The invention relates to a method for coating a substrate with an anti-pathogenic agent to render the substrate suitable for use as a barrier against pathogens. Specifically, the invention provides a method for coating a range of substrates with an anti-pathogenic agent such that in the dry state the substrate acts as a barrier to block the progress of pathogens and in the wet state the substrate coating is activated to release the anti-pathogenic agent and eliminate pathogens upon contact thereof with the agent. The coating may also take the form of a dual layered or multilayered coating. The invention further relates to various methods of coating substrates and to the products produced according to the methods.
It is well known in the related technology field to incorporate an anti-bacterial agent into a material or fabric intended for use in medical applications to guard against the transfer of contagious and potentially lethal pathogens. The incorporation of such agents has been accomplished by coating the outer surface of the material, by interply coating of multi-ply fabric or material, or by chemically incorporating the coating agent into the material at the time of production.
Further, the use of various agents has been reported. For example, agents have been successfully incorporated into medical-type materials, whether paper or polymeric in nature, to guard against the spread of infection. Among those agents which have been coated onto or incorporated in paper-based substrates are bisoxirane compounded with phenolic active agents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,139); silicone quaternary amine agents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,467); 2-amino-4-oxo-tricyclicpyrimidine antiviral agents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,026); monocarboxylic acid antimicrobial (U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,381); and the use of polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine complex as a broad spectrum anti-microbial agent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,907). Similar agents have been used in preparing materials comprising polymeric compounds that exhibit anti-viral characteristics. For example, nonoxynol-9 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,159); organosilicone quaternary ammonium compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,138); and biguanide(chlorhexidine) (U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,210). It has further been shown to use nonoxynol-9, a known spermicide, in conjunction with PVP-I complex, a known bactericide, in the high energy coprecipitate form to protect against the spread of viral and bacterial infection, including the HIV virus (U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,523). Many of the foregoing, however, represent products or compounds which if used in the manner contemplated herein and fully disclosed hereinafter would prove irritating to the skin or difficult to commercially produce. Moreover, the prior attempt at using the high energy coprecipitate of PVP-I/N-9, while it does achieve the desired anti-viral result, is of limited commercial value due to complications in manufacture and use of the product disclosed.
It is, therefore, an object of the subject invention to provide an anti-pathogenic coating to a medical-type substrate in a commercially viable manner.
It is a further object of the invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, to provide the anti-pathogenic coating in the form of a dual or multilayered coating.