Wearable insect repelling patch

Abstract

An insect repellent patch is disclosed of a size and weight compatible for wearing on the clothing or skin of a user. The patch has a gross area not in excess of 232 cm 2 and bearing one or more insect repellents having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than about 1×10 −6 mm Hg. The total amount of insect repellent is in an amount effective to provide practical mosquito personal area repellency. Kits of such patches, with instructions for use, and methods of providing practical personal area insect repellency are also disclosed.

1 . An insect repellent patch, comprising: 
 a delivery substrate no greater than 232 cm 2  in gross area, bearing insect repellent having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than 1×10 −6  mm Hg;    the insect repellent being present in a total amount effective to provide practical mosquito personal area repellency.    
   
   
       2 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the insect repellent patch bears not less than a total of 0.17 mg/cm 2  of insect repellent having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than 1×10 −6  mm Hg.  
   
   
       3 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery substrate has a front side and a back side, and a fastener linked to the substrate that is capable of releasably attaching the patch to a supporting surface selected from the group consisting of a user's skin and/or clothing, and wherein the fastener is selected from the group consisting of adhesives, pins, hook-and-eye fastener material, a frame, and/or a band.  
   
   
       4 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the patch is suitable to dispense at least 0.01 mg of insect repellent per hour at 25° C. in still air conditions.  
   
   
       5 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the insect repellent is a pyrethroid insect repellent selected from the group consisting of transfluthrin, metofluthrin, and profluthrin.  
   
   
       6 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1  selected from the group consisting of stick-on patches, wrist bands, ankle bands, pendants and medallions.  
   
   
       7 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the patch comprises a substrate bearing the repellent, the substrate comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, nylon, rayon, cellulose acetate, wood pulp and cotton.  
   
   
       8 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a non-woven fabric which is spunbonded, spunlaced, spunlaid, melt blown, needle punched, hydroentangled, latex bonded, and/or resin bonded.  
   
   
       9 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 1 , wherein the patch was formed by dosing the substrate with a mix of a dose of solvent and an amount of said insect repellent, and the solvent was allowed to evaporate off from the substrate prior to using the patch for personal area insect repellency protection or to containing the patch in an insect repellent-tight envelope.  
   
   
       10 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is pre-exposed to ambient atmospheric conditions for at least 1 hour prior to using the patch for personal area insect repellency protection or to containing the patch in an insect repellent-tight envelope.  
   
   
       11 . A kit for controlling insects, comprising at least two insect repellent patches, wherein said patches of the kit both comprise a delivery substrate no greater than 232 cm 2  in gross area, bearing insect repellent having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than 1×10 −6  mm Hg.  
   
   
       12 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein a total amount of insect repellent in said kit, when the patches of the kit are placed on a user's skin or clothing, is effective to provide practical mosquito personal area repellency.  
   
   
       13 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein said at least two patches bear not less than a total of 0.17 mg/cm 2  of insect repellents having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than 1×10 −6  mm Hg.  
   
   
       14 . The kit of  claim 11  including instructions to place said patches on or adjacent a user's body.  
   
   
       15 . A method of repelling mosquitoes from an immediate area around a user's body, the method comprising: 
 releasably attaching to one or both of a user's skin or clothing at least one insect repellent patch comprising a delivery substrate no greater than 232 cm 2  in gross area, the patch or patches bearing insect repellent having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of not less than 1×10 −6  mm Hg;    wherein a total amount of said insect repellent so applied is an amount effective to provide practical mosquito personal area repellency.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least two such patches are applied to two separate locations on a user's skin or clothing.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one such insect repellent patch is attached to the skin or clothing adjacent a lower limb of the user, and at least one such insect repellent patch is attached to the skin or clothing above the waist and below the neck of the user.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least two such insect repellent patches are attached to the skin or clothing adjacent lower limbs of the user, and at least two such insect repellent patches are attached to the skin or clothing above the waist and below the neck of the user.  
   
   
       19 . An insect repellent patch comprising: 
 a delivery substrate no greater than 232 cm 2  in gross area, bearing a qualifying insect repellent in an amount effective to provide practical mosquito personal area repellency.    
   
   
       20 . The insect repellent patch of  claim 19:   wherein the patch has an adhesive layer and a non-woven fiber material layer adjacent thereto;    wherein the non-woven fiber material layer bears said insect repellent; and    wherein a peel-off release layer covers the adhesive layer.