Process for accurately profiling fluid distribution in multi-layer absorbent articles in two and three dimensions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10371652-B2
Application number	US-201715729690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A process for profiling fluid distribution and analyzing fluid redistribution kinetics in multi-layer absorbent articles is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for quantitatively profiling fluid distribution in multi-layer absorbent articles, the process comprising the steps of:
a) providing a device comprising a frame, a pressure chamber, and an NMR sensor, said pressure chamber comprising a conformable surface and a top plate disposed adjacent thereto, said conformable surface and said top plate being separable;
b) providing a first multi-layer absorbent article, said first multi-layer absorbent article having a top sheet and an absorbent core, said top sheet and said absorbent core comprising nuclei having excitable nuclear spins excited by radiofrequency pulses emitted by said NMR sensor;
c) positioning said first multi-layer absorbent article between said conformable surface and said top plate, said top sheet of said first multi-layer absorbent article being disposed within said pressure chamber so said absorbent core is disposed proximate to and in contacting engagement with said conformable surface and said top sheet is disposed proximate to and in contacting engagement with said top plate when said conformable surface and said top plate of said pressure chamber are conjoined;
d) disposing said NMR sensor at a first position relative to said top plate and said top sheet contactingly engaged thereto;
e) emitting said radiofrequency pulses from said NMR sensor to define a float sensitive volume of said first multi-layer absorbent article at said first position;
f) detecting at least a portion of said nuclei having a non-zero spin interacting with said radiofrequency pulses at said first position; and,
g) producing said fluid distribution profile of said first multi-layer absorbent article according to said detected nuclei having a non-zero spin interacting with said radiofrequency pulses at said first position,
h) wherein said top plate comprises an insult application aperture, said insult application aperture being disposed within said top plate and facilitating contacting engagement of at least a first fluid to said top sheet through said top plate.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of insulting said top sheet of said first multi-layer absorbent article with at least a first fluid.

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing said first fluid with a contrast agent.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising the step of selecting said contrast agent from the group consisting of paramagnetic contrast agents, super-paramagnetic contrast agents, protein-based contrast agents, paramagnetic rare-earth-based contrast agents, and combinations thereof.

5. The process of claim 4 further comprising the step of selecting said contrast agents from the group consisting of Gadolinium-based contrast agents, Manganese-based contrast agents, Dysprosium-based contrast agents, Holmium-based contrast agents, Terbium-based contrast agents, Erbium-based contrast agents, Iron Oxide-based contrast agents, Iron Platinum-based contrast agents, Dysprosium oxide contrast agents, gadolinium oxide contrast agents, holmium oxide contrast agents, erbium oxide contrast agents, yttrium oxide contrast agents, ytterbium-oxide contrast agents, Dysprosium hydroxide contrast agents, gadolinium hydroxide contrast agents, holmium hydroxide contrast agents, erbium hydroxide contrast agents, yttrium hydroxide contrast agents, ytterbium-hydroxide contrast agents, gadoterate, gadodiamide, gadobenate, gadopentetate, gadoteridol, gadoversetamide, gadobutrol, gadopentetic acid dimeglumine, gadofosveset, gadocoletic acid, gadomelitol, gadomer 17, gadoxetic acid, gadoxetate, oral iron oxide, Feridex I.V., Resovist, Sinerem, Lumirem, Clariscan, superparamagnetic iron platinum particles (SIPPs), Mn-DPDP, Manganese ions (Manganese Enhanced MRI), Mn 2+ carbon nanostructure complexes of graphene oxide nanoplatelets, graphene oxide nanoribbons, and combinations thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a deposition assembly said deposition assembly being capable of at least containing said at least a first fluid and disposing said at least a first fluid upon said top sheet through said insult application aperture disposed within said top plate.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of emitting radiofrequency pulses from said NMR sensor further comprises the step of emitting a CPMG pulse sequence from said NMR sensor.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said step of emitting a CPMG pulse sequence from said NMR sensor further comprises the step of emitting a CPMG pulse sequence from said NMR sensor having echo time, Te, <100 μs, Number of Echoes, NE, <128, and a repetition time <1 sec.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said step c) further comprises the steps of securing said first multi-layer absorbent article to a flange and securing said flange to said conformable surface.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing said conformable surface with a bladder, said first multi-layer absorbent article being disposed between said bladder and said top plate.

11. The process of claim 10 further comprising the step of applying a pressure to said bladder, said pressure applied to said bladder applying a pressure to said absorbent core and said top plate contactingly engaged to said topsheet thereof.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein said step of applying said pressure to said bladder further comprises the step of applying a pressure of about 0.1 PSI to about 2.0 PSI.

13. The process of claim 1 further comprising the steps of, in place of said step g) providing the steps of:
i) translating said NMR sensor relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article and said first position to a second position relative to said top plate and said top sheet contactingly engaged thereto;
j) emitting additional radiofrequency pulses from said NMR sensor to define a second float sensitive volume of said first multi-layer absorbent article at said second position;
k) detecting at least a portion of said nuclei having a non-zero spin interacting with said radiofrequency pulses at said second position;
l) producing said fluid distribution profile of said first multi-layer absorbent article by comparing said detected nuclei having a non-zero spin interacting with said radiofrequency pulses at said first position and said detected nuclei having a non-zero spin interacting with said radiofrequency pulses at said second position.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein said step h) further comprises the steps of defining a Z-direction relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article and translating said NMR sensor relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article in said Z-direction.

15. The process of claim 13 wherein said step h) further comprises the steps of defining a y-direction relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article and translating said NMR sensor relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article in said y-direction.

16. The process of claim 13 wherein said step h) further comprises the steps of defining a Z-direction relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article, defining a y-direction relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article, and translating said NMR sensor relative to said first multi-layer absorbent article in at least one of said Z- and y-directions.

17. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of, prior to said step d), translating said pressure chamber, said first multi-layer absorbent article, and said NMR sensor relative to said frame.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Mohebbi Behzad
• Claussen Jan
• Paradowska Justyna
• Bills J Michael

Classifications

• G01R33/448

  Relaxometry, i.e. quantification of relaxation times or spin density (G01R33/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/84

  Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads · CPC title

• A61F2013/8491

  including test methods · CPC title

• A61F13/42

  with wetness indicator or alarm · CPC title

• G01R33/281

  Means for the use of in vitro contrast agents (G01R33/282 takes precedence; involving use of a contrast agent in MR imaging G01R33/5601; in vivo contrast agents A61K49/0002) · CPC title