Absorbent article including a feces modifying agent for feces

Abstract

An absorbent article adapted to receive feces having a first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising: a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet; an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and an effective amount of a feces modifying agent disposed in the article such that the feces modifying agent is available to contact at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An absorbent article adapted to receive feces having a first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising: 
 a liquid pervious topsheet;    a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet;    an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and    an effective amount of a feces modifying agent disposed in the article such that the feces modifying agent is available to contact at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article.    
     
     
         2 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the feces modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of: sulfites, thiols, thiol alcohols, mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thiolactic acid, thioglycoamide, glycerol monothioglycolate, borohydrides, tertiary amines, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiophosphates, arsenites, phosphines, phenols, betaines, lithium aluminumhydride, aluminum chloride, guanidine hydrochloride, stannous chloride, hydroxylamine, and LiHB(C 2 H 5 ) 3 .  
     
     
         3 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent decreases the viscosity of the feces.  
     
     
         4 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent decreases the Hardness of the feces reduction by at least about 25% at a concentration of no more than about 0.5 weight percent.  
     
     
         5 . The absorbent article of  claim 4  wherein the decrease in Hardness takes place in no more than about 5 minutes.  
     
     
         6 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent decreases the Hardness of at least a portion of the feces by at least about 25% at a concentration of no more than about 1.5 weight percent.  
     
     
         7 . The absorbent article of  claim 6  wherein the decrease in Hardness takes place in no more than about 3 minutes.  
     
     
         8 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent decreases the Hardness of at least a portion of the feces by greater than about 25% at a concentration of no more than about 5 weight percent.  
     
     
         9 . The absorbent article of  claim 9  wherein the decrease in Hardness takes place in no more than about 3 minutes.  
     
     
         10 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent is present in a concentration of greater than or equal to about 0.01% by weight of the article.  
     
     
         11  The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent is disposed on a carrier structure.  
     
     
         12 . The absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the carrier structure includes a skin care composition.  
     
     
         13 . The absorbent article of  claim 12  wherein the skin care composition includes components selected from the following group: petroleum oils, petroleum waxes, silicone oils and silicone waxes.  
     
     
         14 . The absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the carrier structure includes a web.  
     
     
         15 . The absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the carrier structure includes a brush structure  
     
     
         16 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the reducing agent is releasably attached to at least a portion of the article.  
     
     
         17 . The absorbent article of  claim 16  wherein the reducing agent is releasably attached to at least a portion of the article by attachment means selected from the following group: water soluble adhesive or hydrogen bonding.  
     
     
         18 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  further including at least one three-dimensional structure joined to or extending from an element of the absorbent article, the three-dimensional structure comprising the reducing agent, wherein the three-dimensional structure promotes contact between the reducing agent and the feces.  
     
     
         19 . The absorbent article of  claim 18  wherein at least some of the three-dimensional structures comprise printed hairs.  
     
     
         20 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the ionic complexing feces modifying agent is disposed adjacent a water soluble film.  
     
     
         21 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  further comprising a gas evolving system including at least one composition which evolves gas when mixed with water, wherein the gas evolving system delivers the reducing agent to the feces.  
     
     
         22 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  further comprising a gas evolving system including a water soluble material containing compressed gas which evolves when mixed with water, wherein the gas evolving system delivers the reducing agent to the feces.  
     
     
         23 . An absorbent article adapted to receive feces having a first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising: 
 a liquid pervious topsheet;    a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet;    an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet,    a waste management element having an Acceptance Under Pressure value of greater than about 0.50 grams of a viscous fluid bodily waste per square inch of the waste management element per milliJoule of energy input, and    an effective concentration of a feces modifying agent disposed in the article such that the feces modifying agent is available to contact at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article and to physically or chemically modify at least a portion of the feces despoited in the article wherein said feces modifying agent is selcted from the group consisting of: sulfites, thiols, alcohols, mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thilactice acid, theioglycoamide, glycerol monothioglycolate, borohydrides, tertiary amines, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiophasphates, arsenites, phosphines, betaines, hydroxylamine, and LiHB(C 2 H 5 ) 3 .    
     
     
         24 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the waste management element having an Acceptance Under Pressure value of greater than about 1.0 grams of a viscous fluid bodily waste per square inch of the waste management element per milliJoule of energy input  
     
     
         25 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the waste management member includes a macro-particulate structure including a multiplicity of discrete particles having a nominal size of between about 1 mm and about 25.4 mm.  
     
     
         26 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the feces modifying agent is disposed in at least a portion of the waste management member.  
     
     
         27 . The absorbent article of  claim 25  wherein the feces modifying agent is disposed on at least some of the discrete particles.  
     
     
         28 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the feces modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of: sulfites, thiols, thiol alcohols, mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thiolactic acid, thioglycoamide, glycerol monothioglycolate, borohydrides, tertiary amines, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiophosphates, arsenites, phosphines, phenols, betaines, lithium aluminumhydride, aluminum chloride, guanidine hydrochloride, stannous chloride, hydroxylamine, and LiHB(C 2 H 5 ) 3 .  
     
     
         29 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the feces modifying agent decreases the Hardness of at least a portion of the feces by greater than about 100% at a concentration of no more than about 0.5 weight percent.  
     
     
         30 . The absorbent article of  claim 29  wherein the decrease in Hardness takes place in no more than about 5 minutes.  
     
     
         31  The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the feces modifying agent is disposed on a carrier structure.  
     
     
         32 . The absorbent article of  claim 31  wherein the carrier structure includes a web.  
     
     
         33 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the carrier structure includes a brush structure.  
     
     
         34 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  wherein the feces modifying agent is releasably attached to at least a portion of the article.  
     
     
         35 . The absorbent article of  claim 34  wherein the feces modifying agent is releasably attached to at least a portion of the article by attachment means selected from the following group: water soluble adhesive or hydrogen bonding.  
     
     
         36 . The absorbent article of  claim 23  further including at least one three-dimensional structure joined to or extending from an element of the absorbent article, the three-dimensional structure comprising the feces modifying agent, wherein the three-dimensional structure promotes contact between the feces modifying agent and the feces.  
     
     
         37 . The absorbent article of  claim 36  wherein at least some of the three-dimensional structures comprise printed hairs.  
     
     
         38 . An absorbent article to be fitted to a wearer having a first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and the second waist region, the absorbent article comprising: 
 a liquid pervious topsheet;    a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet;    an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and    a responsive system including a sensor operatively connected to the article, the sensor adapted to detect an input, and an actuator operatively connected to the article, the actuator being adapted to deliver an effective amount of a feces modifying agent to the feces when the sensor detects the input.    
     
     
         39 . A disposable article adapted to be applied to a wearer's perianal region for receiving feces, the article comprising: 
 a substrate;    a means for holding the substrate in contact with the wearer perianal region; and    an effective amount of a feces modifying agent disposed in the article such that the feces modifying agent is available to contact at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article and to physically or chemically modify at least a portion of the feces deposited in the article wherein said feces modifying agent is selcted from the group consisting of: sulfites, thiols, alcohols, mercaptoacetic acid, sodium thioglycolate, thilactice acid, theioglycoamide, glycerol monothioglycolate, borohydrides, tertiary amines, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiophasphates, arsenites, phosphines, betaines, hydroxylamine, and LiHB(C 2 H 5 ) 3 .