Virucidal disinfectant

Abstract

A virucidal disinfectant having broad-range activity includes an acidic phosphorus compound and / or salt thereof, an alcohol, and one or more polyalkylene glycols. The disinfectant, which may also kill bacteria and / or fungi, may be used for the hygienic disinfection of animate and inanimate surfaces. The invention also provides a disinfection method and a product containing a disinfectant.

Description

[0001] This patent application claims priority of European patent application number 05100562.7, filed Jan. 28, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a virucidal disinfectant having broad-range activity, the use of said disinfectant for the hygienic disinfection of animate and inanimate surfaces as well as for killing viruses, bacteria and fungi. [0003] Further, the invention relates to a disinfection method and to a product containing a disinfectant. [0004] In recent years, disinfectants have gained importance. Of particular importance is the use of disinfectants in field such as hospitals, medical practices, old-age homes, emergency wards, but also in factories which are not related with medical aid, such as food-producing factories, in the pharmaceutical branch and in further branches in which working under clean room conditions is necessary. Particularly important in these fie...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a virucidal disinfectant that can kill a wide range of pathogens. It contains a mixture of acidic phosphorus compounds, an alcohol component, and polyalkylene glycols. The disinfectant is effective at killing pathogens when used in a certain concentration. The invention also provides a method for using the disinfectant to kill pathogens and a product containing the disinfectant for easy dispensing.

Problems solved by technology

However, if a comprehensive antiviral effectiveness is required, the alcohols as well as the preparations known to the skilled person have a number of drawbacks.

In contrast, propane-l-ol and propane-2-ol are only selectively effective; they are ineffective against most non-enveloped viruses, e.g., against the highly resistant picornaviruses, which include polioviruses and hepatitis A virus.

The application properties of such products have proven non-optimum due to the sticky skin feeling after the application.

Products formulated on the basis of this teaching have proven non-effective against papovaviruses, even if the time of action was extended to 10 minutes.

The preparation is insufficiently effective against parvoviruses.

According to the manufacturer, the flash point of the preparation is 0° C. The storage and shipping of such a preparation are correspondingly demanding.

However, when used continuously, the high content of non-volatile diols proves to be disturbing, because these diols remain on the hands as a residue and can cause an uncomfortable skin feeling.

Especially for application for hand disinfection in surgery, preparations according to WO-A1-97 / 35475 have limited suitability.

However, due to their composition, products of this type can be employed only for the disinfection of inanimate surfaces.

One of its degradation products is oxalic acid, which not physiologically acceptable.

Irrespective thereof, it is difficult to handle, and the stability of the ready-to-use solutions to be employed is limited.

Components A and B are supposed to be stable, but the mixture of components A and B is not storage-stable over an extended period of time.

In addition, the mixing of the components requires a higher logistic expenditure, for example, in order to guard against the risk of confusion of the components.

Inorganic acids mostly have a limited effectiveness against viruses.

However, a general virucidal property cannot be concluded from the activity against poliovirus alone.

On the other hand, it is neither possible nor reasonable to intend to test the activity against all known viruses individually.

Currently, this is not possible for mere methodic reasons, because no possibility of in vitro growth has been found as yet for a number of viruses in spite of the advanced technical progress.

In addition, the objective mutual comparability of the preparations is rendered more difficult.

Another problem is seen in the practice of hand disinfection.

The logistic problems resulting therefrom and the high demands on personnel training are a challenge which is not to be underestimated.