Improvements in and relating to tampons, wads or the like, and materials therefor

Abstract

Abstract A prophylactic or therapeutically active dressing comprises a lightly compressed mass of fibres or fibrous material which is wholly or completely soluble or dispersible in water and body fluids, impregnated with prophylactic or therapeutically active chemicals. Dressings e.g. tampons are formed from alginate or cellulose ether fibres impregnated with an oil and an emulsion or gel. The oil used is either liquid paraffin or castor oil. The gel includes a bactericidal agent e.g. water acidified by lactic acid, boric acid, citric acid, acetic acid or an emulsion of ricinoleic acid and also gum tragacanth, bassorin gum, agaragar or sodium alignate with or without the addition of glycerine. The acidulation is adjusted so that the pH value is between 3.5 and 4.5. Prior to impregnation the gel and the oil may be emulsified with the assistance of an aicd-stable emulsifying agent e.g. Tegacid. A band of fibrous material is passed through the emulsion and rolled to form a rope which is then twisted at intervals and cut into sections at each twist. The cut sections are then chilled to 40 DEG -42 DEG F. and coated with an oil, e.g. petroleum oil, such as that known under the Registered Trade Mark "Vaseline". The sections are finally coated with ammonium alginate or ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose and dried. In a modification a tampon is formed by encasing the emulsion in a soluble container of gelatin or alginate, wrapping a fibrous ribbon around it, cutting into lengths and finally coating each length as described above. Alternatively each section may be coated by covering with a preformed film or sheet of material such as a cellulose ether known under the Registered Trade Mark "Modocoll M", using a wrapping machine. In order that cellulose ether fibres may be matted or felted to the desired degree they are deposited from a swinging hammer mill, where they are teased or carded, on to a vibrating surface e.g. a conveyer belt to form a layer of the desired thickness and compactness. The fibres may be impregnated with emulsion, before carding and felting, in a centrifuge at 100 DEG C. Tampons which are used either dry or wet may contain medicaments specially for the condition to be treated e.g. sulphathiazole, proflavine, ichthaminal, acetarsone, lactic acid, oestrogen, adrenalin, ephedrin, posterior pituitary extracts, vaso-dilators or oestrin compounds.

Inventors

• 👤 Edward Charles Edmundhemsted
• 👤 Cecil Innes Bothwell Voge

Bibliographic Details