Antibacterial fabric and composition

Abstract

A fabric is saturated with a salt solution, such that when an electric current is applied to the fabric, the fabric exhibits a bactericidal ability. In another aspect, a salt solution includes a conductor, a humectant, a solvent, and a binder, where the conductor has an NaCl % w/w of between 3 and 11, the humectant has a glycerol % w/w of between 3 and 15, the solvent has a water % w/w of between 77 and 89 and the fixative includes a binder % w/w of between 0.01 and 2.0.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fabric comprising a salt solution, such that when an electric current is applied to the fabric, the fabric exhibits a bactericidal ability. 
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the salt solution comprises a salt % w/w of 7.0, a glycerol % w/w of 9.0, a water % w/w of 83, and a binder % w/w of 1. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the salt solution comprises a conductor, a humectant, a solvent, and a binder. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the conductor comprises an NaCl % w/w of between 3 and 11. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the humectant comprises a glycerol % w/w of between 3 and 15. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the solvent comprises a water % w/w of between 77 and 89. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the fixative comprises a binder % w/w of between 0.01 and 2.0. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the electric current is regulated to approximately 100 microamps. 
     
     
         9 . A fabric comprising:
 a conductive solution; and   a power supply coupled to opposite ends of the fabric to electrify the fabric to provide a bactericidal ability.   
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the power supply comprises a resistive load coupled in parallel with a battery. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the power supply comprises a resistive load coupled in series with a battery. 
     
     
         12 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the power supply comprises a regulator coupled in series with a battery. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the salt solution comprises a conductor, a humectant, a solvent, and a binder. 
     
     
         14 . The fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the conductor comprises one or more of organic and inorganic types of sodium, potassium, lithium salts of chloride, citrates, sulfates, and phosphates. 
     
     
         15 . The fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the humectant comprises one or more of glycerin, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG's) butylene glycol etc. triethylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, PPGs, sorbitol (sugar alcohol), hexylene and butylene glycol, urea, and collagen. 
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the solvent comprises water. 
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the binder comprises one or more natural binders, one or more synthetic binders, or an emulsion copolymer of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate with a modified urea formaldehyde. 
     
     
         18 . A salt solution comprising an NaCl % w/w of 7.0, a glycerol % w/w of 9.0, a water % w/w of 83, and a binder % w/w of 1. 
     
     
         19 . A salt solution comprising a conductor, a humectant, a solvent, and a binder. 
     
     
         20 . The salt solution of  claim 19 , wherein the conductor comprises an NaCl % w/w of between 3 and 11. 
     
     
         21 . The salt solution of  claim 19 , wherein the humectant comprises a glycerol % w/w of between 3 and 15. 
     
     
         22 . The salt solution of  claim 19 , wherein the solvent comprises a water % w/w of between 77 and 89. 
     
     
         23 . The salt solution of  claim 19 , wherein the fixative comprises a binder % w/w of between 0.01 and 2.0.