WO1993020693A1

WO1993020693A1 - Insect repelling carrier band

Info

Publication number: WO1993020693A1
Application number: PCT/US1993/003340
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Gallucci
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-04-10
Filing date: 1993-04-09
Publication date: 1993-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1994-10-10
Also published as: AU4048593A

Abstract

An insect and parasite repelling carrier band (30), configured as an article of apparel, including a core (32) providing a structural carrier for a tick specific insecticide and repellant, and a casing (34) enclosing the core. The carrier band (30) is preferably configured to be passively affixed and worn about an ankle (14) of a person.

Description

INSECT REPELLING CARRIER BAND

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lyme disease, or lyme borreliosis, is a tick born disease infecting thousands of people each year which i spreading and occurs in the U.S., Europe, Russia, the Far Eas and Australia. It has become the most prevalent of tick-born diseases and, when untreated, can result in chronic debilitating sickness. The etiologic agent is a spirochete carried primarily by ticks, who inhabit and infect a host dee or other animal. Small mammals such as mice carry the diseas organism over long periods of time with apparently little il effect.

Infections in humans corresponds with tick proximity an activity, peaking in July. The Centers for Disease Contro has projected upwards of 15,000 new cases a year, primarily i the Northeast and the upper Midwest portions of the U.S Increased outdoor work and recreational activities heighte the risk of exposure. Children are especially at risk o being infected.

The lifecycle of the tick, whether seeking a primary secondary or tertiary host, molting, rehydrating or on carbon dioxide quest; always involves dropping to the ground Generally, a human gets infected by walking through grass o weeds infested by the ticks. As the human walks by, the tic will transfer from the ground cover to the shoes or lower leg The tick then attempts to climb upward to find a place t inhabit, preferring the areas covered by body hair. A singl bite from one of these parasites can cause infection with th lyme borreliosis spirochete.

Lyme disease in humans may cause a variety of sympto depending on how soon it is diagnosed and treated. Th symptoms have been divided into three stages. The classi sign of stage 1 is a slowly expanding red rash which may fa in the center as it spreads away the tick bite location. Onl about 60 -80% of infected individuals will develop this rash. Some people will experience flu-like symptoms such as mil headaches, swollen lymph nodes, stiff and painful muscles an joints, fatigue, and low fever. Stage 1 symptoms may occu from several days to weeks after a tick bite. If lef untreated, the rash will usually fade spontaneously over period of a few days to months, although the spirochete remain.

Stage 2 usually occurs from several weeks to months afte initial infection and is characterized by involvement of th joints, nervous and circulatory systems, and heart. Nervou signs may include a stiff neck, headache, irritability, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and incoordination. Th heart symptoms may include dizziness, weakness, and a irregular heartbeat.

The most advanced stage may occur months to several year after onset of the disease. Stage 3 Lyme disease i characterized by arthritis in which there may be swelling an pain of the joints. The arthritis may be chronic an intermittent and often involves the knee, wrist, and shoulder. Chronic neurological signs such as facial palsy, meningitis, and memory loss also may occur.

Presently, there are a number of different types o insect repellents which, when applied to the skin and/o clothing, protect against infestation by ticks and othe parasites. Generally, these insect repellents are availabl in spray, lotion or stick form. These insect repellents mus be applied periodically for maximum protection. The proble with these types of insect repellents is that they can b uncomfortable, odorous, and may cause irritation to the skin eyes, or mouth if the user is not cautious. These problem are particularly manifest with respect to young children. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed to a new insecticid and repellent delivery system. The delivery system is a insect and parasite repelling carrier band, configured as a article of apparel, including a core providing a structura carrier for a tick specific insecticide and repellant, and casing enclosing the core. The carrier band is preferabl configured to be passively affixed and worn about an ankle o a person. The active ingredients are safe, natural an effective, with low persistence and low mammalian toxicity They are preferably delivered by a memory retentive flexibl polymer carrier band worn about the lower leg. In conjunctio with the active ingredients, this carrier band acts as a actual physical barrier , keeping ticks off the users skin This system delivers a high concentration of activ ingredients to the target area with low contamination to th environment. The carrier band's inner surface presents hypo-allergenic, comfortable inner lining. Non-greasy an non-staining, the carrier band is safe for skin and mos fabrics. It must be emphasized that this prevention syste provides protection not only against Lyme disease, but als against all tick-borne diseases and ground based parasites and can be used to protect domestic and wild animals as wel as humans.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 depicts the lower portion of a human leg encircle by the carrier band of the present invention.

Fig. 2 depicts a perspective, partially cross-sectiona view of the preferred embodiment of the carrier band of th present invention.

Fig. 3 depicts a first alternative embodiment for th carrier band of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 depicts a second alternative embodiment for th carrier band of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 depicts a third alternative embodiment for the carrier band of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 depicts a modification to the carrier band of any of Figs. 2 through 5. Fig. 7 depicts a further modification to the carrier band of any of Figs. 2 through 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 depicts a perspective, partially cutaway view of a lower portion of a human leg 10 including the foot 12, ankle 14, and calf 16, of the leg 10. As illustrated, a shoe 18 and sock 20 are worn about the foot and ankle. In addition, the lower portion of a pant leg 22 is illustrated covering portions of the calf 16 and ankle 14. Wrapped about the lower portion of the leg 10, encircling the bottom of the pant leg 22, or alternatively the sock 20, is a carrier band 30. The carrier band 30 provides a means for delivering an insecticide and a repellent to the lower portion of the leg 10. Th carrier band 30 also provides a physical barrier to prevent ticks from climbing up the leg of the wearer. Thus, the carrier band 30 provides both a repellant and physical barrier to prevent infestation by parasites , including ticks which carry and transmit the lyme borreliosis disease. While th carrier band 30 is illustrated encircling the lower portion of the leg 10, it may be appreciated that a number of carrie bands 30 could be wrapped about various portions of the leg, at various heights, to further protect against infestation b the parasitic tick.

Fig. 2 depicts the preferred embodiment for the carrie band 30 of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the carrier ban 30 is constructed from a structural core means 32 which i encased within a casing means 34. The structural core mean provides a matrix for carrying the insecticide and repellent, while the casing means encloses the structural core mean thereby preventing direct contact with the skin of the weare while also providing a washable and visually attractiv exterior appearance.

The structural core means 32 is preferably constructed a a composition of an insecticide and a repellent incorporate into a polymeric matrix. Alternatively, the structural cor means could be a composition of the insecticide and repellen carried within an elastomeric matrix material. Preferre materials for the insecticide and repellent have th properties of being non-toxic to the human wearer, and ar preferably hypo-allergenic to at least a substantial majorit of the potential market for the carrier band 30. Th insecticide is preferably acaricide specific, preferabl pyrethrum, derived from the plant genus Chrysanthemum o related genera C. coccineum and C. cinerariaefolium. Additionally, the repellent is preferably diethyl-meta toluamide.

The matrix material for the structural core means 32 i preferably a polymeric material. The preferred materials fo the carrier matrix are selected from the group consisting o polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, flexible thermo plastic resins, and polycarbonates. Alternative materials fo the matrix materials can be various types of known elastomers. Essentially, the carrier means must provide a flexible, preferably memory retentive and biologically iner composition. The above materials for the repellent an insecticide can be blended into a composition with the carrie matrix wherein the insecticide comprises between 0.01 and percent pyrethrum, and the repellent comprises between percent and 30 percent diethyl-meta-toluamide, in weigh percentages of the composition. Preferably, the percentage o pyrethrum is less than 0.2 percent, and the percentage of th repellent is between 14 and 16 percent. Following blending o the materials, the structural core means 32 can be formed fro a process selected from the group consisting of molding pressing, tape casting, rolling, extruding, and stamping. Preferably, the structural core means 32 is configured to have a slightly concave surface across its width. The concave surface, in combination with the flexible, semi-rigid mechanical structure of the structural core means 32 allows for two stable physical arrangements. The first stable physical arrangement is to have the carrier band 30 elongated in a straight line, as depicted by the left hand portion of the illustration of Fig. 2. The second stable position would be to have the carrier band 30 wrapped into a concentric circle or helix, whereby the radius of curvature of the helix is on the opposite side of the carrier band 30 from concave surface of the carrier band structural core means 32. In this configuration, the carrier band 30 can be easily attached about the leg 10 of the wearer by first placing the carrier band 30 in the elongated configuration, and then bending the carrier band 30 against the ankle of the wearer, thereby causing the entire carrier band 30 to tend to encircle the ankle 14.

While it is preferred that the insecticide and repellent are incorporated into a composition which is then molded into the structural core means 32, the structural core means 32 can alternatively be formed by providing an insecticide and repellent coating applied to a base material selected from the group consisting of the above polymeric materials, and metallic materials such as aluminum, copper, or spring-steel. In this configuration, the carrier means of the structural core will have the insecticide and repellent blended into an inert bonding agent and/or solvent such as water, alcohol or a petroleum based solvent, and coated on the surface of the structural core means 32. The insecticide and repellent can be coated by a method selected from the group consisting of dipping, spraying, and painting. The carrier matrix can be prepared for accepting the insecticide and repellent by, for example, surface pitting or roughing the surfaces of the selected carrier matrix material. Alternatively, for a polymeric carrier matrix, a plurality of fibers, porou particles or a fabric material can be affixed to o incorporated in the exterior surface of the carrier band 30. These materials serve to increase the ability of the carrie matrix to retain the insecticide and repellent, and allo gradual release thereof.

The casing means 34 is designed to enclose the structura core means 32 in order to provide a physical barrier betwee the insecticide and repellent carrying structural core mean 32 and the skin of the wearer. Additionally, the casing mean 34 is designed, for example, from a cloth material which ma be dyed to have any specific or desired print. Thus, th casing means 34 provides both a barrier preventing the direc contact with the skin of the wearer with the insecticide an repellent of the structural core, and also an attractiv physical appearance.

Another preferred alternative configuration for th carrier band is to use an inert core, formed of the cor matrix materials described above, in combination with a casin means having the exterior face (relative to the ankle) of th carrier band 30 coated with an insecticide and repellen solution. In this configuration, the inert core provides th structural integrity for the carrier band and serves as barrier between the insecticide and repellent solution and th skin of the wearer. This arrangement allows the insecticid and repellent solution to be re-applied prior to and durin use, to increase the effectiveness of the carrier band.

Fig. 3 depicts a first alternative embodiment of th carrier band of the present invention. In Fig. 3, a carrie band 40 includes the structural core 42 and casing means 44 However, in this configuration, the carrier band is mor flexible in nature. The casing means 44 is equipped with hook-and-loop type of closure system which acts as a affixation means. Other types of affixation means can b incorporated, such buttons, snaps, or zippers. In th embodiment of Fig. 3, the structural core 42 is preferably configured from the material having little or no elastomeric capability. Thus, the carrier band 40 of Fig. 3 could be con igured from the structural core 42 as described above with respect to Fig. 2. However, the carrier band of Fig. 3 could also be designed to include a mesh-like core matrix, constructed out of, for example, a woven metallic or high strength fabric material. The insecticide and repellent could be incorporated into the woven structure of this core matrix means, or applied to the fabric of the casing means as described above.

Fig. 4 depicts a second alternative embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, an elongated carrier band 50 is illustrated. The carrier band 50 of Fig. 4 has a configuration identical to that of either Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, with the exception that the carrier--band 50 is configured to wrap about the ankle or leg of the wearer a plurality of times, either can centrically or in a helix configuration. Thus, for example, the carrier band 50 of Fig. 4 could be configured to wrap about the ankle and extend up the leg of the wearer, and be attached either passively, by incorporation of the concave structural core, or actively by incorporation of a fixation means at the ends of the carrier band 50.

Fig. 5 depicts another alternative embodiment of a carrier band 60. Carrier band 60 of Fig. 5 includes an elastomeric material for the structural core, enclosed within the casing means 62. The elastomeric material of the structural core 62 is matched to an elastic casing means 64, and formed into a continuous cylinder. The carrier band 60 of Fig. 5 is stretch in order to be placed about the foot, and then pulled up upon the ankle or lower leg of the wearer. For the configuration of the carrier band 60 of Fig. 5, it may be appreciated that the structural core 62 would by necessity be designed from a material having at least a certain amount of flexural capability, such as an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the structural core 62 can be configured of metallic or mesh-like woven material, with at least som degree of elongation capacity, then encased within an elasti casing means 64, the casing means would act to contract th carrier band 60 about the ankle of the wearer once it has bee pulled over the foot. For this configuration, the metallic o fibrous material would be coated with insecticide an repellent prior to being disposed within the casing means 34 or the casing means itself can be coated with the insecticid and repellent.

For any of the configurations of Figs. 2-4, it may b appreciated that the respective casing means 34, 44, 54, an 64, could be configured to be removable from the positio about the structural core elements. Thus, the casing means 3 could be equipped with a hook-and-loop closure mechanism, o simply configured so as to passively to encase the respectiv structural core. In this configuration, the casing means 3 could be removed from the structural core for washing.

Fig. 6 depicts another alternative configuration wherei the carrier band 30 of Fig. 2 (for example) is also equippe with a ventilation area to allow venting of the skin dispose beneath the carrier band 30 to the atmosphere. Thi ventilated version could be incorporated into the design o any of the alternative embodiments of the invention detaile within Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In the ventilated version, for solid structural core 32, the structural core would include number of holes spaced about and traversing through th structural core 32. The casing means 34 is an open weav fabric to allow passage of air. This ventilated configuratio provides increased ventilation to the skin of the wearer o the carrier band 30.

A still further alternative configuration contemplates carrier band 70 of Fig. 7 which includes a hollow core matri 72 enclosed within a casing means 74. In this configuration the hollow carrier matrix contains a reservoir 76 into whic a solution including the insecticide and repellent is injected. The hollow carrier band 72 also includes eluting means, such as a plurality of small holes 78 allowing the sollution in the reservoir to gradually leak out and permeat the casing means 74. This hollow carrier matrix 72 could be incorporated into the design of any of the alternative embodiments of the invention detailed within Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The casing means 74 is an open weave fabric which promotes wicking of the solution to the exterior surface of the carrier band.

As may be appreciated from the description above, the present invention provides numerous advantages over aerosol or liquid type repellents. The carrier band of the present invention is both functional and aesthetically acceptable, thereby enhancing likelihood of its use by persons at risk of exposure to parasitic infestation. Accordingly, while a number of alternative embodiments for the invention have been detailed herein above, the scope present invention is to be defined and limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

I CLAIM :

1. An insect and parasite repelling carrier band, configured as an article of apparel, the carrier band comprising: core means for providing a structural carrier delivering a tick specific insecticide and an insect specific repellant; and casing means for enclosing said core means, said carrier band configured to be worn about the lower leg of a person.

2. The carrier band of Claim 1, wherein said core means further comprises a structural core having a carrier matrix with said insecticide and repellent blended into said matrix to form a unitary composite member.

3. The carrier band of Claim 2, wherein said structural core is a composition including the insecticide pyrethrum and the insect repellent diethyl-meta-toluamide.

4. The carrier band of Claim 2, wherein the carrier matrix is a material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonates, elastomers and the flexible thermo-plastic resins polyvinyl, polystyrene, polyester, or silicone.

5. The carrier band of Claim 2, wherein the structural core is formed into an elongated, concave ribbon, by a process selected from the group consisting of: rolling, extruding, tape casting, pressing, and molding.

6. The carrier band of Claim 1, wherein said core means further comprises: carrier means, formed as a ribbon or fabric mesh of a selected base material, for providing a matrix upon which said insect repellant is bonded as a coating.^~

7. The carrier band of Claim 1 further comprising: fixation means af ix to the ends of said carrier band for attaching one end of said carrier band to an opposite end of said carrier band.

8. The carrier band of Claim 2, wherein the matrix means comprises an elastomeric material formed into a cylindrical configuration adapted to be disposed about arid encircle the lower leg.

9. The carrier band of Claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of holes disposed about and passing through the carrier band to allow passage of air therethrough.

10. The carrier band of Claim 2, wherein said composite of said structural core further comprises: pyrethrum as the insecticide; diethyl-meta-toluamide as the insect repellent; and a carrier matrix material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, the flexible thermo-plastic resins, polyvinyl, polystyrene, polyester, or silicone, polycarbonates, and elastomers, and wherein the insecticide constitutes between 0.01 percent and 5 percent, and the insect repellent constitutes between 5 percent and 30 percent of the composition, by weight.

11. The carrier band of Claim 1, wherein said casing means further comprises a woven fabric material having an insecticide and an insect repellent solution applied to said woven fabric on the exterior side of the carrier band.

12. The carrier band of Claim 11, wherein said insecticide is pyrethrum and said repellent is diethyl-meta- toluamide.

13. The carrier band of Claim 12 wherein the insecticide constitutes between 0.01 percent and 0.2 percent, and the repellent constitutes between 14 percent and 16 percent, by weight, of a solution of otherwise inert components.

14. The carrier band of Claim 1, wherein said structural core further defines a reservoir means for containing a solution including the insecticide pyrethrum and the repellent diethyl-meta-toluamide, and eluting means for allowing the solution to elute from the reservoir to the casing means.

15. A method of forming an insect and parasite repelling carrier band article of apparel comprising: providing an insecticide and a repellent affixed to a core matrix; and enclosing said core matrix in a casing, said carrier ban being configured to be worn about an extremity of a person.

16. The method of forming the carrier band of Claim 15, further comprising: forming said core matrix as an elongated, concave ribbon, by a process selected from the group consisting of: rolling, extruding, tape casting, pressing, and molding.

17. The method of forming the carrier band of Claim 15, further comprising: blending said insecticide, said repellent, and sai material of said core matrix into a composition.

18. A method of repelling and preventing infestation of a human by ground based parasites and insects, comprising: providing a carrier band having a composite structural core including an insecticide pyrethrum, a repellent diethyl- meta-toluamide, associated with a carrier matrix material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, the flexible thermo-plastic resins, polyvinyl, polystyrene, polyester or silicone, polycarbonates, and elastomers; and affixing said carrier band about the ankles of said human.