“Use Of Polyol Fatty Ester Compositions And Products For Minimizing Exposure To A Noxious Substance” in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20210338625): Patent Application

2021 NOV 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent application by the inventor KWIECINSKI, Mark (Ottawa, Ontario, CA), filed on December 4, 2019, was made available online on November 4, 2021, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx correspondents.

This patent application has not been assigned to a company or institution.

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “First responders and front-line health and community workers are often exposed to dangerous substances during the course of carrying out their daily jobs. Although protective clothing and gear can reduce the overall chemical exposure, there are instances when it is impossible to avoid accidental or ongoing contact with chemicals or substances that can cause harm.

“Examples of substances that can cause harm to first responders upon accidental contact include street drugs such as fentanyl or its analogues. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid pain medication administered to patients to prevent pain following surgery, for the management of chronic pain, and to produce sedation during medical procedures. Although similar in effect to morphine and heroin, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent. Carfentanil is an analog of fentanyl that is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl, 5,000 times more powerful than heroin, and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. Since fentanyl and carfentanil are much stronger than most other opioids, they can be very dangerous if misused, and even a small amount can lead to overdose and death.

“Fentanyl and carfentanil are also sold as street drugs. Street fentanyl can be recovered from prescription transdermal patches or it can be produced illegally in drug labs. Street fentanyl and carfentanil in powder form may be swallowed, smoked, snorted or injected, or can cut into (mixed with) street drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Many overdoses have occurred because people did not know that the street drug they were taking was contaminated with fentanyl or carfentanil. In addition, it is common for first responders rushing to help overdose victims to get overdosed themselves due to secondary exposure with fentanyl or carfentanil from the body of the original overdose victim.

“Front-line health and community care workers may therefore become accidentally exposed to fentanyl when working with a patient who has used or overdosed on the drug or its analogs, or when conducting searches of a patient who has the drug with them. Some examples of tasks that could be hazardous and would require risk assessment include removing the clothing, searching, reviving, and transferring of a patient who has used the drug or has the drug in their possession. In addition, fentanyl may be transported on clothing to another location, thus exposing non-front line populations, such as the families or colleagues of the front line worker.

“Fentanyl and its analogs can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, or intravenous or intramuscular injection. Skin contact is also thought to be a potential exposure route, but is not likely to lead to overdose unless there is prolonged exposure to large volumes of highly concentrated fentanyl in powder form. Brief skin contact with fentanyl or its analogs is not expected to lead to toxic effects if any visible contamination is immediately removed. Overall, inhalation and incidental ingestion are the greatest threats to health and community care workers.

“To protect against accidental exposure, current best practices require that standard personal protective equipment be worn by health and community care workers who are working with patients suspected or known to have been exposed to fentanyl or carfentanil. This may include gowns, aprons, eye protection, booties and (double) nitrile gloves based on the situational risk assessment conducted (including the form and quantity of the drug). Fit-tested N95 respirators are recommended to be worn if there is a risk of respiratory exposure to the drug.

“Although naloxone is a safe and effective medication used to temporarily block the effects of fentanyl and other opioids, due to the high potency of fentanyl and its analogs, multiple doses of naloxone may be needed to treat a fentanyl overdose. Furthermore, naloxone only temporarily blocks the effects of respiratory depression caused by opioids (for 30-90 minutes) so medical attention is still required following its administration. As such, while naloxone can be employed to treat first responders who have been inadvertently exposed to fentanyl or other opioids, it would be preferable to avoid this exposure in the first place.

“Another example of first responders subject to exposure to dangerous substances on an ongoing basis are firefighters. A study from the University of Ottawa has found that firefighters absorb toxic chemicals from smoke through their skin while on the job. Keir et al. “Elevated Exposures to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Other Organic Mutagens in Ottawa Firefighters Participating in Emergency, On-Shift Fire Suppression”, Environ. Technol. 2017, 51, 21, 12745-12755. The report revealed that, after fighting fires, urine samples of OFS workers show four times the potential for DNA damage and contain between three and five times more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are harmful chemical compounds often linked to cancer. Examples of common PAH metabolites found in firefighters include naphthalene, pyrene, phenanthrene and fluorine. Skin swabs of firefighters in the study found that they were exposed to these chemicals through dermal exposure to combustion products.

“Particulates generated from burning wood or other organic matter are composed of chemically inert carbon particles that become adsorbed (coated) with harmful chemical compounds. Firefighters are exposed to PAH during a fire, and a coating of PAHs can remain on portions of their bodies for days afterwards. Current protocols employ the use of soap and water, which can be inconvenient in the field where no shower-type facilities are available. Other alternatives involve the use of alcohol based antiseptic wipes; however, these may not be highly effective at removing hydrophobic PAHs from the skin.

“Therefore there is a need for low-cost, non-toxic, convenient and readily accessible products capable of minimizing exposure of first responders to noxious substances in the field.

“This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent application: “An object of the present invention is to provide polyol fatty ester compositions and products for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, the method comprising the step of administering a spray composition onto a surface contaminated by the noxious substance, wherein the spray composition comprises a polyol fatty ester.

“In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spray composition to minimize exposure to a noxious substance, wherein the spray composition comprises a polyol fatty ester.

“In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided use of the spray composition to minimize exposure to a noxious substance.

“In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, the method comprising the step of wiping a surface contaminated with the noxious substance with a polyol fatty ester wipe, wherein the wipe comprises a polyol fatty ester coated on or impregnated in a flexible sheet material.

“In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polyol fatty ester wipe for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, wherein the wipe comprises a polyol fatty ester coated on or impregnated in a flexible sheet material

“In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided use of the polyol fatty ester wipe to minimize exposure to a noxious substance.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1-10. (canceled)

“11. A spray composition for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, wherein the spray composition comprises a polyol fatty ester.

“12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the polyol fatty ester is a sugar fatty ester.

“13. The composition of claim 12, wherein the sugar fatty ester is a sugar or sugar alcohol that is esterified with four or more fatty esters.

“14. The composition of claim 12, wherein the sugar fatty ester is sucrose fatty ester that is esterified with six or more fatty esters.

“15. The composition of claim 11, wherein the fatty esters are derived from lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eleostearic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, or combinations thereof.

“16. The composition of claim 11, wherein the spray composition comprises a solvent.

“17. The composition of claim 16, wherein the solvent is selected from hydrocarbons, alcohols, glycerin, a vegetable oil, or combination thereof.

“18. The composition of claim 11, wherein the noxious substance is fentanyl, carfentanil, or a combination thereof.

“19. The composition of claim 11, wherein the spray composition is for administration using a pump spray.

“20. The composition of claim 11, wherein the spray composition is for administration using an aerosol spray.

“21-29. (canceled)

“30. A polyol fatty ester wipe for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, wherein the wipe comprises a polyol fatty ester coated on or impregnated with a flexible sheet material.

“31. The wipe of claim 30, wherein the polyol fatty ester is a sugar fatty ester.

“32. The wipe of claim 31, wherein the sugar fatty ester is a sugar or sugar alcohol that is esterified with four or more fatty esters.

“33. The wipe of claim 32, wherein the sugar fatty ester is sucrose fatty ester that is esterified with six or more fatty esters.

“34. The wipe of claim 30, wherein the fatty esters are derived from lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eleostearic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, or combinations thereof.

“35. The wipe of claim 30, wherein the flexible sheet material is a nonwoven fibrous web.

“36. The wipe of claim 35, wherein the non-woven fibrous web is formed from fibers comprising polymers selected from polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), poly-4-methylpentene (PMP), polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and combinations thereof; natural materials selected from cellulose, rayon, cotton, wool or other natural materials; or blends of polymers and natural materials.

“37. The wipe of claim 30, wherein the flexible sheet material is a woven fabric.

“38. (canceled)

“39. Method for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, the method comprising the step of administering a spray composition onto a surface contaminated by the noxious substance, wherein the spray composition is as defined in claim 11, wherein the spray composition is administered using a pump spray or an aerosol spray.

“40. Method for minimizing exposure to a noxious substance, the method comprising the step of wiping a surface contaminated with the noxious substance with a polyol fatty ester wipe, wherein the wipe is as defined in claim 30.”

URL and more information on this patent application, see: KWIECINSKI, Mark. Use Of Polyol Fatty Ester Compositions And Products For Minimizing Exposure To A Noxious Substance. Filed December 4, 2019 and posted November 4, 2021. Patent URL: https://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220210338625%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20210338625&RS=DN/20210338625

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