The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 25, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1998
Steven Wayne Fitting, Acworth, GA (US);
Michael David Powers, Canton, GA (US);
Roger Bradshaw Quincy, III, Cumming, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A method of preparing a sterilized nonwoven web, which method includes providing a nonwoven web; coating the nonwoven web with from about 0.005 to about 3 percent by weight, based on the weight of the web, of an antistatic agent; and exposing the coated nonwoven web to an oxidizing gas plasma. The antistatic agent is adapted to be free of a malodor after exposure of the coated nonwoven web to the oxidizing gas plasma. The antistatic agent may be further adapted to provide a sterilized nonwoven web having a hydrohead value as measured by Method 5514 of Federal Test Method Standard No. 191A which is at least 50 percent of the hydrohead value of the coated nonwoven web before exposure to the oxidizing gas plasma. The antistatic agent also may be adapted to provide a sterilized nonwoven web having a surface resistivity in ohms which is lower than the surface resistivity in ohms of the coated nonwoven web before exposure of the coated nonwoven web to the oxidizing gas plasma. The antistatic agent may be an alkali metal or ammonium salt of either a mono- or di-C -alkyl phosphate in which the C -alkyl moiety is an alkyl group containing three carbon atoms optionally substituted with hydroxy groups or a &bgr;-carbon substituted alkyl phosphate, a di(&bgr;-carbon substituted alkyl) phosphate, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing. The invention also provides a fibrous sheet-like material, such as a barrier fabric, a sterilization wrap, a surgical garment, and medical procedure packs.