Bacteria trapping fibrous material

Abstract

The invention concerns the use of a fibre modified with functions capable of interacting with microbial cell wall proteins for immobilising micro-organisms in hygiene products. Those functions are particularly capable of interacting with anionic groups and amine groups, and are especially cationic groups and aldehydes, respectively. The fibres may be synthetic or cellulosic. Also hygiene products containing these fibres are described.

1 . A process of immobilising micro-organisms a hygiene product comprising contacting a medium suspected of containing micro-organisms with a hygiene product containing a fibre modified with functions capable of interacting with microbial cell wall biopolymers.  
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the functions capable of interacting with microbial cell wall biopolymers are functions capable of interacting with anionic groups or amine groups.  
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the modified fibre comprises a cationic fibre.  
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the cationic fibre contains 2-20, especially 3-10 cationic charges per 100 monomer units of the fibre.  
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the cationic fibre comprises cationic cellulose obtainable by oxidation of the cellulose to introduce aldehyde groups, followed by reaction of aldehyde groups with a nitrogen-containing reagent carrying a cationic group.  
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the cationic fibre comprises cationic cellulose obtainable by reacting the fibre with a nitrogen-containing reagent carrying a cationic group.  
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the modified fibre comprises a fibre containing aldehyde groups.  
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the aldehyde-containing fibre contains 0.5-50 aldehyde groups per 100 monomer units of the fibre.  
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the aldehyde-containing fibre is obtainable by oxidation of the fibre.  
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the aldehyde-containing fibre is obtainable by coupling an aldehyde-containing polymer to the fibre.  
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the fibre comprises cellulose.  
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibre comprises polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         13 . A layered hygiene product comprising at least one layer containing a fibre modified with cationic and/or aldehyde groups and at least one layer not containing a modified fibre.  
     
     
         14 . A hygiene product according to  claim 13 , wherein the layer containing a modified fibre is an outer layer.  
     
     
         15 . A hygiene product according to  claim 14 , containing at least three layers.  
     
     
         16 . A hygiene product according to  claim 13 , wherein the modified fibre is a cellulosic fibre.  
     
     
         17 . A hygiene product according to  claim 13 , wherein the modified fibre is a synthetic fibre.  
     
     
         18 . A hygiene product according to  claim 13 , wherein said layers are plies of a multi-ply sheet.  
     
     
         19 . A hygiene product according to  claim 13 , which is a tissue paper or non-woven.  
     
     
         20 . A hygiene product according to  claim 19 , which is an absorbent article comprising an outer casing layer, an inner casing layer and a layer containing a liquid-absorbing material.  
     
     
         21 . A hygiene product according to  claim 20 , wherein the layer containing the liquid-absorbing material contains the modified fibre.