Disposable article with non-leachable saline water indicator

Abstract

A disposable article such as a diaper, sanitary napkin, bandage, and the like for absorbing bodily excretions; the article having a quantity of absorbent material placed between the body and a semitransparent water impermeable backsheet wherein the improvement comprises a quantity of saline water indicating material placed in close proximity to both the inner surface of the semitransparent backsheet and the excretion-absorbing material. The saline water indicating material is comprised of a water-insoluble polymeric ion exchanger and a water-insoluble polymeric exchanged-ion indicator in intimate contact with each other. The saline water indicating material may be a particulate composition or a structured material. The saline water indicating material has the three properties of, one, changing color when contacted with urine, perspiration, feces, and other saline bodily excretions; two, not having the exchanged-ion indicator or the ion exchanger leached into the urine, perspiration, feces or other saline excretions thereby not contacting the skin of the body; and, three, the changed color being observable from the outer surface of the semitransparent backsheet. The water insoluble polymeric exchanged-ion indicator component of the saline water indicating material can be a water insoluble polymeric substrate bound acid-base indicator, a water insoluble inherently polymeric acid-base indicator, a water insoluble polymeric substrate bound chelating agent, or water insoluble ion-indicating polymeric ion exchanger.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.