alkylbenzene sulfonate is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate having a higher content of 3-phenyl (or higher) isomers and a correspondingly lower content (well below 50%) of 2-phenyl (or lower) isomers, such as those sulfonates wherein the benzene ring is attached mostly at the 3 or higher (for example 4, 5, 6 or 7) position of the alkyl group and the content of the isomers in which the benzene ring is attached in the 2 or 1 position is correspondingly low. Preferred materials are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,174, especially those in which the alkyls are of 10 to 13 carbon atoms.
The C8-18 ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate surfactants have the structure
Rxe2x80x94(OCHCH2)nOSO3xe2x88x92M+
wherein n is about 1 to about 22 more preferably 1 to 3 and R is an alkyl group having about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, more preferably 12 to 15 and natural cuts, for example, C12-14 or C12-16 and M is an ammonium cation or a metal cation, most preferably sodium.
The ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate may be made by sulfating the condensation product of ethylene oxide and C8-10 alkanol, and neutralizing the resultant product. The ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfates differ from one another in the number of carbon atoms in the alcohols and in the number of moles of ethylene oxide reacted with one mole of such alcohol. Preferred ethoxylated alkyl ether polyethenoxy sulfates contain 12 to 15 carbon atoms in the alcohols and in the alkyl groups thereof, e.g., sodium myristyl (3 EO) sulfate.
Ethoxylated C8-18 alkylphenyl ether sulfates containing from 2 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide in the molecule are also suitable for use in the invention compositions. These detergents can be prepared by reacting an alkyl phenol with 2 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide and sulfating and neutralizing the resultant ethoxylated alkylphenol. The concentration of the ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate surfactant is about 2 to about 15 wt. %.
The compositions of the present invention may contain a nonionic surfactant or mixtures thereof. Suitable nonionic surfactants for use herein are fatty alcohol ethoxylates which are commercially available with a variety of fatty alcohol chain lengths and a variety of ethoxylation degrees. Indeed, the HLB values of such nonionic surfactants depend essentially on the chain length of the fatty alcohol and the degree of ethoxylation. Particularly suitable nonionic surfactants are the condensation products of a higher aliphatic alcohol containing about 8 to 18 carbon atoms in a straight or branched chain configuration, condensed with about 2 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide.
The thickener is used at a concentration of 0 to about 2 wt. %, more preferably about 0.05 wt. % to about 2 wt. %. A preferred polymeric thickener is a sodium salt of a polyacrylic acid having a molecular weight of 500000 such as Acusol 820 sold by ROHM and HAAS. Other thickeners which could be used are cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyacrylate polyacrylamides and polivilyl alcohol.
The water insoluble saturated organic diester has the formula:
wherein R1 and R2 are independently a C2 to C6 alkyl group and n is a number from 4 to 8. A preferred organic diester is dibutyl adipate. The concentration of the organic diester in the microemulsion composition is about 0.5 wt. % to about 8 wt. %, more preferably about 1 wt. % to about 6 wt. %.
Among components of different types of perfumes that may be employed are the following: essential oilsxe2x80x94pine, balsam, fir, citrus, evergreen, jasmine, lily, rose and ylang ylang; estersxe2x80x94phenoxyethyl isobutyrate, benzyl acetate, p-tertiary butyl cyclohexyl acetate, guaiacwood acetate, linalyl acetate, dimethylbenzyl carbinyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, linalyl benzoate, benzyl formate, ethylmethylphenyl glycidate, allylcyclohexane propionate, styrallyl propionate and benzyl salicylate; ethersxe2x80x94benzyl-ethyl ether; aldehydesxe2x80x94alkyl aldehydes of 8 to 18 carbon atoms, bourgeonal, citral, citronellal, citronellyl oxyacetaldehyde, cyclamen aldehyde, hydroxycitronellal and lilial; alcoholsxe2x80x94anethol, citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, linalool, phenylethyl alcohol and terpineol; hydrocarbonsxe2x80x94balsams and terpenes; ketonesxe2x80x94ionones, alpha-isomethyl ionone, and methylcedryl ketone; lactonesxe2x80x94gamma-alkyl lactone wherein the alkyl is of 8 to 14 carbon atoms; pyrronesxe2x80x94hydroxy-lower alkyl pyrrone wherein the alkyl is of 1 to 4 carbon toms; and pyrrolesxe2x80x94benzopyrrole.
While various components of perfumes that are considered to be useful in the invented composition have been described above, the particular composition of the perfume is not considered to be critical with respect to cleaning properties so long as it is water insoluble (and has an acceptable fragrance). For use by the housewife or other consumer in the home, the perfume, as well as all other components of these cleaners, should be cosmetically acceptable, i.e., non-toxic, hypoallergenic, etc.
The polyethylene glycol used in the instant composition has a molecular weight of 200 to 1,000, wherein the polyethylene glycol has the structure
HO(CH2CH2O)nH
wherein n is 4 to 25. The concentration of the polyethylene glycol in the instant composition is 0 to 5 wt. %, more preferably 0.1 wt. % to 4 wt. %.
The instant light duty liquid nonmicroemulsion compositions contain about 0 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, more preferably about 1 wt. % to about 8 wt. %, of at least one solubilizing agent selected from the group consisting of a C2-5 mono, dihydroxy or polyhydroxy alkanols such as ethanol, isopropanol, glycerol ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and propylene glycol and mixtures thereof and alkali metal cumene or xylene sulfonates such as sodium cumene sulfonate and sodium xylene sulfonate. The solubilizing agents are included in order to control low temperature cloud clear properties.
The cosurfactant used in the microemulsion composition may play an essential role in the formation of the microemulsion compositions. Very briefly, in the absence of the cosurfactant the water, detergent(s) and hydrocarbon (e.g., perfume) will, when mixed in appropriate proportions form either a micellar solution (low concentration) or form an oil-in-water emulsion in the first aspect of the invention. With the cosurfactant added to this system, the interfacial tension at the interface between the emulsion droplets and aqueous phase is reduced to a very low value. This reduction of the interfacial tension results in spontaneous break-up of the emulsion droplets to consecutively smaller aggregates until the state of a transparent colloidal sized emulsion. e.g., a microemulsion, is formed. In the state of a microemulsion, thermodynamic factors come into balance with varying degrees of stability related to the total free energy of the microemulsion. Some of the thermodynamic factors involved in determining the total free energy of the system are (1) particle-particle potential; (2) interfacial tension or free energy (stretching and bending); (3) droplet dispersion entropy; and (4) chemical potential changes upon formation. A thermodynamically stable system is achieved when (2) interfacial tension or free energy is minimized and (3) droplet dispersion entropy is maximized.
Thus, the role of cosurfactant in formation of a stable o/w microemulsion is to (a) decrease interfacial tension (2); and (b) modify the microemulsion structure and increase the number of possible configurations (3). Also, the cosurfactant will (c) decrease the rigidity. Generally, an increase in cosurfactant concentration results in a wider temperature range of the stability of the product.
The major class of compounds found to provide highly suitable cosurfactants for the microemulsion over temperature ranges extending from 5xc2x0 C. to 43xc2x0 C. for instance are polypropylene glycol of the formula HO(CH3CHCH2O)nH wherein n is a number from 1 to 18, and mono and di C1-C6 alkyl ethers and esters of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol having the structural formulas R(X)nOH, R1(X)nOH, R(X)nOR and R1(X)nOR1 wherein R is C1-C6 alkyl group, R1 is C2-C4 acyl group, X is (OCH2CH2) or (OCH2(CH3)CH) and n is a number from 1 to 4, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, an alkyl lactate, wherein the alkyl group has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, 1methoxy-2-propanol, 1methoxy-3-propanol, and 1methoxy 2-, 3- or 4-butanol.
Representative members of the polypropylene glycol include dipropylene glycol and polypropylene glycol having a molecular weight of 150 to 1000, e.g., polypropylene glycol 400. Other satisfactory glycol ethers are ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butyl cellosolve), diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butyl carbitol), triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monohexyl ether, diethylene glycol monohexyl ether, propylene glycol tertiary butyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monopentyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monopentyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monopropyl ether, triethylene glycol monopentyl ether, triethyiene glycol monohexyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monoethyl ether, mono, di tripropylene glycol monopropyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monopentyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monohexyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol mono methyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monoethyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monopropyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monopentyl ether and mono, di, tributylene glycol monohexyl ether, ethylene glycol monoacetate and dipropylene glycol propionate. When these glycol type cosurfactants are at a concentration of about 0.5 to about 14 weight %, more preferably about 2.0 weight % to about 10 weight % in combination with a water insoluble organic ester or non water soluble material such as terpene, essential oils which is at a concentration of at least 0.5 weight %, more preferably 1.5 weight % to about 8 wt. % one can form a microemulsion composition.
While all of the aforementioned glycol ether compounds provide the described stability, the most preferred cosurfactant compounds of each type, on the basis of cost and cosmetic appearance (particularly odor), are dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether and propylene glycol. Other suitable water soluble cosurfactants are water soluble esters such as ethyl lactate and water soluble carbohydrates such as butyl glycosides.
The instant microemulsion formulas explicitly exclude alkali metal silicates and alkali metal builders such as alkali metal polyphosphates, alkali metal carbonates and alkali metal phosphonates because these materials, if used in the instant composition, would cause the composition to have a high pH as well as leaving residue on the surface being cleaned.
The final essential ingredient in the inventive microemulsion compositions having improved interfacial tension properties is water. The proportion of water in the compositions generally is in the range of 35% to 90%, preferably 50% to 85% by weight of the usual diluted o/w microemulsion composition.
In addition to the above-described essential ingredients required for the formation of the microemulsion composition, the compositions of this invention may often and preferably do contain one or more additional ingredients which serve to improve overall product performance.
One such ingredient is an inorganic or organic salt of oxide of a multivalent metal cation, particularly Mg++. The metal salt or oxide provides several benefits including improved cleaning performance in dilute usage, particularly in soft water areas, and minimized amounts of perfume required to obtain the microemulsion state. Magnesium sulfate, either anhydrous or hydrated (e.g., heptahydrate), is especially preferred as the magnesium salt. Good results also have been obtained with magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, magnesium acetate, magnesium propionate and magnesium hydroxide. These magnesium salts can be used with formulations at neutral or acidic pH since magnesium hydroxide will not precipitate at these pH levels.
Although magnesium is the preferred multivalent metal from which the salts (inclusive of the oxide and hydroxide) are formed, other polyvalent metal ions also can be used provided that their salts are nontoxic and are soluble in the aqueous phase of the system at the desired pH level.
Thus, depending on such factors as the pH of the system, the nature of the primary surfactants and cosurfactant, and so on, as well as the availability and cost factors, other suitable polyvalent metal ions include aluminum, copper, nickel, iron, calcium, etc. It should be noted, for example, that with the preferred paraffin sulfonate anionic detergent calcium salts will precipitate and should not be used. It has also been found that the aluminum salts work best at pH below 5 or when a low level, for example 1 weight percent, of citric acid is added to the composition which is designed to have a neutral pH. Alternatively, the aluminum salt can be directly added as the citrate in such case. As the salt, the same general classes of anions as mentioned for the magnesium salts can be used, such as halide (e.g., bromide, chloride), sulfate, nitrate, hydroxide, oxide, acetate, propionate, etc.
Preferably, in the dilute compositions the metal compound is added to the composition in an amount sufficient to provide at least a stoichiometric equivalent between the anionic surfactant and the multivalent metal cation. For example, for each gram-ion of Mg++ there will be 2 gram moles of paraffin sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonate, etc., while for each gram-ion of A13+ there will be 3 gram moles of anionic surfactant. Thus, the proportion of the multivalent salt generally will be selected so that one equivalent of compound will neutralize from 0.1 to 1.5 equivalents, preferably 0.9 to 1.4 equivalents, of the acid form of the anionic surfactant. At higher concentrations of anionic surfactant, the amount of the inorganic magnesium salt will be in range of 0 to 5 wt. %, more preferably 0.5 to 3 wt. %.
The liquid cleaning composition of this invention may, if desired, also contain other components either to provide additional effect or to make the product more attractive to the consumer. The following are mentioned by way of example: Colors or dyes in amounts up to 0.5% by weight; preservatives or antioxidizing agents, such as formalin, 5-bromo-5-nitro-dioxan-1,3; 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothaliazolin-3-one, 2,6-di-tert.butyl-p-cresol, etc., in amounts up to 2% by weight; and pH adjusting agents, such as sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide, as needed. Furthermore, if opaque compositions are desired, up to 4% by weight of an opacifier may be added.
In final form, the instant compositions exhibit stability at reduced and increased temperatures. More specifically, such compositions remain clear and stable in the range of 5xc2x0 C. to 50xc2x0 C., especially 10xc2x0 C. to 43xc2x0 C. Such compositions exhibit a pH of 6 to 7.0. The liquid microemulsion compositions are readily pourable and exhibit a viscosity in the range of 6 to 1000 milliPascal.second (mPas.) as measured at 25xc2x0 C. with a Brookfield RVT Viscometer.

Light duty liquid cleaning compositions consisting of anionic surfactant mixtures


A self-service terminal (10) includes a non-contact interface (18, 20) for enabling a user to interact with the terminal without requiring physical contact with the terminal, a biometric sensor (14) for establishing the identity of the user by sensing a physical trait or characteristic of the user, and a processor (30) for controlling the terminal. The interface (18, 20) may utilize speech recognition and generation.

This invention relates to a terminal, such as a self-service terminal (SST), and typically an automated teller machine (ATM). Aspects of the invention also relate to a terminal for carrying out non-cash transactions, such as in outlets where customers purchase goods or services using credit or debit cards.
A conventional self-service terminal (SST), such as an automated teller machine (ATM), includes a card reader device to initiate a transaction, a keypad to input information and instructions to the terminal and a display to output instructions and information to the user. These devices are expensive and require a level of assumed knowledge and effort from the user.
In addition, these devices must be located conveniently for users of the terminal. In practice, a terminal will typically be set out in a compromise configuration; of course such a configuration may involve some difficulty for users who are shorter or taller than average, and will likely prove difficult if not impossible to access by wheelchair users. A somewhat similar difficulty arises in xe2x80x9cdrive-upxe2x80x9d applications, where it is intended that the user may complete a transaction or operation using the terminal without leaving their vehicle. In this application, the terminal must attempt to accommodate variations in vehicle configuration as well as physical differences in users.
It is among the objectives of aspects of the present invention to provide a self-service terminal which obviates or mitigates these difficulties.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a self-service terminal comprising:
non-contact interface means for enabling a user to interact with the terminal without requiring physical contact with the terminal,
biometric sensing means for establishing the identity of the user by sensing a physical trait or characteristic of the user; and
processor means for controlling the terminal.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a self-service terminal, the method comprising:
enabling a user to interact with the terminal without requiring physical contact with the terminal; and
establishing the identity of the user by sensing a physical trait or characteristic of the user.
The provision of non-contact interface means in combination with biometric sensing means allows a user to interact with a terminal while requiring little or no physical contact or interaction with the terminal. This offers a number of significant advantages over existing terminals. For example, where the terminal is an ATM, it may be possible to dispense with a number of features found in conventional ATMs, such as the card reader device and input slot, the keypad to input information and the display. Accordingly, it may be possible to provide an ATM in accordance with the invention at significantly lower cost. Further, as there may be little or no need to interact with the terminal physically, a terminal may be made more easily accessible to users of a wide variety of statures and wheelchair users. Similarly, in xe2x80x9cdrive-throughxe2x80x9d applications, a terminal may be more easily accessed by users in a variety of vehicles. In preferred embodiments of the present invention in the form of ATMs, the only physical contact the user has with the terminal may be to withdraw banknotes from an appropriate cash dispenser slot.
The non-contact interface means may include one or both of means for outputting terminal instructions for the user in natural speech and means for inputting spoken user instructions for the terminal. Thus, the terminal and user may xe2x80x9cconversexe2x80x9d.
The biometric sensing means may take any suitable form, preferably utilizing a non-contact technique such as iris pattern recognition, but said means may use other biometric patterns including facial geometry, fingerprints, palmprints, voice patterns, finger geometry or other physical traits or characteristics, or a combination of one or more of these.
Preferably, the biometric sensing means identifies the user, such that an operator may utilize the terminal without having to present a identification card or the like. Alternatively, said means may be used to verify the identity of a user, where the user has xe2x80x9cclaimedxe2x80x9d an identity by presenting a means for identifying themself, such as an identification card or the like, to the terminal. In such an embodiment it is preferred that the identifying means does not require physical contact with the terminal, such as an identification card that may be read by the terminal using a camera of the like, or is capable of remote interrogation or communication with the terminal.
In order to establish the identity of a user by one or more biometric identifiers, it is of course first necessary to create a record of the user""s biometric identifiers, which allows comparison between a biometric identifier sensed by the terminal and the stored information. When a best match is made, the user is offered the services available from the terminal. The information may be stored on a xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d card carried by the user, or may be stored in a central database.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a non-cash transaction terminal comprising:
interface means for enabling entry of transaction details;
biometric sensing means for identifying a user by sensing a physical trait or characteristic of the user; and
processor means for controlling the terminal.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of carrying out a non-cash transaction, the method comprising:
providing a terminal;
entering transaction details in the terminal; and
identifying a user by sensing a physical trait or characteristic of the user; and
processing the transaction.
These aspects of the invention have application in retail stores and the like where users or customers wish to purchase goods or services. As the customer is identified by the terminal, there is no requirement for the customer to present a credit or debit card. Clearly this is more convenient for the customer and minimizes the possibility of fraud; a thief cannot obtain or xe2x80x9cstealxe2x80x9d an individual""s biometric identifiers, whether this is an iris pattern or other identifier.


A bolt assembly is used in combination with a door-post surface formed with at least one centering recess and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. The assembly has a mounting plate having an inner face engaging the door-post surface and an opposite outer face, a bolt projecting from the outer face and engageable by the latch element, and at least one centering formation projecting from the inner face and engaged in the door-post surface. Friction-increasing surface formations are also provided on the inner face engageable with the door-bolt surface. They can be bumps or ridges formed on the inner flange face. When the flange is formed of a metal core with a plastic covering over the core, the formations are formed by the plastic covering.

The present invention relates to a motor-vehicle door latch. More particularly this invention concerns a bolt for such a latch.
A bolt assembly is used in combination with a door-post surface and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. The bolt assembly has as described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,324 a metal plate unitarily formed with a pair of flat coplanar flanges each formed with a mounting hole and a holding portion projecting laterally from the flanges. A mass of a durable plastic material generally covers at least the flanges of the plate and forms an outside surface engaging the door-post surface and an inside surface turned away from the door-post surface. The bolt is formed at the holding portion with a transversely open recess adapted to receive the latch element. The flanges have raised portions extending to and exposed at the outside surface for direct contact with the door-post surface but otherwise are wholly imbedded beneath the inside and outside surfaces of the mass at the flanges.
Such a bolt must be mounted with great precision on the door so that the door closes flush with the vehicle body, does not rattle when closed, and so that the closing and opening movements take place quietly and smoothly. The installation is normally done by first securing it finger-tight with two bolts that have heads bearing on the flange plate and a threaded shank passing through slots in the door port seated in nuts welded to a mounting plate inside the door post. The door is fitted and the bolt is moved into the appropriate position, then the bolts are torqued down to lock in the set position. This is a laborious job requiring expert assembly skills and even the use of jigs or templates to determine just where the bolt should be mounted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle door latch.
Another object is the provision of such an improved bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle door latch which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which facilitates accurate positioning of the bolt assembly on the door post.
A bolt assembly is used in combination with a door-post surface formed with at least one centering recess and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. The assembly has according to the invention a mounting plate having an inner face engaging the door-post surface and an opposite outer face, a bolt projecting from the outer face and engageable by the latch element, and at least one centering formation projecting from the inner face and engaged in the door-post surface.
The centering formations allow the bolt assembly to be mounted in the desired position on the door post without the use of a template or jig. In fact the bolt assembly can normally be fixed in its final position as a result of the accurate placement ensured by the centering formations, allowing the mounting bolts to be torqued down all the way on initial installation.
According to the invention friction-increasing surface formations are also provided on the inner face engageable with the door-bolt surface. They can be bumps or ridges formed on the inner flange face. When the flange is formed of a metal core with a plastic covering over the core, the formations are formed by the plastic covering.
The centering formation in accordance with the invention can be unitary with the flange. Alternately it can be formed by a pin or pins set in the flange. The pin can be cylindrical or of polygonal section. The bolt assembly is symmetrical to plane and there are two such centering formations flanking the plane. Normally the recesses or holes in the door post that receive the centering formations are slightly larger than these formations to allow some adjustability of the bolt position. In any case after installation the centering formations further prevent slippage of the bolt assembly on the door post.
The plate and bolt are covered with plastic except at a portion of the bolt engageable with the fork. In addition a decorative cover is fitted over the outer face of the mounting plate. This cover is snap-fitted to the plate. The plastic coating and cover can be colored to match the vehicle, presenting an attractive appearance.


A portable device of coiled copper tubing and copper sheet metal construction that is ergonomically designed to provide a combination of beneficial practices into one more effective method, and devices for inflammation control, injury immobilization and therapy. The combination of copper in contact with the skin, the ability to perform hot and cold treatments, or steady cold treatments for an extended period of time, and the ability to provide adjustable ergonomic support provide an improve method and devices for the treatment of injuries, aches, and pains.

This invention relates to a method and devices that provide an improved way to reduce inflammation, and a simpler way to administer therapy, by combining some known concepts into more effective devices.
A need exists for an improved method and device for the immobilization of an injured person, controlling inflammation after traumatic injury, for externally controlling blood circulation and for the encouragement of muscle relaxation during stabilization and recovery. After an individual has received a traumatic neck or spinal injury, often there is more damage caused by the resulting inflammation and tightening of the muscles than was caused by the initial injury itself. Countless individuals have survived the initial impacts causing their injury, only to succumb to the inability of their health care providers to manage the inflammation and tightening of muscles, which irreparably damages the spinal chord. Medications have been developed which attempt to combat these conditions. However, these are not effective enough, and it has been found that the side effects of these could be causing as much harm as good. Often as conditions begin to get out of hand, in an effort to do something, surgeons are called upon to relieve the pressure on the spine by surgically cutting strategic pressure points. Often this can cause further inflammation as the body attempts to combat the invasive procedure. If the individual does survive, they are faced with recovery from the initial injury, the resultant inflammation, and the invasive procedure. Studies have shown that the application of cold temperatures does help to reduce the onset of this inflammation. Ideally, as the application of cold temperatures should be a simple, basic operation, and as early application enhances its effectiveness, it should begin in the field prior to arrival at the medical facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,501 has attempted to provide a solution to this problem. It is of a design similar to fairly common C-collars, however this one provides cavities that can contain temperature controlling substances. It falls short though, in two ways. First, it""s design of larger pieces would make it more difficult to custom shape the device to contact the user""s skin in areas that would be most beneficial to user. Secondly, being made of material other than copper, the temperature distribution would not be as even. This and the distance from the skin reduce its effectiveness. U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,412 also attempts to remedy these temperature applications considerations in a device that can be used in the field, but this also has a distance between critical areas that would require much lower temperatures to be effective. Neither of these devices provides the benefits of copper, as expanded upon below, which include encouragement of the muscles to relax, that the devices used in this method provide. Neither provides the type of beneficial ergonomic adjustable support the devices used in this method provide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,885 is also designed to combat this inflammation problem using cold temperatures. However, this device does not allow for as much flexibility in the neck region, and does not include the benefits of copper.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,655 is also designed to combat this inflammation problem using cold temperatures, but this relies on air to carry the temperature, is much bulkier so it would be difficult to move around, more costly to produce, and it also does not include the benefits of copper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,762 uses a portable temperature control system, part of which would work well in combinations with the present invention. This patent describes a personal temperature control system that is designed more for environmental comfort of the user in the form of a garment. This would work for certain medical conditions requiring temperature control. In one form, it simply circulates coolant fluid through a temperature exchange coil that is submerged in ice water, then back through the garment. But the garments do not include the advantages of copper or provide support. U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,594 shows a temperature exchange device that simply uses a standard water faucet as a source of temperature transporting substance. The temperature can be changed by changing the faucet settings, while the small amount of returning water simply goes down the drain. This has been found to be very adequate in conjunction with the present invention as long as the water is either cold or warm enough depending on the type of treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,608 uses the bodies own temperature to circulate the fluid. However none of these provide the type of support nor benefits of copper the present invention provides.
Often after an injury, the vertebrae in the neck begin to straighten into a line as seen from the victim""s side. The neck is supposed to have a curve as seen from the side. As the neck straightens, nerves in between the vertebrae are pinched, and the patient experiences any of many different kinds of discomfort. For many years, Chiropractors have encouraged the use of a towel roll while laying down to help the neck relax in, retain, or return to this curved posture. This has been found to provide much relief. However, at times, due to the patient""s condition and extent of injury, they may not at first be able to tolerate very much curving support from the towel roll. In these cases, the towel roll is simply unrolled to a smaller size until a little extra support is achieved. Then over a period of time as the patient heals and becomes accustom to this smaller roll, the towel is slowly rolled up further and further to increase the curve in the neck until it reaches normal. The towel roll is great for the shape, but often a cold surface adds further relief. The use of a towel roll, covered with a gel ice pack can help provide both, but this stays cool only a short while, and often the gel is pushed out of the most supported areas and the cooling effect doesn""t last as long in those areas. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,887,326, 5,697,961, 5,344,437, use a pouch that can contain the ice or heated fluid. However these do not provide a continuos cold temperature for an extend time as is desirable with sever injuries, are harder to regulate the shape of, and do not include the benefits of copper, thus making them less effective.
Medical people have, for many years, known the benefits that the muscles can receive from the alternating of hot and cold. As described below, the devices the present invention uses for implementation, one is able to easily have hot and cold treatments administered while they are relaxing comfortably with out the hassle of changing ice packs to other types of heated articles. The ability to have the temperature automatically changed from hot to cold is a great benefit for therapy purposes. Studies indicate that people having trouble with swollen disc shouldn""t use heat. Though providing temporary relief, the heat only causes the discs to swell further, additional aggravating the discomfort in the long run. However, it is also commonly accepted that the muscles that are injured benefit from having hot and cold treatments. A dilemma arises when both are experiencing trouble in the same area. When this occurs, the need to change temperatures quickly becomes apparent. The present invention performs this quick change faster and more effectively than prior art. Devices that hold their temperature, by relying on the volume of the material at desire treatment temperature, have to be changed. Devices that circulate a temperature carrying substance, but are constructed out of material other that copper, do not relay the change in temperature as quickly.
Research has shown that after a limb such as a leg is injured, if the injured area is quickly cooled and maintained in this cool condition, the recovery takes place quicker. However, with many of the commonly used splints, the limb is first immobilized with some type of stiff material such as hard plastic, stiff cardboard, or a flexible wire mesh. Then this immobilizing material and the limb are wrapped with a cloth material of varying consistencies, to keep them in place over the immobilizing material. Cold ice packs can be administered over the wrapping material, however this material greatly reduces the amount of cool temperature that actually reaches the injured area of the limb. U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,997 does apply cold to the injured limb; however, it is bulky and would greatly complicate the transfer of the patient from one gurney to another, or from a gurney to a hospital bed. If the water were to be let out of the device for this transfer, immobilization of the limb would be lost. This device also fails to provide the benefits of copper.
Copper is a great conductor of thermal energy; it has tremendous benefits as an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant and also conducts electricity very effectively. When copper is next to the skin, the skin absorbs a small amount of the copper. Copper is a natural mineral that our bodies need. Wearing copper bracelets has become popular with golfers that have experienced trouble with their wrists. Many claim that they have had relief in other areas of the bodies as well. A number of researchers have been studying the benefits of copper. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,680,309, 6,171,606 discuss some of these benefits as do studies such as one preformed by the Vitamin Research Products, Inc. xe2x80x9cCopper: The Maligned Mineralxe2x80x9d is an article that first appeared in the April-July/August, 1994 issues of the magazine VRP""s Newsletter. This and other studies show that the copper is drawn to the area of the inflammation by the body to help combat the inflammation. They point out that the introduction of a small amount of copper into the body actually reduces the chances of arthritis setting in. As well as conducting temperature, copper also is good at conducting electricity. By being in contact with the skin, it helps to route and balance the electric flow of the body. Muscles that are too tight are receiving too much electric energy. The copper bridging the nerve endings on the skin helps to reroute the electric energy in the body reducing the amount sent to muscles that are over tightened thus helpings them to relax further aiding in the stabilization, recovery and healing process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,309, does introduce the copper to the skin in or near the location of the discomfort. However, it does not include the added benefits of temperature treatments, therapeutic adjustable ergonomic shaping, or injury immobilization.
The present invention combines the useful concepts described above into one more effective method of achieving relief from inflammation, tight muscles, and pain. Thus, by using the combinations of temperature treatments, the benefits of copper and the ability to adjust the shape of the supporting device, the present invention provides a complete and superior treatment for patients.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages are:
(a) Extreme temperatures are not as important. Therefore less energy is required to operate devices of this method. The use of cold water, or conversely very warm water, is adequate for most treatments. As the copper conducts thermal energy so well and when used in the optimal position directly in contact with the skin, extremely cold fluid or gasses are not as essential as with some of the prior art. This transfer of thermal energy is so effective that when used for hot treatment while a regular household""s water tap is supplying the thermal energy source, care must be taken not to burn the skin. With prior art devices that use less conductive material in contact with the skin, these materials act as insulation requiring more energy to provide treatment through it to the skin. The ability of the devices of this method to conserve energy enables them to be operated less expensively, and more portably. As one skilled in the art would see, the devices the present invention uses to fulfill its objectives could easily be adapted to work in combination with and improve upon many different temperature exchange systems to fulfill its purposes.
(b) The ability to adjust the shape of the devices of this method provides improved means of treatment. As with the changing of the size of the towel roll, as mention above, the ability to more easily change the ergonomic shape of the devices of this method provide a all around more effective treatment by making the devices of this method more custom fit. This custom fit that is more suited to the patients condition is less apt to aggravate the patient""s condition by attempting to shape the injury in an undesirable way. But rather aids the patient by encouraging the correct shape while making changes in a more acceptable way. While some of the prior art would require re-machining, or multiple devices to accomplish this, the devices of this method can simply be adjusted as needed. As one skilled in the art can see, an adjustable device that supports and helps the neck maintain, or return to the natural curve that it is suppose to have has many advantages
(c) By being more easily changed from cold to hot, the devices of this method provide an improved means of performing temperature treatments to areas where swollen joints are in the same proximity as injured muscles. When injured muscles are in the same area as swollen joints, a dilemma arises because swollen joint are best treated with cold only, and muscles are best benefited by a combination of hot and cold. The answer improved upon by the present invention lies in applying cold to the area in this condition, for a long enough time that the cold treatment has time to reach deep into the disc to reduce swelling there. Then hot should be applied for a brief time, only long enough to draw blood into the muscles, but not into the discs. Cold should be once again applied, for longer than the heat, then once again the heat and so on finishing with cold at the end of the treatment. With the devices of this method, one could easily have the treatment while laying back in a recliner. So the circulated liquid cooling and heating advantage becomes obvious. With the devices of this method, the copper helps to transmit the temperature from the fluid to the skin. Therefore, as one skilled in the art would see, the present invention is of further aid by working in combination with, and improving upon systems with automatic controls that would be suited to these temperature control requirements.
(d) The ergonomic shape of the copper while in contact with the skin helps relax muscles, and reduce swelling. This ergonomic shape allows more of the skin to be contacted, thereby allowing more nerve endings to be in contact with the copper. This contact of the nerve endings with the copper allows the electrical energy in the body to more easily stabilize, thereby helping to relax muscles that are receiving to much energy. The contact with the skin also allows the skin to absorb small amounts of copper, which in turn aid in the reduction of inflammation.
By combining the temperature control ability with the benefits of copper and the adjustable ergonomic shape of the devices of this method, the present invention provides a better therapy than is received by using anyone of the treatments alone.

Method and devices of inflammation control, and therapy


An antimicrobial supply system employs a process water supply and incorporates a metallic ion supply connected to the process water supply to provide a high ion concentrate to an output. A dilution reservoir is connected to the metallic ion supply output and has an input from the process water supply. A pump is connected to an output of the reservoir. A manifold connected to the pump provides a dilute concentrate to at least one washing system. An electronics control module is connected to a first flow controller between the process water supply and the metallic ion supply and a second flow controller between the metallic ion supply and the reservoir for dilution control establishing a desired metallic ion concentration.

Field
The present invention is in the technical field of antimicrobial treatment of fabrics and textile materials. More particularly, the present invention provides a system providing metallic ion generation and dilution, in desired concentrations, for batch storage and entrainment in a flow for use in antimicrobial treatment of fabrics and a method for controlled introduction of the antimicrobial agent into the textile.
Related Art
Shortcomings of existing antimicrobial treatments can lead to stain and odor causing bacteria build-up, mold and mildew as well as the spread of infection through direct contact, airborne disease and waterborne disease. These diseases can be acquired by their victims from contacting contaminated surfaces, breathing air containing pathogens, or drinking pathogen containing water. Contamination of fabrics or textiles in uniforms, surgical scrubs, sheets, blankets, napkins, table cloths and similar materials by microbial pathogens can contribute to spread of disease.
Prior art antimicrobial treatments do not provide effective lasting antimicrobial benefit after the treatment has been administered. Existing antimicrobial treatments can also lead to immunization of evolved pathogens to the respective treatment. Such immunization of evolved pathogens can result in infections which cannot be treated with the conventional treatments that caused the pathogens to become immune.
Enterprises which specifically have problems with microbial issues ranging from bacterial odor through the spread of infectious diseases include, but are not limited to: the cruise line industry, hotel and gaming, professional sports teams, health and fitness clubs, nursing homes, and hospitals. Healthcare facilities currently have a growing problem with immunized pathogens being virtually untreatable with conventional methods. With such hospital infections, the harmful microbes are often carried in the linens and clothing provided by the hospital. Once hospital textiles have been laundered and treated, they are susceptible to recontamination by microbes and pathogens. Pathogens carried by these textiles can infect hospital patients and even cause death. Since almost every patient spends the majority of his or her time in bed, in a gown, between the sheets, this linen environment is the core of the overall hospital environment for the patient, and a primary site in the battle against infection. In the Cruise Ship industry, textiles are ubiquitous on cruise ships, including napkins, tablecloths, aprons, uniforms, towels, and robes.
In the healthcare field antimicrobial fabrics have been employed in which an antimicrobial ingredient is imparted into the threads or fibers during fiber or textile manufacturing. The fibers are embedded, dipped, soaked, or coated with antimicrobial agent during the manufacturing process. However, efficacy declines over time as the antimicrobial agent in the fabric is washed away and never restored.
These methods are not satisfactory for the market. In addition to the efficacy/performance issues listed above and because the textiles are manufactured to already include the beneficial antimicrobial agent such as silver, these products require linen providers to make a large upfront capital investment to purchase new, impregnated linen inventory. Inventory replacement can cost millions of dollars for large industrial laundering businesses. Additionally, the linen's antimicrobial efficacy steadily degrades over time. After each use and wash, the antimicrobial feature is diminished, causing effectiveness to decrease over time. Further, the products are aesthetically unpleasing and uncomfortable to the touch. Linen providers have reported that silver-embedded fabrics can often exhibit an off-white discoloration and are difficult to press.
It is therefore desirable to provide an antimicrobial treatment system which may be employed directly in water supply systems to provide efficacious antimicrobial action in order to transform ordinary textile materials/products into lasting active antimicrobial entities.


A catheter-flushing extension tube for maintaining the patency and sterility of the lumen of an indwelling catheter. The system is comprised of an extension tube in fluid connection with an indwelling catheter; the extension tube defines an internal volume and at least one sealed proximal terminal for intermittent connection with an external fluid source. The extension tube is configured such that the internal volume of the tube can be progressively reduced at a plurality of different times so that the extension tube itself provides the source of catheter flush solution for intermittently flushing the catheter.

Intravenous catheters represent the most common parenteral site for medication delivery. A large portion of these catheters, placed in either a peripheral or central vein, are left in situ for extended periods of time. Commonly these catheters are connected with tubing systems having closed sealed ends. These tubing systems are filled with a flush solution, which is injected through a seal or valve at a proximal terminal of the system. The act of injecting and filling with solution, a blind ended tube in fluid connection with a blood vessel has been termed a "lock procedure" because it sets up, in fluid connection with flowing blood, a simple and relatively static, vacuum-locked column of solution, extending from the solution-blood interface to a sealed proximal terminal. Within a resting fluid locked system, the pressure is relatively uniform and is substantially equal to the pressure of the flowing blood. The fluid lock system generally has a relatively fixed volume and limited elasticity so that variations in pressure within the flowing blood cannot cause substantial net or reciprocating flow of fluid between the locked system and the blood vessel. Although the term "heparin lock" or "saline lock" has been widely used, alternative flush solutions may be used. For this reason the term "fluid lock" or "lock" is preferred to designate such a procedure and/or system (which includes or is otherwise connectable to a catheter).
The use of a fluid lock system to maintain catheter patency has many advantages over other systems such as conventional pump based or gravity feeding flow system. Most of these systems maintain patency by maintaining a slightly greater pressure within the system than in the flowing blood. For many clinical situations, application of the simple lock system is preferred because it is considerably less expensive than these alternative systems. Lock systems are also associated with greater patient mobility, less complexity, and less fluid administration. However, despite its simplicity the lock procedure remains associated with considerable expense and substantial work for the nurses administrating and maintaining fluid lock systems. In addition the lock procedure has, since its inception more than 15 years ago, been associated with an unacceptable failure rate, which contributes generally to the expense of the procedure.
Other than leakage, the most important modes of failures of a conventional lock system are either thrombotic, infectious, or a combination of both. The rate of thrombotic failure has been reported to exceed 10%. One of the factors precipitating failure is reflux of blood into the tip of the catheter lumen associated with an inadvertent internal volume reduction of the fluid lock. Today the proximal seals of fluid locked systems are most commonly luer receiving valves or cannula receiving septae. As is standard with the lock procedure, these terminals generally automatically seal upon withdrawal of the cannula or luer after a flush maneuver, however, with many such systems, such withdrawal can result in removal of a small volume of fluid from the locked fluid column causing reflux of blood into the catheter lumen to accommodate that volume loss. U.S. patent application Publication No. 20010039403 published Nov. 8, 2001, of the present inventor, (the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference as if completely disclosed herein) discloses a positive flow generator for flushing indwelling fluid lock medical systems and for displacing such refluxed blood back out of the catheter tip.
Another factor precipitating failure of a fluid lock is the common state of facilitated diffusion, which develops at the leading edge of the locked fluid. Over time, diffusion, facilitated by the minor pressure variations in venous blood at the catheter lumen-to-blood interface causes blood components to gradually invade the distal end of the lumen of a fluid locked catheter. This process also induces migration of flush solution constituents from the lock, such as the anticoagulant or antimicrobial and this can contribute to failure. Peripheral catheters, being protected from central pressure variations by distance and venous valves, are exposed to much less pressure variation than central catheters and these catheters are commonly filled with saline alone. However, some blood still slowly penetrates the lumen at the tip of these catheters. For this reason it is common hospital protocol to flush such peripheral catheters every eight hours or so, to displace the small volume of blood, which enters the tip (if no scheduled infusion of medication has been provided during that interval which would otherwise achieve that goal).
To flush the lock system and its fluid connected catheter lumen, sterile saline or other flush solution is commonly aspirated from a multi-dose vial. Since, at the present time, most drug vials have elastomeric septae intended for receiving a sharp needle, this aspiration procedure often requires a disposable adapter to prevent needle sticks, which adds to the general cost of the lock procedure. A simple saline flush also requires a sterile syringe and with some systems, a sterile cannula connected with the syringe, each further adding to the expense. Because multi-dose vials carry the risk of cross contamination if not managed properly and because time dependent personnel costs are progressively rising in hospitals, an alternative, pre-filled disposable saline flush syringes are being offered by corporations. However the storage of sterile flush solution within individually packaged syringes is also expensive, and such devices can cost in excess of $0.50 for a single unit. There are hundreds of millions of such procedures performed in the US each year so that, considering all related costs, the expense of maintaining locks in the US alone probably exceeds several hundreds of millions of dollars.
In addition to the expense, each time the lock system is reentered the infection risk is increased to the patient because the outside instrument (such as a cannula, luer, or needle) can carry bacteria and yeast into the lock where they can proliferate and induce bacteremia and/or fungemia which are associated with considerable expense and can be fatal). In the 21st century many more patients have been subjected to transplantation or otherwise have reduced immune systems making it more important to reduce routine entry of external devices into lock systems as much as possible. The catheter hub and internal lumen, have long posed an important infection risk problem for patients at home or in hospitals and the contamination risk is directly related to the number of entries into the system. Because each occurrence is associated with some risk, procedures associated with repetitive reentry (as with periodic flushing) are important access mechanism for microbial invaders. Considered collectively, throughout the United States, each year there are a vast number of such entries into lock systems for the purpose of flushing alone, for this reason, although the infectious risk of each flush maneuver is low, the number of patients who die each year due to a contamination during a routine flush, although difficult to measure, is probably quite high. In addition, although each event is again associated with a low occupational risk, the nurse remains potentially exposed to infectious material, and potentially infectious waste is generated, anytime a disposable device such as a cannula enters a tubing system connected to a patient's vascular system.
Central catheters are exposed to substantially greater pressure variations, and are often left in for many weeks, and pose an increased risk in the event of lock entry related colonization. Furthermore, the state of facilitated diffusion is heightened with these catheters and thrombus formation can readily occur, causing catheter occlusion and, at times, dangerous thrombus propagation. This is especially true in patients with malignancy, which often produces a state of hyper coagulation. Clot formation can also contribute to catheter related infection and bacteremia. The extent of facilitated diffusion, combined and potential, for relative states of thrombophilia in patients with combined morbidities, produces an environment wherein optimal prevention of occlusion and infection of central catheters requires meticulous and expensive catheter maintenance.
To prevent these important causes of mortality and morbidity, new catheter flush mixtures such as combinations of antimicrobial and anticoagulants have been developed.
The rational for, as well as disclosure of, a kit for the delivery of such a combination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,768 (the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if entirely disclosed herein). This patent provides additional background for the present invention.
However well formulated these new flush solutions are vulnerable to dilution as a function of facilitated diffusion within the lumen of the catheter adjacent the solution-blood interface. This can cause a loss in efficacy if locked dwell times are extended between flushes. However as can readily be seen by understanding the "kit" disclosed in the aforementioned patent, despite short-term efficacy, each of these newer locking procedures can require considerable effort and expense. Many central catheters, especially multilumen catheters, have at least one lumen, which is idle for extended periods but which still requires frequent locking procedures unassociated with medication infusion. Also many patients receive intermittent therapy (such as chemotherapy) but have long term indwelling lines for many weeks or months. In these patients flushing may represent the only access related infectious risk to the interior of the lock over a large percentage of the catheter dwell time.
The present inventor recognized that one important fundamental problem with conventional locked systems is that; the actions taken toward achieving the goal of prevention of infection and those toward the goal of prevention of thrombosis are potentially competitive. Frequent entry into the proximal terminal to provide flushing to prevent thrombosis can induce infection whereas; minimization of entry to reduce the risk of infection can induce thrombosis. The present inventor recognized that, it would be preferable, toward the goal of minimizing both risks, to develop a lock system, which could be entered once and flushed many times. Further is was recognized by the present inventor that the efficacy of specialized lock formulations such as, BDTA-antimicrobial combinations, would be enhanced, without the need for additional entry into the locked system and with minimal administration of these formulations to the patient, if these formulations could be stored in a lock system and intermittently advanced forward in small increments to replace lost constituents at the solution-to-blood interface.
According to one aspect of the invention a system is provided including a specialized flush solution formulation containing a beneficial agent, such as an antimicrobial and/or anticoagulant, and a reservoir fluid-locked with a catheter for storing the formulation, the reservoir defines an internal space filled with the formulation in fluid communication with a blood vessel through a lumen within the catheter. The space has an internal pressure essentially equal to the pressure within the blood vessel, such that the formulation within the lumen interfaces with blood within the blood vessel at a relatively static formulation-to-blood interface adjacent the distal end of the lumen. The system includes a volume reducer for engaging the reservoir and for reducing the volume of the formulation contained within the space by facilitating the movement of at least a portion of the formulation into the interface to increase the concentration of the formulation along the interface, the volume reducer preferably includes an element for reducing the volume of the reservoir by predetermined discrete and limited increments at a plurality of different times to increase the efficacy of the formulation with a minimum of transfer of the formulation into the patients blood vessel.
According to one presently preferred embodiment the present invention, a closed system, such as a fluid locked tubing system, is provided with at least one sealed proximal terminal, which can be a luer receiving valve or cannula receiving septum. The closed system is connectable with, or integral with, at least a portion of an indwelling catheter residing beneath a patient's skin and/or vein. The closed system defines an internal volume and is at least partially filled with flush after a flush maneuver through is injected through at least one proximal terminal by an external flush system such as a syringe. A residual flush volume of flush solution, such a mixture of antimicrobial and anticoagulant (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,678), remains within the tubing system after a flush maneuver and the aforementioned internal volume defines this residual flush volume. This volume of fluid, in its locked state after the flush maneuver has been completed and enough time has passed for equalization, has generally an equal pressure to the pressure of the blood at the blood-to-flush solution interface of the locked system. According to one aspect of the present invention, the pressure of the residual flush solution is intermittently increased and the fluid advanced by intermittent and progressive reduction of the internal volume of the system. The reduction of the internal volume is preferably achieved by a volume reduction system comprising a volume reducer, which displaces the volume from a more proximal position toward a more distal position so that residual fluid is displaced toward the blood-to-flush solution interface of the catheter lumen. The volume reduction system can be a single reducer, which provides multiple levels of reduction, and which is intermittently activated to achieve progressively a greater level reduction of internal volume. Alternatively, the volume reduction system can be comprised of a plurality of multiple elements such as a plurality of small clamps, such as pinch clamps with elongated or flattened compressing surfaces, for compressing and thereby reducing the volume of the tube. These elements can be separate and slidable so that they can be conveniently positioned on the tube, depending on tape down considerations, or they can be integral or otherwise connected or connectable to the tube. Alternatively selectable volume reducing elements can be provided as connected or connectable to either or both of the proximal or distal terminals or can be integral with, and/or comprise a portion of the proximal and or distal terminal. As another alternative according to the present invention multiple elements such as clamps may be molded together as a single piece connected by a flexible elongated living hinge for mounting with an extension tubing set so that the tubing remains flexible when the connected elements are mounted with it. The elements are preferably either injection molded separately or together using a suitable medical grade polymer such as polypropylene or nylon, alternatively for greater clarity and to enhance its appearance the elements may be molded of polycarbonate or a polycarbonate-polyester blend may be used. The living hinge can be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,117, which is assigned to the present inventor (the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference as if completely disclosed herein) and marketed by Abbott laboratories under the trade name Lifeshield Connector. The tube is preferably flexible and is preferably comprised of a medical grade polymer, which has known compatibility with medication. For example a short segment of conventional intravenous tubing in wide use as extension sets is suitable for this purpose; however tubing molded with enlarged regions for compression can also be used to reduce the length of the clamps or increase the volume of the displaced flush solution.
One preferred catheter-flushing system for intermittently flushing the lumen of an indwelling catheter, wherein the catheter has an indwelling portion beneath the skin of a patient, includes a patient mounted tubing system in fluid connection with the indwelling portion. The tubing system defines an internal volume and at least one proximal terminal for intermittent connection with an external fluid source. The proximal terminal includes a seal for promptly sealing upon disconnection of the fluid source from the terminal. At least a portion of the flush solution entering the tubing system through the terminal remains sealed within the tubing system after the fluid source has been disconnected from the system, thereby defining a residual volume of flush solution within the tubing system. The system also includes a volume reducer, which is configured to induce a reduction in the volume of flush solution within the lock system. In the presently preferred embodiment the reducer is configured for progressively reducing the internal volume of the tubing system at a plurality of different times to displace a plurality of fractions of the residual volume into the indwelling portion of the catheter to intermittently flush the indwelling portion with the flush solution. The activation of the volume reducer preferably and/or its elements reduces the volume within the tubing system by at least one discrete volume. Preferably a plurality of activations of the volume reducer, and/or its elements, reduces the volume within the tubing system by a plurality of discrete volumes at a plurality of different times to provide intermittent flushing of the said catheter portion over a prolonged time interval. The flush solution is preferably saline or a mixture of diluent and at least one of an anticoagulant and an antimicrobial agent. These flush solutions are "stored" in the lock system. In the presently preferred embodiment these flush solutions are stored within the tubing system of the locked system, and are intermittently propelled forward as in discrete boluses to enhance the antimicrobial and anticoagulant efficacy of the solutions within the catheter-flushing system and to mitigate the influence of time dependent dilution adjacent the flush fluid-blood interface. If preferred the sequence can be automated such that the reducer reduces the volume at pre-selected intervals.
While the application of a volume reducer, which progressively reduces the internal volume of the lock, is presently preferred, in another embodiment the reducer achieves a net reduction of flush solution without a permanent change in internal volume of the lock system. This embodiment includes a diffusion facilitator, such as a separate alternating pressure generating element such as a vibratory element or sound emitter for alternating the pressure within the lock to facilitate the movement of flush solution within the lock system and preferably within a fluid reservoir comprising a proximal portion lock system. With this embodiment the adverse effects of facilitated diffusion induced by pressure variations within the distal blood vessel are offset by the intermittent provision of pressure variations within the proximal lock to move flush solution and any associated anticoagulant forward in the lock and thereby achieve dilution of the invading blood components at the tip of the catheter lumen which effectively dilutes the components of the clotting cascade preventing thrombosis. With such a system, while blood components slowly enter the system, rather than summarily flush them out in discrete volume reduction maneuvers, their potential to induce thrombus is mitigated by the intermittent facilitated movement of a higher concentration of flush solution with or without anticoagulant and antimicrobial components toward the distal end of the catheter lumen.
In one embodiment the system includes a single tube for mounting with a patient, the tube has a distal end connectable to the catheter and at least one proximal end with a terminal for intermittent connection with a source of flush solution. The terminal includes a seal for sealing the proximal end of the tube when the source of flush solution is disconnected from the terminal. The tube further defines an internal open space defining an internal volume which is reducible, and a lumen extending through from the sealed proximal terminal to the distal end, so that when a source of flush solution is connected to the terminal, flush solution can enter the tube from the fluid source through the terminal and flow through the lumen to at least partially fill the internal space. The lumen defines at least a portion of the internal volume. The system further includes a volume reducer comprised of at least one volume-reducing element. The volume reducer is sized and configured to sequentially reduce the internal volume of the tube at a plurality of different times after the distal end has been connected with the catheter, the flush solution has been flowed into the space from the source, and the source has been disconnected from the terminal. In one embodiment the tube is elongated and has different diameters along its length.
One preferred method for intermittently flushing the lumen of an indwelling catheter, wherein the catheter has a indwelling portion beneath the skin of a patient, comprises the steps of:
Disposing a patient mounted tubing system in fluid connection with the indwelling portion of the catheter, wherein the system has at least one proximal terminal. The tubing system defines an internal space, defining an internal volume.
Flowing flush solution from an external fluid source, through at least one terminal and through the said tubing system into the indwelling portion, with at least a portion of the solution at least partially filling the internal space.
Then promptly sealing the proximal terminal of the tubing system such that at least a portion of the flush solution remains sealed within the tubing system thereby defining a residual volume of flush solution within the tubing system, the fluid being locked in fluid connection with the blood vessel.
Then, at a plurality of different times, increasing the pressure within the tubing system, as by progressively, and in discrete steps, reducing the internal volume of the tubing system, to displace a plurality of fractions of the residual volume into the indwelling portion to intermittently flush the indwelling catheter portion with the flush solution.
The reducer and or one of its elements can be a tube compressing member configured for compressing the tubing system to a plurality of sequentially lower levels of internal volume, such that each time the system volume is reduced further, an additional portion of the stored residual volume of flush solution is displaced toward the blood-flush solution interface to displace blood which may have invaded the catheter or otherwise diluted or diminished the effect of the antimicrobial or anticoagulant.
In the case of a central catheter this residual flush solution can represent the expensive mixture of saline and an anticoagulant with or without an antimicrobial. In the peripheral catheter this is commonly saline alone. However, in either case the present inventor recognized that the presence of the residual fluid could be exploited to enhance the maintenance of patency of indwelling catheters and to prevent the need for frequent outside flushes of the system. The present inventor recognized that a system could be constructed which provided intermittent flushes from the residual fluid contained within a closed tubing system connected with a catheter thereby reducing cost, nurse exposure and work time, and catheter contamination risk. Upon the realization, the present inventor developed a sequential catheter flush generation system, which retains the advantages of simplicity and convenience of a basic lock system, but which provides for activation of a sequence of small discrete displacement volumes to be delivered at selected intervals from the locked system to maintain catheter patency without the need to open or enter the system.
Another aspect of the present invention comprises a system for maintaining the patency and sterility of the lumen of a catheter system within a blood vessel, the blood vessel containing flowing blood. The lumen defines a distal end within the blood vessel. The system contains a flush solution mixture of a diluent, such as saline, and at least one of an antimicrobial and anticoagulant stored in a fluid locked reservoir, such as a tubing system, in fluid communication with a blood vessel through a lumen, the reservoir has an internal pressure essentially equal to the pressure within the blood vessel and the flush solution within the reservoir interfaces with blood within the blood vessel at a solution-to-blood interface adjacent the distal end of the lumen. The system includes a volume reducer for periodically reducing the volume of the reservoir to advance the mixture toward the interface to flush blood components from the lumen and to increase the concentration of the mixture adjacent the interface, to thereby increase the efficacy of the mixture with a minimum of delivery of the mixture into the patient's vascular system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Catheter flushing fluid lock system and method


A delay line calibration mechanism includes a delay line, a phase detector, and a controller. The delay line receives an input pulse, a calibration pulse, a first delay selection signal, and a second delay selection signal, delays the input pulse for a delay period according to the first delay selection signal to output a delayed pulse, and delays the calibration pulse for a calibration delay period according to the second delay selection signal to output a delayed calibration pulse. The controller is for generating the input pulse, the calibration pulse, and a reference pulse. The controller also generates the first delay selection signal, and generates the second delay selection signal according to a phase difference signal. The phase detector is for generating the phase difference signal indicating the difference between the delayed calibration pulse and the reference pulse by comparing the delayed calibration pulse and the reference pulse.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to delay line calibration mechanisms, and more particularly to a delay line calibration mechanism with simplified circuit architecture and related multi-clock signal generator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Delay lines are often utilized in various electronics applications for generating a precise delay. Delay-locked loops (DLLs) and delay lines with calibration are two primary implementations. To calibrate a delay line, a replica delay line is utilized. A phase detector compares phase of the output of the replica delay line with phase of a reference clock, and a delay control circuit controls the delay amount of the replica delay line based on the phase difference detected by the phase detector. When the output of the replica delay line and the reference clock are phase-matched, the calibration amount is determined. In this mechanism, it is assumed that the calibrated delay line and the replica delay line are ideally identical, however, there is mismatch between them, and a large amount of jitter is generated accordingly. In addition, the replica delay line increases circuit area and power consumption.
Delay lines are formed of logic circuits which may comprise both active and passive elements that provide delay of the clock inputted to the delay line. However, the amount of delay provided by each circuit element may vary under changing environmental conditions, including temperature, supply voltage, process, and age. As delay lines are called upon to provide precise delay, variation of the amount of delay has potential to wreak havoc in electronic systems. Thus, it is desirable that the delay lines be self-calibrating in order to adjust to the environment, and operate normally throughout their lifetime. Further, it is desirable that the delay lines be able to perform self-calibration during operation, without having to take the electronic system offline for calibration of the delay lines.

Delay line calibration mechanism and related multi-clock signal generator