Patent Abstract:
A composition and method is provided to repair fingernail and toenail anomalies. The composition is a carrier and reflective material that, when applied to a fingernail or toenail anomaly, fills said anomaly and reflects the nearby color, thereby reducing or eliminating the visual presence of the anomaly.

Full Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/348,011 filed May 25, 2010 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Human fingernails are made up of layers of keratin—a protein that&#39;s also found in both hair and skin. Each nail is comprised of several parts. 
         [0003]    The structure known as the fingernail is divided into six specific parts—the root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium (cuticle), perionychium, and hyponychium. 
         [0004]    Each of these structures has a specific function, and if disrupted can result in an abnormal appearing fingernail. 
         [0005]    The root of the fingernail is also known as the germinal matrix. This portion of the nail is actually beneath the skin behind the fingernail and extends several millimeters into the finger itself. The fingernail root produces most of the volume of the nail and the nail bed. This portion of the nail does not have any melanocytes, or melanin producing 
         [0006]    The nail plate is the actual fingernail, made of translucent keratin. The pink appearance of the nail comes from the blood vessels underneath the nail. The underneath surface of the nail plate has grooves along the length of the nail that help anchor it to the nail bed. 
         [0007]    Nail folds are the skin that frames each of the fingernails on three sides. 
         [0008]    A nail bed is the skin beneath the nail plate. 
         [0009]    The cuticle of the fingernail is also called the eponychium. The cuticle is situated between the skin of the finger and the nail plate fusing these structures together and providing a waterproof barrier. Cuticle tissue overlaps the nail plate at the base of the nail. 
         [0010]    The lunula is the whitish, half-moon shape at the base of your nail. 
         [0011]    The perioncyhium is the skin that overlies the nail plate on its sides. It is also known as the paronychial edge. The perionychium is the site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and an infection of the skin called paronychia. 
         [0012]    The hyponychium is the area between the nail plate and the fingertip. It is the junction between the free edge of the nail and the skin of the fingertip, also providing a waterproof barrier. 
         [0013]    Cracks, chips, or other surface anomalies are often viewed unfavorably. 
         [0014]    Fingernail polish is a lacquer or other coating applied to toenails and fingernails for appearance, but also as nail protection. 
         [0015]    The present invention is a composition for repairing the various anatomical parts of a fingernail and repairing cracks or chips in fingernail polish. 
         [0016]    Nail polish consists of a pigment and a flowable resin material. The nail polish is painted on a surface of a nail using a brush and when allowed to dry, the pigment becomes embedded in the resin. 
         [0017]    Incoming light, typically light of a broad wavelength spectrum such as daylight, contacts the surface of the dried polish, and is partially transmitted into the polish and partially reflected. The wavelengths of light that are transmitted into the polish are selectively absorbed or reflected by the pigment, to a large degree, and the resin to a smaller degree. The wavelengths not absorbed by the pigment material are reflected and perceived as that color by the eye. The nail polish has an index of refraction, based on the components, including at least the pigment and resin material of the nail polish. 
         [0018]    When a nail, having nail polish previously applied, becomes “chipped”, a section of the nail polish on a nail is partially or completely dislodged from the surface of the nail resulting in a “chip”. The chipped section likely will be seen by an observer, as a defect in the polished nail. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the chipped surface is repainted with nail polish of like pigment color to match the nail polish remaining on the surface. This becomes inconvenient when the applied color of polish is unavailable, or not readily available e.g. is at home and not in the user&#39;s possession. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The present invention is a composition and method to repair fingernail and toenail anomalies. An anomaly, as used herein, refers to cracks, crevices, holes, and the like in any part of the nail surface. Additionally, an anomaly, as used herein can refer to any crack, crevice, or hole in a coating applied to the nail. Coatings, as known in the art, encompass many materials and include, but limited to polishes, acrylics, combinations thereof, and the like. The composition is a carrier and reflective material that, when applied to a fingernail or toenail anomaly, fills said anomaly and reflects a color that is the same color of the nearby coating color, thereby reducing or eliminating the visual presence of the anomaly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of the end of a finger and a fingernail. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is cross section from section lines A-A in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is top view showing a chip in a nail coating at the end of a nail. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a cross section from lines B-B in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a nail showing the chip from  FIG. 4  repaired according to the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the nail showing a chip  31  in coating  26 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a cross-section along lines C-C taken from  FIG. 6 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is  FIG. 7  but with carrier  22  in the chip area  31  with additional indicia show light transmission relative to the carrier medium  22 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0029]    The composition of the present invention provides a functional nail filling composition that has incorporated therewith, one or more materials for reflecting color of or equal to an adjacent material. In one embodiment, the composition is effective for filling any anatomical part of the nail or its coating. 
         [0030]    The reflective material of the composition is dispersed, dissolved or suspended in a liquid or semi solid carrier. The carrier includes aqueous, organic, or cosolvent mixture of aqueous and organic solvents. 
         [0031]    Finger  10  has a fingernail  12  at a distal end. Cuticle  14  is the interface between finger  10  and fingernail  12 . Fingernail  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , has an upper surface  16  in which a crack  18  has been formed. Crack  18  has cavity  20  defining the boundary of crack  18 . Carrier  22  is placed into cavity  20  in one example by using a small brush that transfers the carrier from a container to the cavity. In one embodiment, carrier  22  includes a reflective material  24  incorporated within the carrier such that color from coating layer  26  is reflected outward from the carrier toward the observer. If coating  26  is not present on nail  12 , the natural color of upper surface  16  of the nail is reflected by reflective material  24 . 
         [0032]    Carrier  22  is a composition preferably that evaporates in a approximately 10-120 seconds after application into cavity  20 . Carrier  22  also contains an appropriate carrier agent including any of fillers, dispersants, suspending agents, and combinations thereof as desired. In one embodiment, carrier  22  contains a cellulosic compound as a filler. Cellulosic compounds include, but are not limited to, methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, propylcellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. In one embodiment, carrier  22  includes keratin compositions similar to naturally occurring fingernail or toenail keratin. 
         [0033]    Reflective material  24  is any material, element, compound, or molecule known to reflect color when positioned near a colored surface  16  or  26 . Reflective material  24  may include micronized crystalline solids of inorganic salts, known optical coating materials reflecting at least some portion of visible light (i.e. light in the visible spectrum), or materials in which selective reflectivity and transmitivity can be controlled and applied. Reflective material  24  in the present invention is preferably micronized and evenly distributed throughout carrier  22 . In one embodiment, reflective material  24  is micronized to 0.1-500 microns. Reflective material  24  need not have a regular or consistent shape, structure, or crystalline form. Any suitable material that reflects surrounding light is usable as reflective material  24 . 
         [0034]    In another embodiment, carrier  22 , comprising a pigment and resin, has a refractive index, n, lower than the refractive index of polish  16 . At the carrier polish interface there exists an index where the difference refractive index of the carrier material is lower than the refractive index of the adjoining polish. 
         [0035]    In use, the method of the present invention involves identifying at least one nail having an anomaly, such as, but not limited to, a crack; 
         [0036]    providing a composition having at least one reflective material and a carrier; 
         [0037]    applying said composition to said anomaly; 
         [0038]    waiting a set period of time for said composition to cure. 
         [0039]    In a preferred embodiment, the composition cures in 10-120 seconds. 
         [0040]    As seen in  FIG. 3  the anomaly is a chip  31  at the distal edge  32  of nail  12 . As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , chip  31  is either adjacent coating  26 , but generally on top of upper surface  16  of nail  12  or the upper surface of the nail  12  is more exposed. Carrier  22  is applied and placed within chip  31  and the adjoining areas of coating  26  so that the chip  31  is filled. Additionally a polishing cloth which may have a polishing compound can be used to smooth the new surface of the carrier  22  and adjoining polish  26  so the two surfaces are smooth at the point where they meet on the top surface. The new top surface  33  of coating  26  is substantially the same color as the original top surface before the chip as shown on  FIG. 5 . 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 , which shows a cross section of the nail  12 , polish or coating  26 , and carrier  22 , with reflective material  24 . Ambient light  40  is shown in a direction-entering carrier  22 . At the surface of entry  41 , the top of carrier  22 , the light bends  42  as is known in the art. Within the carrier, the light reflects from at least 3 surfaces, the internal surfaces  43  between the coating  26  and carrier  22 . At this internal surface  43 , reflected light  44  reflects off surface  43  back into carrier  22  because of the lower refractive index of the carrier  22  compared to the higher refractive index of polish  26 . This reflected light  44  will disperse within carrier  22  and may further reflect from reflective material  24  and from nail surface  12 . Eventually reflected light  44  will transmit out of the carrier  22  at surface  41  and become visible red light that an observer will see as identical to or substantially the same color as the red surface  26 . 
         [0042]    In another alternate embodiment, the carrier  22  will contain certain chemicals that will react upon contact with the previously applied nail polish  16  at initially wall  43 . This reaction will cause a color change throughout the carrier  22 . Carrier  22  will pick up the color properties and formula from polish  16  and morph into the same color. Therefore, the chip will have the same color as the adjoining polish  12 . This reaction will happen whether the chip is located in the center of the nail or other location. The color change of the carrier  22  will occur throughout carrier  22  prior to the carrier  22  setting or drying. 
         [0043]    While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0