JP7648119B2 - Hand sanitizer aerosol products - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an aerosol product that contains a disinfectant to kill or inactivate bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. that are attached to the user's hands or fingers.

Conventionally, disinfectants containing ethanol or other active ingredients have been known to kill or inactivate bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. that are attached to the user's hands and fingers.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses, in Example 1, an aerosol product in which a stock solution consisting of benzalkonium chloride, 99% isopropyl alcohol, glycerin, and purified water is placed in an aerosol pressure-resistant container and carbon dioxide gas is filled as a propellant, and in Example 2, an aerosol product in which a stock solution consisting of benzalkonium chloride, 99% ethanol, and purified water is placed in an aerosol pressure-resistant container and carbon dioxide gas is filled as a propellant.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-327750

However, in the aerosol product of Patent Document 1, even if the undiluted disinfectant itself has bactericidal properties, it is not clear whether the adhered matter has sufficient bactericidal properties when sprayed from a container and adhered to the user's hands or fingers. In other words, in the aerosol product of Patent Document 1, lower alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol and ethanol are blended to impart bactericidal and disinfectant properties, but because they are highly volatile, when sprayed as fine particles from the nozzle of the aerosol product, they evaporate to a certain extent before adhering to the user's hands and fingers, and there is a risk that they do not have sufficient bactericidal and disinfectant properties when they adhere to the hands and fingers.

In addition, in the aerosol product of Patent Document 1, when the undiluted disinfectant is sprayed from the nozzle and applied to the user's hands, in order to provide sufficient bactericidal and disinfecting properties even if some of it evaporates during the process, if an excessive amount of lower alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol or ethanol is sprayed, there is a risk that such lower alcohol will ignite if there is a fire nearby because it is a flammable liquid and the fire will spread from the source. In particular, since the spread of COVID-19, public awareness of disinfection has increased, and disinfectants are frequently used in places where there is a fire, such as in kitchens and dining tables, so there are concerns about the spread of fire due to ignition caused by the use of disinfectants containing lower alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol and ethanol.

The present invention aims to provide an aerosol product for disinfectant containing a lower alcohol with 1 to 3 carbon atoms that exhibits sufficient germicidal and disinfecting properties when sprayed from the nozzle of the aerosol product and adheres to the user's hands and fingers, and that is unlikely to spread from the source of fire even if it ignites in the presence of a flame nearby, such as in the kitchen or on the dining table.

[1] That is, the present invention provides an aerosol product for hand disinfectant, comprising an outer container, a hand disinfectant containing 20 w/v% to 65 w/v% of a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.1 w/v% to 3.0 w/v% of phosphoric acid , 0.1 w/v% to 3.0 w/v% of a salt corresponding to the phosphoric acid , 0.01 w/v% to 2.0 w/v% of a quaternary ammonium salt, and water, which are contained in the outer container, and nitrogen mixed with the hand disinfectant and filled in the outer container, wherein the hand disinfectant has a pH of 3.0 to 5.0 at 25°C, the pressure of the nitrogen is 0.10 MPa or more and less than 1.0 MPa at 35°C, and when the hand disinfectant is sprayed from a spray nozzle , the average particle diameter at 20 cm from the spray nozzle is 21 to 104 μm .

According to the present invention, an aerosol product containing a disinfectant containing a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms exhibits sufficient bactericidal and disinfecting properties when sprayed from the nozzle of the aerosol product and adheres to the user's hands and fingers, and is also able to prevent the fire from spreading from the source even if it ignites near an open flame such as in the kitchen or on the dining table.

FIG. 2 is a central cross-sectional view of the aerosol product for hand disinfection of the present invention.

The following is a detailed explanation of an embodiment of the hand sanitizer aerosol product of the present invention. Note that when the range in the explanation is indicated by "~", it includes the upper and lower limits.

The outer container 1 is the outermost part visible to the user in the hand disinfectant aerosol product of the present invention, and is a member that contains the hand disinfectant 2 inside. Since the inside of the outer container 1 is filled with a non-flammable compressed gas, it has pressure resistance so that it does not break below a certain pressure, such as metals such as aluminum alloys and synthetic resins with a certain thickness. In this embodiment, the outer container 1 is a hollow cylinder with a bottom and an opening at the top. The opening at the top is sealed by a mounting cup 3 as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, when the hand disinfectant 2 described later is acidic with a pH of 3.0 to 5.0 at 25°C, in order to prevent the outer container 1 from being corroded and having holes, it is preferable that the inside of the outer container 1 that comes into contact with the hand disinfectant 2 has a coating layer applied to a certain thickness with polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride, and fluororesins such as polytetrafluoroethylene.

Next, we will explain the hand sanitizer 2 contained in the outer container 1.

In the present invention, the lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms is an alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the molecule, such as methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. By using such a lower alcohol, it is possible to destroy bacterial cell membranes and viral envelopes and to kill viruses and bacteria by coagulating proteins such as enzymes, thereby preventing harm to the human body, such as illnesses caused by such bacteria and viruses.

The content of the lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the hand disinfectant 2 is preferably 20 w/v% to 65 w/v%, and more preferably 25 to 63 w/v%. When the content of the lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms is within this range, it is possible to kill or inactivate bacteria, mold, viruses, etc., and furthermore, when combined with an acid, it is more effective against viruses. The concentration is expressed as a percentage of grams (g) per 100 mL.

An acid can be added to the hand disinfectant 2 of the present invention. When present together with ethanol, a quaternary ammonium salt, or the like, the acid destroys the capsid that protects nucleic acid, promoting the penetration of ethanol, a quaternary ammonium salt, or the like into cells, and is a component that enhances the effectiveness of inactivating a wide range of RNA and DNA viruses, regardless of whether they are enveloped or not.

Specific examples of acids that are preferred include organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, boric acid, lactic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, and propionic acid, and inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid. These acids can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The acid content of the hand disinfectant 2 is preferably 0.1 w/v% to 3.0 w/v%, and more preferably 0.2 w/v% to 2.5 w/v%. When the acid content is within this range, it can be effective in inactivating viruses and killing bacteria.

In the hand disinfectant 2 of the present invention, a salt of the acid can be blended. The salt of the acid is a salt corresponding to the organic acid or inorganic acid described above. Specifically, for example, when citric acid is used as the acid, the salt is sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, etc., when malic acid is used, the salt is sodium malate, potassium malate, calcium malate, etc., and when phosphoric acid is used, the salt is sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, calcium phosphate, etc. In this way, by including a salt corresponding to the acid, the hand disinfectant 2 has a pH in a predetermined range, and even if the lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or water in the hand disinfectant 2 volatilizes slightly after long use, large fluctuations in pH are suppressed, so that the user can use it in a predetermined range of liquidity.

The content of the acid salt in the hand sanitizer 2 is preferably 0.1 w/v% to 3.0 w/v%, and more preferably 0.2 w/v% to 2.5 w/v%. When the content of the acid salt is within this range, the pH of the hand sanitizer 2 can be maintained within a specified range.

A quaternary ammonium salt can be blended in the hand disinfectant 2 of the present invention. The quaternary ammonium salt is a compound consisting of a quaternary ammonium ion and a counter anion, as generally represented by the chemical formula N ⁺ RX ^- (R: alkyl group, X ^- : chloride ion, etc.). Specific examples of the quaternary ammonium salt include benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, hexadodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and tetraammonium bromide. These quaternary ammonium salts can be used alone, but may be used in combination of two or more. In this way, the inclusion of a quaternary ammonium salt makes it easier to destroy the cell membrane of bacteria, or makes it easier to destroy the envelope of enveloped RNA viruses such as coronaviruses (especially COVID-19), influenza viruses, Ebola viruses, and human immunodeficiency viruses, and enveloped DNA viruses such as herpes viruses and smallpox viruses, thereby making it possible to more easily inactivate them.

The content of quaternary ammonium salt in hand disinfectant 2 is preferably 0.01 w/v% to 2.0 w/v%, and more preferably 0.03 w/v% to 1.0 w/v%. When the content of quaternary ammonium salt is within this range, bacterial cell membranes are more easily destroyed, and enveloped RNA and DNA viruses are more easily inactivated.

The water of the present invention is a solvent for making a homogeneous solution of a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an acid, a salt of the acid, and a quaternary ammonium salt. Specifically, the water is preferably water conforming to the Japanese Pharmacopoeia standard, and examples of the water include ordinary water such as tap water and well water, purified water obtained by treating ordinary water by distillation, ion exchange treatment using an ion exchange membrane, ultrafiltration treatment using an ultrafiltration membrane, or a combination thereof, and sterilized purified water obtained by sterilizing purified water by heating or the like. The blending ratio of water is the remainder excluding the lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an acid, a salt of the acid, and a quaternary ammonium salt used in the present invention, and is preferably 30 w/v% to 75 w/v%, and more preferably 32 w/v% to 65 w/v%.

In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, hand disinfectant 2 may contain, as necessary, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and sorbitol; moisturizing agents such as polysaccharides or salts thereof such as hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate; thickeners such as hydroxyethyl methylcellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; fragrances; and colorants. For example, adding a moisturizing agent can further prevent rough skin.

Hand disinfectant 2 containing the above-mentioned components has a pH at 25°C, which indicates the degree of acidity or alkalinity, of preferably 3.0 to 5.0, and more preferably 3.0 to 4.0. When the pH of hand disinfectant 2 is in this range, it is effective in killing bacteria and inactivating various viruses.

When the hand disinfectant 2 thus formulated is sprayed from the nozzle 71, the average particle size at 20 cm from the nozzle 71 is preferably 15 to 150 μm, and more preferably 20 to 120 μm. If the average particle size is within this range, when the hand disinfectant 2 is sprayed from the nozzle 71 of the aerosol product and adheres to the user's hands, it exhibits sufficient bactericidal and disinfecting properties even if the lower alcohol with 1 to 3 carbon atoms evaporates during the process, and since it does not contain an excessive amount of lower alcohol with 1 to 3 carbon atoms, it is difficult for the fire to spread from the source even if it ignites a nearby fire. The average particle size is preferably measured by a laser diffraction/scattering method.

The non-flammable compressed gas of the present invention is filled into the outer container 1 together with the hand sanitizer 2, and is a gas that does not ignite or burn when exposed to fire at normal temperatures of about 10 to 30°C, which is normally used, and is in a state of pressure higher than atmospheric pressure within the outer container 1. When the actuator 7 described below is pressed, the non-flammable compressed gas is discharged to the outside together with the hand sanitizer 2. Specifically, the non-flammable compressed gas is preferably at least one selected from nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, helium, and argon. If the non-flammable compressed gas is one of these gases, it will not ignite even if a fire is present near the user, and the aerosol product for hand sanitizer of the present invention can be used safely.

The pressure of the non-flammable compressed gas filled in the outer container 1 together with the hand sanitizer 2 is preferably 0.10 MPa or more and less than 1.0 MPa at 35°C, and preferably 0.2 MPa or more and 0.9 MPa or less. When the pressure of the non-flammable compressed gas is within this range, the hand sanitizer 2 is smoothly discharged together with the non-flammable compressed gas.

As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol product is composed of an outer container 1, hand sanitizer 2, mounting cup 3, stem 4, elastic spring 5, tube 6, actuator 7, etc. The hand sanitizer 2 and non-flammable compressed gas contained in the outer container 1 are at a higher pressure than the outside of the outer container 1. Therefore, when the actuator 7 is pressed down, the elastic spring 5 also presses down the stem 4 against the biasing force, and the stem hole 41 communicates with the inside of the bag body 2, and the hand sanitizer 2 and non-flammable compressed gas are discharged to the outside from the spray nozzle 71 of the actuator 7 through the bag body 2, the tube 6, and the stem 4.

Below, the hand disinfectant 2 of the present invention will be specifically described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Formulation 1>
At room temperature of 20°C, 28.2 g of ethanol as a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.5 g of phosphoric acid as an acid, 0.25 g of trisodium phosphate as a salt corresponding to the acid, 0.1 g of concentrated benzalkonium chloride solution 50 as a quaternary ammonium salt (0.05 g as benzalkonium chloride), 0.2 g of glycerin as a moisturizer, 0.01 g of sodium hyaluronate (2) as another moisturizer, and purified water as the remainder were added to a 200 ml Griffin beaker and stirred to obtain a total of 100 ml of hand disinfectant.

<Prescriptions 2 to 5>
Formulations 2 to 5 contain a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms as an essential component, and, if necessary, an acid, a salt corresponding to the acid, and a quaternary ammonium salt, as shown in Table 1, and a total of 100 ml of hand disinfectant was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1.

The performance of the aerosol product containing the hand sanitizer obtained in this manner was confirmed using the following evaluation methods.

[Disinfecting and disinfecting test]
Regarding the sterilization and disinfection, the effect of the hand disinfectant 2 sprayed from the aerosol product against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed. Specifically, first, assuming that the aerosol product would be sprayed on the hands when used, various actuators 7 with different diameters of the spray nozzle 71 were pressed with a predetermined force and sprayed for about 1 second on about 10 ⁵ bacteria smeared on a plate medium in a petri dish at a position 20 cm away from the spray nozzle 71. Then, each medium was cultured at 35°C for about 8 hours, and the number of bacteria was measured. Those with an efficacy of 99.9% or more of the number of bacteria killed by contact with the hand disinfectant 2 relative to the initial number of bacteria smeared on the medium were evaluated as "◎", those with an efficacy of 99% or more but less than 99.9% were evaluated as "○", and those with an efficacy of less than 99% were evaluated as "×". At this time, "◎" and "○" were judged to be excellent as having sufficient sterilization and disinfection, and "×" was judged to be poor as having insufficient sterilization and disinfection.

The average particle size of the sprayed liquid was also measured at a position 20 cm away from the spray nozzle 71 of each actuator 7 using hand sanitizer 2 at a liquid temperature of 25°C. The average particle size of the sprayed hand sanitizer 2 was measured using a laser diffraction/scattering device for spraying (Aerotrac II, manufactured by Microtrackbell). The results of the relationship between the average particle size and the bactericidal disinfection properties when the hand sanitizer 2 was sprayed are shown in Tables 2 and 3.

[Flame length test]
In accordance with the test for the length of the sprayed flame in the "Voluntary Standards for the Testing and Inspection of Aerosols, etc." (revised on April 25, 2017) by the Japan Aerosol Association, an ignited burner is placed at a position 15 cm away from the nozzle 71 of the aerosol product, and the actuator 7 is pressed down with a predetermined force so that the hand sanitizer 2 passes through the upper third of the burner flame, and the hand sanitizer 2 is sprayed from the nozzle 71 of the aerosol product. At this time, the burner flame is ignited, and the length of the ignition flame extending from the burner flame along the downstream direction of the spray was measured. The length of the ignition flame extending from the burner flame was evaluated as "◎" when it was less than 5 cm, "○" when it was 5 cm or more but less than 20 cm, and "×" when it was 20 cm or more. At this time, "◎" and "○" were judged to be excellent as it is difficult to spread from the source of fire, and "×" was judged to be poor as it is easy to spread from the source of fire. The results of the flame length test when Hand Sanitizer 2 was sprayed are shown in Tables 2 and 3.

As an overall evaluation based on the results of these bactericidal disinfection tests and flame length tests, for each formulation and the average particle size of the spray liquid at a position 20 cm away from the spray nozzle 71, those rated as "◎" or "○" in both the bactericidal disinfection test and the flame length test were rated as "○" as they can actually be used, while those rated as "×" were rated as "×" as they cannot actually be used.

As shown in Tables 2 and 3, among the hand disinfectants of formulations 1 to 4, those with an average particle diameter of the spray liquid of 21 to 116 μm at a position 20 cm away from the spray nozzle 71 showed bactericidal disinfection against bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus even if ethanol evaporated during spraying, and the length of the ignition flame extending from the burner flame, which is the source of the fire, was less than 20 cm, so it was found that the fire was unlikely to spread even if it ignited, and it was actually usable. However, those with an average particle diameter of the spray liquid of less than 15 μm had a large surface area, so the ethanol evaporated and the bactericidal disinfection was insufficient, and those with an average particle diameter of more than 150 μm had a bactericidal disinfection property because the ethanol did not evaporate easily, so the ignition flame was 20 cm or more long and was likely to spread when ignited, so it was difficult to actually use any of them.

1: Outer container 2: Bag body 3: Mounting cup 4: Stem 41: Stem hole 5: Elastic spring 6: Tube 7: Actuator 71: Spray nozzle

Claims (1)

An outer container;
a hand disinfectant that contains 20 w/v % to 65 w/v % of a lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.1 w/v % to 3.0 w/v % of phosphoric acid , 0.1 w/v % to 3.0 w/v % of a salt corresponding to the phosphoric acid , 0.01 w/v % to 2.0 w/v % of a quaternary ammonium salt, and water, which are contained in the outer container;
The outer container is filled with nitrogen mixed with the hand sanitizer,
The hand disinfectant has a pH of 3.0 to 5.0 at 25°C;
The nitrogen pressure is 0.10 MPa or more and less than 1.0 MPa at 35° C.
An aerosol product for hand disinfectant, characterized in that when the hand disinfectant is sprayed from a spray nozzle, the average particle diameter at 20 cm from the spray nozzle is 21 to 104 μm .

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