申请人:Guritza, Dennis A.
公开号:EP2110143A2
公开(公告)日:2009-10-21
This invention relates to an article comprising a bio-supportive media which bio-degrades at a preferred rate, comprising at least one bio-limiting agent and at least one nutritional source on a substrate. The media may be characterized as a polymer, composite, or amalgam of commonly used materials. The invention relates to altering the physical/chemical composition of the media such that bio-degradation can occur at a specific, usually accelerated, preferred rate. Further, the bio-degradation rate may be managed and balance concurrently with the ability to provide for the exposure of integral component(s) which are bio-active. This relationship essentially provides for a managed release or managed availability of agent(s) which creates a hew set of ecological conditions. These sustained conditions can maintain a micro-habitat; a limited consort of species, often slime which, due to this ecological trophic niche position, can utilize innate allelopathic means to further protect their position and deter predation. The relationships of the nutrients, blo-limiters, and biomass comprise a unique micro-habitat as an interface which provides protection from corrosion and deterioration of the substrate upon which it is fixed, and limits the biomass accumulation on the surface thereby providing control of fouling by reducing higher order organism(s) attachments, which otherwise are very economically costly.
Specifically the invention relates to modifying the media formation whether as a polymer or composite or amalgam such that the physical and chemical properties of the media are altered to become more degradable in the host habitat. This is accomplished by altering the polymerization or formation of the composite or amalgam to provide for increased inter-granular or molecular locations which permit enhanced bio-degradative activity. Then by occluding or interspersing physical or chemically an agent which has bio-active properties, the organisms of various species which may attach or be attracted to the surface can be limited by their nutrition and tolerance of bio-active preference without the need for toxification or mechanical removal of undesirable or unwanted organism as settlers. Once the community of selected organisms establishes a natural equilibrium with the host habitat any capacity for allelopathic protection of the biofilm can be utilized or enhanced by this new and unique biological community to its benefit through management of the media components.
本发明涉及一种由生物支持介质组成的物品,该介质以优选的速度进行生物降解,在基质上包含至少一种生物限制剂和至少一种营养源。这种介质可以是聚合物、复合材料或常用材料的混合物。本发明涉及改变介质的物理/化学成分,使生物降解以特定的、通常是加速的、优选的速率发生。此外,生物降解速率可与生物活性成分的暴露能力同时管理和平衡。这种关系从根本上提供了一种有管理的释放或有管理的药剂可用性,从而创造了一套良好的生态条件。这些持续的条件可以维持一种微生境;一种有限的物种群体,通常是黏液,由于这种生态营养龛位置,它们可以利用与生俱来的等位病理学手段来进一步保护它们的位置并阻止捕食。营养物、限制物和生物量之间的关系构成了一个独特的微生境界面,该界面可提供保护,防止被固定在其上的基质被腐蚀和变质,并限制生物量在表面的积累,从而通过减少高阶生物的附着来控制污垢,否则将付出非常高的经济代价。
具体来说,本发明涉及改变介质的形成,无论是聚合物、复合材料还是汞合金,从而改变介质的物理和化学特性,使其在宿主栖息地中更容易降解。具体做法是改变复合材料或汞合金的聚合或形成过程,以增加晶粒间或分子间的位置,从而提高生物降解活性。然后,通过物理或化学方法将具有生物活性特性的制剂包覆或穿插其中,就可以通过营养和对生物活性偏好的耐受性来限制可能附着或被吸引到表面的各种生物,而不需要毒化或机械清除不受欢迎或不想要的生物。一旦被选中的生物群落与宿主栖息地建立起自然平衡,生物膜的任何等位保护能力都可以被这个新的独特生物群落利用或加强,通过对介质成分的管理使其受益。