Polyurethanes as topical skin protectants

Claim 1

A method for protecting the skin of a mamnmal, comprising applying to the skin of a mammal an effective amount of a polyurethane of Formula (I) in the absence of a pharmacologically active agent: H-[-(YR) m —OC(O)NH-X-NHC(O)] n —(YR) m —OC(O)NH—X—NHC(O)O—(RY) m —[C(O)NH—X—NHC(O)O—(RY) m -]n -H   (I) wherein: X is an alkylene or alkenylene radical containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, or a cycloalkylene or cycloalkenylene radical containing from about 5 to 20 carbon atoms, or a mononuclear or fused ring arylene radical containing from about 6 to about 10 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkoxy-substituted lower alkyl, nitro or amino groups or halogen atoms; Y is oxygen, sulfur or —NR′—, where R′ is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R is the same or different, and is chosen from alkylene, alkenylene, —-SiR 2 R 3 —, and —CR 2 R 3 NR 4 —CR 2 R 3 —, wherein R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl; m is an integer selected to provide a (YR) moiety having a molecular weight of from about 40 to about 10,000; and n and n′ are the same or a different integer from 0-30 inclusive, correlated with m so as to provide a polyurethane compound having a molecular weight of up to about 200,000; wherein said polyurethane forms a barrier on the surface of the skin and is absorbed into the outer layer of the skin.

Claim 2

A method for protecting the skin of a mamnmal, comprising applying to the skin of a mammal an effective amount of a polyurethane of Formula (I) in the absence of a pharmacologically active agent: H-[-(YR) m —OC(O)NH-X-NHC(O)] n —(YR) m —OC(O)NH—X—NHC(O)O—(RY) m —[C(O)NH—X—NHC(O)O—(RY) m -]n -H   (I) wherein: X is an alkylene or alkenylene radical containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, or a cycloalkylene or cycloalkenylene radical containing from about 5 to 20 carbon atoms, or a mononuclear or fused ring arylene radical containing from about 6 to about 10 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkoxy-substituted lower alkyl, nitro or amino groups or halogen atoms; Y is oxygen, sulfur or —NR′—, where R′ is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R is the same or different, and is chosen from alkylene, alkenylene, —-SiR 2 R 3 —, and —CR 2 R 3 NR 4 —CR 2 R 3 —, wherein R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl; m is an integer selected to provide a (YR) moiety having a molecular weight of from about 40 to about 10,000; and n and n′ are the same or a different integer from 0-30 inclusive, correlated with m so as to provide a polyurethane compound having a molecular weight of up to about 200,000; wherein said polyurethane forms a barrier on the surface of the skin and is absorbed into the outer layer of the skin.