AN ABSORBENT STUCTURE COMPRISING A MICROBIAL POLYSACCHARIDE AND A PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME

• Main Authors: BLANEY, CAROL A, MCINTIRE, THERESA M, BROSTIN, JOEL, MINERATH, BERNARD J., III
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 02.02.2010
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; POLYSACCHARIDES; PROSTHESES; SPIRITS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; VINEGAR; WINE

Disclosed is an absorbent structure comprising a microbial polysaccharide having improved porosity and a process of making the same. The absorbent structure may be adapted for use in an absorbent product such as a diaper or incontinence product. The process involves the supercritical drying of a microbial polysaccharide to remove at least a portion of the aqueous medium in which the microbial polysaccharide is produced without unacceptably reducing the porosity of the microbial polysaccharide.