Use of fluorescent polymers in marking compositions for the diagnostic determination of cleaning performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155058-B2
Application number	US-201715829006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Jul 1, 2014
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to fluorescent marking compositions and their use to determine whether a surface has been cleaned. More particularly, the marking compositions comprise fluorescent polymers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for evaluating cleaning of a surface, the method comprising:
applying an amount of indicator material to the surface within a space, the indicator material comprising a water-dispersible fluorescent polymer from polymerization of one or more polymerizable fluorescent monomer units and one or more polymerizable non-fluorescent monomer units and having a weight average molecular weight of 2 to 2000 kDa;
allowing for the surface to be cleaned; and
determining if any of the indicator material remains on the surface by exposing the surface to UV radiation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a surface of a High Touch Object (HTO).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the HTO is selected from the group consisting of a toilet handle, a toilet set, a bedpan flushing device, a faucet handle, a doorknob, a door handle, a push plat, a grab plate, a toilet area grab bar, a telephone receiver, a call button, a table, a chair seat, a chair arm, a bedrail, a drape, a room light switch, a computer mouse, a keyboard wrist rest, and a soap dispenser.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a surface in a hospital, a nursing home, long-term care facility, clinic, doctor's office, or dental office.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a surface in a restaurant, bar, nightclub, grocery store, hotel, bank, spa, health club, fitness center, locker room, day care center, indoor playground, school, convention center, office building, public restroom, movie theater, place of worship, public transit vehicle, airplane, taxicab, cruise ship, or ferry.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator material is applied with an applicator comprising a spray applicator, a foam pad applicator, a felt tip applicator, a brush, a roll, a wipe, or a solid form.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator material is applied with an applicator comprising a bottle or ampule.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording a result of the evaluation and tracking cleaning outcomes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recording is done using a mobile application.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the result is stored as data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data is aggregated and analyzed.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising using the data to assess whether cleaning activities are consistent with nosocomial infection control efforts.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising preparing a report on the data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the report comprises a percentage of High Touch Objects (HTOs) cleaned, a comparison against baseline data, an identification of areas for improvement, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable fluorescent monomer unit has structure (I), (II) or (III):

wherein:
n is an integer from 1 to 10;
A is alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylamidoalkyl, aryl, or is absent; with the proviso that when A is absent, B is nitrogen and B is bonded directly to the imide nitrogen;
B is sulfur or nitrogen with the proviso that when B is sulfur, only one of R 10 or R 11 is present;
D is oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or is absent, with the proviso that when D is absent, (CH 2 ) n is bonded directly to a carbon on the ring;
R 3 and R 4 are each independently sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, allyloxy or vinylbenzyloxy, with the proviso that when one of R 3 or R 4 is sulfonic acid or a salt thereof or carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the other must be allyloxy or vinylbenzyloxy;
R 5 is alkyl, alkylamino, hydroxyalkyl or allyl;
R 6 and R 7 are each independently alkyl;
R 8 is allyl, alkyl, vinylbenzyl or 2-hydroxy-3-allyloxypropyl;
R 9 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, dialkylamino, allyloxy or vinylbenzyloxy;
R 10 and R 11 are each independently alkyl;
R 12 is allyl, 2-hydroxy-3-allyloxypropyl, vinylbenzyl, 3-methacrylamidopropyl, 3-acrylamidopropyl, 2-acryloxyethyl or 2-methacryloxyethyl; and
X 31 is an anion.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein
the polymerizable fluorescent monomer unit has the structure (I) and is 4-methoxy-N-(3-N′, N′-dimethylamino-propyl)naphthalimide vinyl benzyl chloride quaternary salt, or 4-methoxy-N -(3-N′,N′-dimethylaminopropyl)naphthalimide 2-hydroxy-3-allyloxypropyl chloride quaternary salt; 4-methoxy-N-(3-N′,N′-dimethylaminopropyl)naphthalimide allyl chloride quaternary salt;
the polymerizable fluorescent monomer unit has the structure (II) and is N-allyl-4-(2-N′,N′-dimethylamino-ethoxy)naphthalimide methyl sulfate quaternary salt; or
the polymerizable fluorescent monomer unit has the structure (III) and is 5-allyloxy-4′-carboxy -1,8-naphthoylene-1′,2′-benzimidazole or 6-vinylbenzyloxy-4′-carboxy-1,8-naphthoylene-1′,2′-benzimidazole.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer is a random polymer of a fluorescent monomer unit and polymerizable monomer units (Q), (W), and optionally (S), wherein the polymer has a formula G a Q j W t , G a Q v W f S c , or a combination thereof, wherein:
G is the polymerizable fluorescent monomer unit;
Q is acrylic acid or a salt thereof, methacrylic acid or a salt thereof, maleic acid or a salt thereof, crotonic acid or a salt thereof, maleic anhydride, acrylamide, or acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid or a salt thereof;
S is N-sulfomethacrylamide or N-sulfoethylacrylamide;
W is acrylic acid or a salt thereof, methacrylic acid or a salt thereof, itaconic acid or a salt thereof, maleic acid or a salt thereof, maleic anhydride, crotonic acid or a salt thereof, acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinyl sulfonic acid, styrene sulfonate, N-tert-butylacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N-butoxymethylacrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, N,N-diethylacrylamide, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate methyl chloride quaternary salt, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate benzyl chloride quaternary salt, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate methyl sulfate quaternary salt, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate methyl sulfate quaternary salt, dimethylaminoethyl acrylamide methyl sulfate quaternary salt, dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide methyl sulfate quaternary salt, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide methyl sulfate quaternary salt, diallyldimethylammonium chloride, N-vinylformamide, a dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate acid salt, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate methyl chloride quaternary salt, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate benzyl chloride quaternary salt, methacrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride, acrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride, N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide, triallylamine, an acid salt of triallylamine, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-(hydroxymethyl)acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, 2-acrylamido2-methylpropane sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, or N-vinylpyrrolidone, with the proviso that Q and W cannot both be the same;
a is from about 0.001 to about 10 mole percent;
c is from about 1 to about 40 mole percent;
f is from about 1 to about 97.999 mole percent;
j is from 0 to about 99.999 mole percent;
t is from 0 to about 99.999 mole percent;
v is from 0 to about 97.999 mole per

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Wegner Joseph
• Brown Erin
• Atkins Jeffery
• Zinn Paul
• Walicki Robert
• Hu Lanhua

Classifications

• C07D221/14

  Aza-phenalenes, e.g. 1,8-naphthalimide · CPC title

• C08G61/12

  Macromolecular compounds containing atoms other than carbon in the main chain of the macromolecule · CPC title

• G01N31/22

  using chemical indicators (G01N31/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/77

  by observing the effect on a chemical indicator · CPC title

• C09K2211/1416

  Condensed systems · CPC title