An absorbent article that includes a liquid barrier with improved sealing

• Main Authors: EVA SIMMONS, ANDERS GUSTAFSSON, PETER RONNBERG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.03.2001
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

A method of improving the sealing effect against the skin of an absorbent article comprising an absorbent body disposed between liquid impermeable and liquid permeable sheets, such article having either longitudinally extending liquid barriers 28 on each side of the centre line of the permeable top sheet which have free elastic edges for contacting the skin or having a further liquid impermeable, body-contacting sheet with anal and urethral apertures around which elastic sealing edges are provided, comprises increasing the capillary pressure of the pores of said barriers/sealing edges by causing the absolute value of the negative product 2γcos#m/r to increase. This is achieved by decreasing the pore radius r and/or by increasing the wetting angle #, γ being the surface tension of the liquid to be absorbed and cos#m being the weighted mean value of cos#. A diaper or incontinence guard having such improved properties is thereby provided.