Method for cleansing fluid discharging skin surfaces, wounds and mucous membranes and means for carrying out the method

Claim 1

A method for cleansing a fluid-discharging infected sore located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises applying thereto a particulate mass of dry water-insoluble polymer particles within the size range of 30 to 400μ, mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, said polymer particles being selected from water-soluble dextran, starch, and derivatives thereof cross-linked in aqueous solution to form a water-insoluble three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, one gram of which swells in the presence of water to absorb approximately 1.5 to 10 grams of water, the swellability of the polymer particles in water being such that the polymeric particles in swollen state have a pore size which permits the penetration theretinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but which completely or substantially excludes penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore that have a molecular weight greater than about 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, thereby avoiding formation of a scab directly on the surface of the infected sore, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore.

Claim 2

A method for cleansing a fluid-discharging infected sore located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises applying thereto a particulate mass of dry water-insoluble polymer particles within the size range of 30 to 400μ, mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, said polymer particles being selected from water-soluble dextran, starch, and derivatives thereof cross-linked in aqueous solution to form a water-insoluble three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, one gram of which swells in the presence of water to absorb approximately 1.5 to 10 grams of water, the swellability of the polymer particles in water being such that the polymeric particles in swollen state have a pore size which permits the penetration theretinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but which completely or substantially excludes penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore that have a molecular weight greater than about 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, thereby avoiding formation of a scab directly on the surface of the infected sore, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore.

Claim 6

A method according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein said polymer particles have a water adsorption ability of approximately 2 to 5 grams of water per gram of dry polymer.

Claim 7

A method according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein a disinfectant is incorporated with the polymer particles.

Claim 8

A method for cleansing a fluid-discharging infected sore, located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises applying thereon a particulate mass of dry water-insoluble polymer particles within the size range of 30 to 400μ, mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, said particles consisting of a water-soluble hydrophilic hydroxy-group-containing polymer comprising polymeric or polymerized carbohydrates or sugar alcohols cross-linked in aqueous solution to a water-insoluble three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, one gram of which swells in the presence of water to absorb at least one but less than 15 grams of water, the swellability in water being such that the polymeric particles in swollen state permit penetration thereinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but completely or substantially exclude penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore having a molecular weight greater than 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, thereby avoiding formation of a scab directly on the surface of the infected sore, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen, and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore.

Claim 9

A method for cleansing a fluid-discharging infected sore, located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises applying thereon a particulate mass of dry water-insoluble polymer particles within the size range of 30 to 400μ, mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, said particles consisting of a water-soluble hydrophilic hydroxy-group-containing polymer comprising polymeric or polymerized carbohydrates or sugar alcohols cross-linked in aqueous solution to a water-insoluble three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, one gram of which swells in the presence of water to absorb at least one but less than 15 grams of water, the swellability in water being such that the polymeric particles in swollen state permit penetration thereinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but completely or substantially exclude penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore having a molecular weight greater than 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, thereby avoiding formation of a scab directly on the surface of the infected sore, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen, and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore.

Claim 13

A method according to any one of claims 7-10 wherein said polymer particles comprising a polysaccharide polymer cross-linked to a three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature.

Claim 16

A method for cleansing a fluid-dicharging infected sore located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises establishing upon the sore a gel chromatographic zone so that the various molecular weight components of the aqueous fluids exuding from the sore will migrate away from the surface of the sore and through said gel chromatographic zone to different degrees, depending on their molecular weights, said gel chromatographic zone being established by depositing upon the surface of the sore a particulate mass comprising dry particles mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, each of said particles: (a) consisting of a water-insoluble hydroxyl-group containing polymer, comprising polymeric or polymerized carbohydrates or sugar alcohols cross-linked to a three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, (b) being capable of undergoing at least limited swelling to form a gel when contacted with the aqueous fluids which exude from the sore, one gram of said polymer particles being able to swell in the presence of water to absorb at least 1.0 grams of water but less than 15 grams of water, (c) being within the size range of 30 to 400μ, (d) having a pore size in a swollen state (1) that permits penetration thereinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but (2) that substantially excludes penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore that have a molecular weight greater than 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen, and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore, whereby by virtue of the gel chromatographic effect obtained by absorption and migration of the aqueous fluids exuding from the sore, eschar formation is prevented directly on the liquid discharging surface of the sore, and bacteria are entrained in the components migrating from the discharging surface of the sore to a zone spaced therefrom where they do not affect the surface of the sore and where they later on are readily removed together with the gel particles.

Claim 17

A method for cleansing a fluid-dicharging infected sore located on the exterior of the body, which method comprises establishing upon the sore a gel chromatographic zone so that the various molecular weight components of the aqueous fluids exuding from the sore will migrate away from the surface of the sore and through said gel chromatographic zone to different degrees, depending on their molecular weights, said gel chromatographic zone being established by depositing upon the surface of the sore a particulate mass comprising dry particles mixed with a dermatologically acceptable binder, each of said particles: (a) consisting of a water-insoluble hydroxyl-group containing polymer, comprising polymeric or polymerized carbohydrates or sugar alcohols cross-linked to a three-dimensional network held together by bonds of covalent nature, (b) being capable of undergoing at least limited swelling to form a gel when contacted with the aqueous fluids which exude from the sore, one gram of said polymer particles being able to swell in the presence of water to absorb at least 1.0 grams of water but less than 15 grams of water, (c) being within the size range of 30 to 400μ, (d) having a pore size in a swollen state (1) that permits penetration thereinto of low molecular weight materials discharging from the sore but (2) that substantially excludes penetration thereinto of materials discharging from the sore that have a molecular weight greater than 50,000, which excluded materials migrate between the particles towards the outer boundaries of the particulate mass, maintaining said particulate mass in contact with said sore for a sufficient length of time to make the particles swollen, and thereafter removing the resulting swollen particulate mass from contact with said sore, whereby by virtue of the gel chromatographic effect obtained by absorption and migration of the aqueous fluids exuding from the sore, eschar formation is prevented directly on the liquid discharging surface of the sore, and bacteria are entrained in the components migrating from the discharging surface of the sore to a zone spaced therefrom where they do not affect the surface of the sore and where they later on are readily removed together with the gel particles.

Claim 21

A method according to any one of claims 14-17, wherein a disinfectant is incorporated with the polymer particles.