Patent ID: 6465712
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A personal care product comprising:a bodyside liner, a surge layer, a multifunctional material, a distribution layer, and a retention layer which are in sufficient contact to transfer liquid between them and which together comprise an absorbent system, said product having the functions of intake, controlled release, distribution, transfer and final storage, wherein; said surge layer is capable of handling an incoming liquid insult of between about 60 and 100 cc at a volumetric flow rate of from about 5 to 20 cc/sec and has a capillary tension, said multifunctional material has a permeability between about 100 and 10000 Darcys, a capillary tension higher than said surge layer and between about 2 and 15 cm, and a runoff rate of less than 25 ml per 100 ml insult over a life of three insults of 100 ml each separated by 30 minutes, said distribution layer has a capillary tension higher than the capillary tension of said multifunctional material and an equilibrium wicking height capillary tension of at least about 15 cm as measured by the wicking of a 8.5 g/l saline solution according to the Vertical Liquid Flux rate test throughout a life cycle of the absorbent system, said retention layer absorbs liquid quickly and efficiently from said distribution layer in a controlled manner such that liquid may be stored in a desired pattern and said retention layer has a capillary tension higher than the capillary tension of the distribution layer throughout the life cycle of the absorbent system, and is mechanically stabilized, and; said absorbent system is divided transversely for a MIST Evaluation Test, into a center zone, two intermediate zones and two end zones wherein said zones are about equally sized, said absorbent system having a ratio of an amount of liquid stored in the center zone to an amount of liquid stored in at least one of said end zones 30 minutes after each of three insults of 80 ml according to said MIST Evaluation Test which defines a fill ratio of less than 5:1, and has a fully saturated capacity of less than 450 g.