Articles having antimicrobial properties and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a coagulant comprising calcium nitrate and an antimicrobial agent is disclosed. The coagulant may be used in the molding process to releasably bond the substrate material to the mold and to bond to the antimicrobial to the substrate material.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A coagulant comprising:
 calcium nitrate; and   an antimicrobial agent.   
     
     
         2 . The coagulant of  claim 1 , further comprising a dye. 
     
     
         3 . The coagulant of  claim 2 , wherein the dye is at least one of crystal violet or other staining agents, alone or in a combination thereof genetian violet, crystal violet, ethyl violet, brilliant green triarylmethane dye, or other types of a monoazo dye, a diazo dye, an indigoid dye, a xanthene or a fluorescein dye, an anthraquinone dye, an anthraquinone dye, an FD&C dye or a D&C dye. 
     
     
         4 . The coagulant of  claim 1 , wherein at least one antimicrobial agent comprises cationic antimicrobial polymers, mono- or poly-quatemary ammonium salt based antimicrobials, chlorinated phenoxy-based antimicrobials, pyrithione based antimicrobials, cationic polysaccharides, aminopolysaccharides, benzalkonium compounds, nitro compounds, dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, chlorhexidines, crosslinked polyethylene glycols and polyethylene glycols of differing molecular weights, hydantoin derivatives with halamine bond, antibiotics, natural extracts with antimicrobial properties, metallic materials, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The coagulant of  claim 2  wherein the antimicrobial to dye has a molar ration of 16:1. 
     
     
         6 . The coagulant of  claim 1 , or  claim 2 , further comprising a substrate layer adjacent to the calcium nitrate and the antimicrobial. 
     
     
         7 . The coagulant of  claim 1  further comprising an even dispersion of the antimicrobial within the coagulant. 
     
     
         8 . The coagulant of  claim 1  further comprising a stearate. 
     
     
         9 . The coagulant of  claim 2 , wherein the concentration of brilliant green is less than or equal to 1 mg/ml. 
     
     
         10 . The coagulant of  claim 4 , wherein the concentration of CHG is less then or equal to 0.1 percent. 
     
     
         11 . The coagulant of  claim 1  Wherein the dye is brilliant green and has a concentration between 0.1 gm/ml and 0.01 gm/ml and the concentration of CHG is between 0.024 and 0.012 percent. 
     
     
         12 . The coagulant of  claim 3 , wherein the brilliant green concentration is less than or equal to 10 gm/ml. 
     
     
         13 . The coagulant of  claim 3 , wherein the brilliant green concentration is less than or equal to 2.9 gm/ml. 
     
     
         14 . The coagulant of  claim 3 , wherein the brilliant green concentration is less than or equal to 0.008 gm/ml. 
     
     
         15 . The coagulant of  claim 3 , wherein the brilliant green concentration is less than or equal to 0.001 gm/ml. 
     
     
         16 . A method of producing an antimicrobial containing coagulant comprising:
 mixing a dye and an antimicrobial together by dissolving in 3.0 liters of soft water, less than 1 gram of dye;   stirring the mixture until the dye is substantially dissolved;   adding less than 4 grams of antimicrobial to the dye solution and mixing the solution forming an antimicrobial dye solution;   preparing 3.0 L of coagulant solution at double concentration; and   adding 3.0 liter (L) of the antimicrobial dye solution to the 3.0 L of coagulant solution to form 6 L of coagulant solution containing an evenly dispersed amount of antimicrobial and an evenly dispersed amount of dye.   
     
     
         17 . A method of producing an antimicrobial containing coagulant comprising:
 mixing 0.048 gram of brilliant green in 3.0 liters of soft water;   stirring the mixture until the brilliant green was substantially dissolved completely;   adding 3.6 grams of CHG to the brilliant green solution and mixing the solution;   preparing 3.0 L of coagulant solution at double concentration;   adding 3.0 liter (L) of the CHG and brilliant green solution to the 3.0 L of coagulant solution to form 6 L of coagulant solution containing an evenly dispersed amount of CHG (0.012%) and an evenly dispersed amount of brilliant green (0.008 mg/ml).   
     
     
         18 . An antimicrobial article comprising a substrate layer and an antimicrobial coagulant layer. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 18 , further comprising an evenly dispersed antimicrobial agent system including at least one antimicrobial and at least one dye. 
     
     
         20 . A substrate release material comprising:
 a release material applied to a form, the release material comprising an antimicrobial agent.   
     
     
         21 . A mold pretreatment comprising:
 an antimicrobial, the pretreatment binds to the latex.   
     
     
         22 . The mold pretreatment of  claim 21 , further comprising a mold release agent. 
     
     
         23 . The mold pretreatment of  claim 22 , wherein the mold release agent is a stearate. 
     
     
         24 . The mold pretreatment of  claim 22 , wherein the mold release agent is evenly distributed throughout the pretreatment. 
     
     
         25 . The mold pretreatment of  claim 22 , wherein the pretreatment comprises calcium nitrate. 
     
     
         26 . An article mold former comprising;
 a form configured in a first predetermined shape; and   a coating of coagulant comprising an antimicrobial agent.   
     
     
         27 . The former of  claim 26 , further comprising a dye. 
     
     
         28 . The former of  claim 26 , wherein the former comprises a ceramic, metal, glass, plastic material. 
     
     
         29 . An article forming coagulant comprising a salt, a reagent/antimicrobial agent and a dye. 
     
     
         30 . A calcium carbonate free coagulant comprising an antimicrobial agent. 
     
     
         31 . The coagulant of  claim 30 , further comprising a dye. 
     
     
         32 . A powder free coagulant comprising an antimicrobial agent. 
     
     
         33 . The power free coagulant of  claim 32 , further comprising a dye. 
     
     
         34 . An antimicrobial substrate comprising:
 A first amount of brilliant green incorporated into a residual coagulant, the amount of brilliant green is less than 0.1 mg/ml and the amount of CHG less than 0.3 percent.   
     
     
         35 . A method of forming a glove comprising:
 providing a first glove coagulant comprising at least a first antimicrobial agent and at least a first dye to form the coagulant;   applying the coagulant mixture to a form;   drying for a first predetermined time said coagulant on said form; and   applying a latex material to the dried coagulant to form a layered substrate on the form.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising: leaching impurities from the substrate. 
     
     
         37 . A method of creating an antimicrobial article comprising:
 introducing a former to an antimicrobial coagulant bath; and   introducing the former to an elastomeric polymer solution.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising drying, cleaning, bleaching, leaching and curing the article 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising creating the antimicrobial bath by dissolving a dye, and at least one antimicrobial agent in a coagulant solution. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the coagulant solution comprises calcium nitrate and a surfactant. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the antimicrobial article is non-leaching. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one antimicrobial agent comprises at least one of polyhexamethylene biguanide, trialkoxysilyl quaternary ammonium salt, 3-trimethoxy-silyl-propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride, polyquat-1, triclosan, zinc pyrithione, chitosan, chitosan derivatives, chitin derivatives, benzalkonium chloride, a mixture of benzalkonium chloride and silver nitrate, 5-nitrofurylacrolein, chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine acetate, chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, polymycine, neomycin, kanamycin, grisofulvien, grape fruit seed, hops, tea oil, aloe, thyme, rosemary, peppermint, basil, ginger, silver, copper and zinc, zinc oxide, silver oxide, silver chloride, silver nitrate, silver-zinc zeolite, tributylin maleate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one dye comprises crystal violet or other staining agents, alone or in a combination thereof genetian violet, crystal violet, ethyl violet, brilliant green triarylmethane dye, or other types of a monoazo dye, a diazo dye, an indigoid dye, a xanthene or a fluorescein dye, an anthraquinone dye, an anthraquinone dye, an FD&C dye or a D&C dye and combinations thereof.