Abstract:
A gaming accessory or gaming currency is provided. An antimicrobial agent is disposed in the material of the currency body or gaming accessory during fabrication and, due to the resiliency of the agent in withstanding the many stresses associated with the manufacturing process, the agent thereafter is substantially located on at least the outer surface of the currency body so as to kill or inhibit the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms that are introduced to the outer surface due to the excessive touching by multiple casino patrons and casino employees.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention generally concerns gaming currency and gaming accessories having an antimicrobial agent disposed within the material to kill or inhibit the growth of a microorganism on the outer surface thereof. The expression “gaming currency” covers any chip, plaque, or jeton that may be used in a gaming room and representing a value that is predetermined or not. Gaming currency is typically made of a rigid plastic material or clay to obtain a structure that is solid enough to resist conditions of use in casinos which are often very tough. The expression “gaming accessory” covers any device, product or the like that may be used in connection with the gaming industry. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Casino patrons utilize gaming currency, such as chips, plaques and jetons, to place bets on the different casino games. Gaming currency is generally fabricated from a rigid plastic material or clay to obtain a robust overall structure. Casino currency is not limited to plastics or clays, as it may be manufactured of PVC, acrylic, nylon or acetate to name a few. Casino employees utilize a number of casino accessories to provide the gaming experience to the casino patrons, such as playing cards, dice, player authentication devices, layouts, and craps rakes to name a few non-limiting examples. 
         [0003]    Many different individuals, including both casino workers and casino patrons, touch or contact the casino currency and the casino accessories associated with a casino property. A common theme among the many different materials used to manufacture casino currency or casino accessories is the relative inability of the surface to resist the growth of germs, bacteria and/or fungus. For example, casino currency is constantly moving from player to player, player to casino staff and casino staff back to players. It is safe to assume that a single piece of casino currency or a casino accessory may contact hundreds of different hands every day. 
         [0004]    The high rates of relative humidity in countries having successful gambling operations, including Macau or Singapore for instance, facilitate the development of germs, bacteria and fungus such as, for example,  Escherichia coli  ( E - coli ),  Staphylococcus aureus  or  Aspergillus niger . Therefore, in high humidity countries as well as others, gaming currency and gaming accessories represent a potential health risk for casino patrons and casino staff, such as dealers, cashiers and employees working in the vaults and counting rooms. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Gaming currency manufactured of special materials is provided. Specifically, the polymers of the materials used to fabricate the gaming currency carry an active agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms located on the surface of the currency that have been transferred from an individual who contacted the currency. Microorganisms include such non-limiting examples as germs, bacteria, and fungi to name a few. Specifically, one illustrated embodiment described herein includes gaming currency having a currency body comprised of a material with an outer surface. An antimicrobial agent is disposed in the material of the currency body during manufacture and the agent thereafter resides on the outer surface of the currency body so as to kill or inhibit the growth of a potentially harmful microorganism contacting the outer surface. Typically, the gaming currency includes a jeton, plaque or chip to name a few. 
         [0006]    In another illustrated embodiment, a gaming accessory used in casino operations that is frequently handled by multiple casino employees is illustrated and described. The illustrated gaming accessory associated with one embodiment of the present invention has an active agent located on its surface that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms—such as germs, bacteria, and fungi to name a few. More particularly, a gaming accessory comprises an accessory body comprised of a material and having an outer surface. An antimicrobial agent is disposed in the material of the gaming accessory and thereafter resides on the outer surface of the accessory body so as to kill or inhibit the growth of a microorganism located on the outer surface. In the illustrated embodiments, the gaming accessory may be dice, playing cards, player loyalty cards, and layouts to name a few non-limiting examples. 
         [0007]    The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of various embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of a stack of casino chips manufactured of a material that carries an active agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms located on the surface of the chip; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of a stack of plaques manufactured of a material that carries an active agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms located on the surface of the plaque; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a front perspective view of a gaming accessory manufactured of a material having an active agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms incorporated into the material thereof and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a front perspective view of another embodiment of a gaming accessory manufactured of a material having an active agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms incorporated into the material thereof 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    As used herein, the terms “microbe” or “microbial” should be interpreted to encompass any of the microscopic organisms commonly studied by microbiologists. Such organisms include, but are not limited to, bacteria and fungi as well as other single-celled organisms such as mold, mildew and algae to name a few non-limiting examples. It should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that, for purposes of the following description, viral particles and other infectious agents are also included in the term microbe. 
         [0013]    The term “antimicrobial” includes biostatic activity, where the proliferation of microbiological species is reduced or eliminated, and true biocidal activity where microbial species are killed. For ease of understanding, this detailed description may make reference to bacteria and antibacterial agents as well as fungal and antifungal agents, which should not be interpreted as limiting the scope and spirit of the invention in any way. 
         [0014]    The term efficacy, as used herein, is defined as the characteristic of inhibiting the growth of a microbe on a substrate. In the broadest sense, casino currency or casino accessories of the present invention have bactericidal efficacy, which helps to counteract the public health concern of bacterial transfer from one handler of the currency or accessory to the next. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a stack of gaming currency  100  in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. Stack  100  is illustrated as a stack of individual gaming chips  110 , however, the present invention as claimed shall not be limited thereto. Individual gaming chips  110  are manufactured of a material, such as plastic, clay, PVC, acrylic, nylon or acetate to name a few non-limiting examples. An antimicrobial agent is mixed with the material of the chip during manufacture. The antimicrobial agent is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of a microorganism on the outer surface of the individual chip  110 . 
         [0016]    Individual chips  110  are typically manufactured through a process that subjects the material to significant stresses, such as elevated heat and higher pressures. The invention is not limited, however, to the manner of heating and compression or thermo-compression, but concerns the use of a specific antimicrobial agent that is configured to survive the strain of the manufacturing process. The expression “heating” is used in a broad sense and covers especially heating by electrical resistances, high frequency, microwave or infrared heating. It is also possible to physically separate the ways of heating from the ways of compression (plate press or dies). It is also possible to preheat or to heat during final compression the whole body of the token or plaque. In the same way, the pressing ways can be limited in surface for the thermoplastic material or cover the whole face of the token or plaque for both thermoplastic material and thermosetting material, thus allowing a token or a plaque to be obtained with a good surface condition and a high quality visual appearance. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates a stack of gaming plaques  150  in accordance with another embodiment. Individual gaming plaques  155  are manufactured to include an antimicrobial agent that is mixed with the material of the plaque during manufacture. The antimicrobial agent is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of a microorganism on the outer surface of the individual plaque  155 . One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that any suitable material may be used to produce the plaque. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate examples of gaming accessories  200 ,  205  in accordance with another embodiment. Gaming accessories  200 ,  205  are manufactured to include an antimicrobial agent that is mixed with the material of the gaming accessory during manufacture. The antimicrobial agent is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of a microorganism on the outer surface of the individual gaming accessories  200 ,  205 . As shown, the die of  FIG. 3  may have the antimicrobial agent incorporated into the material of the die and the playing card of  FIG. 4  may incorporate the antimicrobial agent into the material or ink on the front and backside of the card. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, an antimicrobial agent is chosen from a group comprising organic/inorganic antimicrobial and antifungal agents including Ag—Zn-Zeolite, Zinc oxide, 10,10′-oxybis-10H-phenoxarsine (“OBPA”), and Isothiazolinone compounds and to name a few. As one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, it may be possible to recite additional compositions that have similar action on bacteria and molds and produce similar results that fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. In this case, the antibacterial and antifungal effect is typically a comprehensive effect of several substances, i.e., the resulting composition of the casino currency and/or casino accessory is complex because there may be multiple actions taking place. 
       Zinc Ions 
       [0020]    In one illustrated embodiment, a composition including zinc ions is introduced to the material used for manufacturing casino currency and casino accessories. The following diagram provides an illustration of the reaction mechanism of zinc ions and bacterium: 
         [0000]    
       
                 
         
             
             
         
       
     
         [0000]    In this manner, once the bacteria are killed, Zn 2+  results and contacts with other bacterium, and continue to kill; the process repeats itself. 
       Silver Ions 
       [0021]    It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many metal ions have certain levels of oxidation and antibacterial effect. The silver ion is effective against a broad range of microorganisms and therefore is effective to control bacterial growth. In general terms, silver ions cause the release of K+ ions from bacteria. Therefore, the bacterial plasma or cytoplasmic membrane, which is associated with many important enzymes, is an important target site for silver ions. The trace silver ions attack the membrane of a potentially harmful microbe. Because the membrane carries negative ions, which absorbs Ag ions, so Ag ions penetrate a cell wall and enter it. The silver ions then react with SH group and solidify the protein. Such an action breaks the activation of cell composing enzyme and blocks the division and multiplication action, thus killing the attacked cells. Ag ions may also interrupt a microbe&#39;s electronic transmitting system, respiratory system and matters transmitting system. 
         [0022]    The slow-releasing and sterilization mechanism of Ag ions results in antimicrobial releasing Ag +  slowly. In operation, because a low concentration of Ag +  can break the cell membrane of a microbe or absorb SH group in enzyme protein, combine with it quickly, and decrease the activation of active enzyme, it has a significant antibacterial effect. More specifically, by releasing Ag +  slowly, the combination of a material for manufacturing casino currency and casino accessories that includes the addition of silver ions on the surface at the completion of the manufacturing process may play a long-term antibacterial effect. The reaction process may be represented as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
                 
         
             
             
         
       
     
         [0023]    The reduction potential of Ag at a high oxidation state is very high. Under the light, antimicrobial react with water or air, producing active O 2−  and .OH, which has strong redox. In fact, the basis of composing cell&#39;s microbe cell membrane is fat, mostly is phosphatide. Phosphatide molecules constitute hydrophilic head basing on phosphor and choline phosphate, which are distributed outside the cell membrane; discharging tails constituted with the neutral discharging group of long-chain fatty acid alkyl. The tails are distributing in the core of membrane. The length of long-chain fatty acid alkyl and the quantity of double bond can affect the characters of membrane. So, when microbes close up antibacterial materials, the O 2−  and .OH produced, in addition to the antibacterial materials, will attack cell membrane. 
       Organic Microbial Agents 
       [0024]    Examples of this particular agent include OBPA and Isothiazolinone compounds. Organic antimicrobial agents operate in accordance with the present invention by blocking the active site of the enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase enzyme (ENR), which is an essential enzyme in fatty acid synthesis in bacteria and mold. ENR is an attractive target for an antibacterial attack because of its essential role in metabolism and its sequence conservation across many bacterial species. By blocking the active site, organic antimicrobial and antifungal agents inhibit the enzyme, and therefore prevent the bacteria and the mold from synthesizing fatty acid, which is necessary for building cell membranes and for reproducing. 
         [0025]    Thus, the invention described herein, makes it possible to provide the materials used to fabricate gaming currency and gaming accessories with an active antimicrobial agent that is configured to kill or inhibit the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms located on the surface, which have been transferred from the hands of an individual who contacted the surface. 
         [0026]    The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice. Many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description. 
         [0027]    It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.