EP0758634A1 - Composition having an incapacitating effect and apparatus for its application - Google Patents

Abstract

Incapacitating compsns. comprise a synergistic mixt. of piperidides (I) and capsaicinoids (II). (II) is pref. capsaicin extracted from pimento of the salanacea family, taken from the Capsicum frutescens L. and C. annuum L gp. (I) may be obtd. from the essential oils of pepper of the piperaceae family e.g. Piper nigrum L., P. longum L. and P. officinarum. They may be formulated as powders impregnated with the active agents or solns. which may be projected towards a target, by means of a device consisting of an aerosol, a propellant and a vaporiser.

Description

The present invention relates to an incapacitating composition intended to be used in particular in the form of an aerosol, for the defense of persons and property, as well as to a device for implementing such a composition.

It is known in the state of the art incapacitating compositions, used in aerosols. Some of these compositions contain orthochlorobenzal malononitrile, or orthochlorobenzylidene, called CBM or CS, which is the substance most often used, and which has the property of neutralizing a subject by its irritating and incapacitating properties, by making him water and cough .

However, these compositions have very little effect on an aggressive person under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or on dogs. In addition, the irritants used are synthetic products which are not easily biodegradable, and whose effect is persistent because they durably permeate the clothes of the person concerned or the premises where they are used. This poses problems for the police when arresting a person after using these gases, since the police can themselves be inconvenienced by the residual product.

Aerosols are also known which use as an active ingredient capsaisin in low doses, in the form of capsicum oleoresin, extracted from cayenne pepper. This product avoids several of the drawbacks of the synthetic products mentioned above. Indeed, it is based on a product of natural origin, non-toxic and ecological.

However, capsicum oleoresin has a relatively low capsaicin content, which limits the effectiveness of existing products, and increases their cost price if an acceptable efficacy is sought.

In addition, the devices for using known compositions are limited to aerosols with a range of a few meters, the use of which is appropriate only in a limited number of situations.

An object of the present invention is to provide an incapacitating composition which makes it possible to resolve the drawbacks of existing compositions, as well as one or more devices capable of effectively conditioning and using this composition in a wide variety of defense situations or of fight.

More particularly, the invention aims to provide a composition having an incapacitating effect of extreme efficiency, while using only natural constituents, fully biodegradable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composition having a very broad spectrum of action, and in particular retaining its effectiveness on people under the influence of alcohol or various drugs, or on animals.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composition devoid of side effects for people who are exposed to it, and whose persistence in clothing or in the environment is negligible.

Another object of the invention is to propose an economical composition to manufacture and easy to use.

To this end, the subject of the invention is an incapacitating composition containing at least one active principle with incapacitating effect, characterized in that it contains as active ingredient, a synergistic mixture of a piperidide and capsaicinoids.

• les capsaicinoïdes sont constitués par de la capsaicine, obtenue à partir d'un extrait de piment de la famille des salanacea, pris dans le groupe constitué par le Capsicum Frutescens L. et le Capsicum annuum L;
• ledit extrait de piment a une teneur garantie en capsaïcine, supérieure ou égale à 8%, notamment comprise entre 8 et 10%;
• les piperidides contiennent de la pipérine et sont obtenus à partir d'une huile essentielle de poivre;
• l'huile essentielle de poivre est obtenue à partir d'un poivre de la famille des piperacea, notamment un poivre du groupe constitué par: le poivre noir ou commun, fruit du Piper Nigrum L.; le poivre long: Piper longum L. et Piper Officinarum; le Bétel-Piper Betle L.; le Piper methysticum ; le Piper Parthenium; le Piper angustifolium; le Xylopia aethiopica;
• avantageusement, la solution d'imprégnation contient un solvant de couplage, apte à assurer l'obtention d'un mélange homogène des constituants à température ambiante, et constitué par une matière inodore à faiblement odorante de qualité contact alimentaire, constituée d'un pôle hydrophile et d'un pôle lipophile sur la même molécule. Le solvant de couplage est par exemple constitué par un éther de glycol.

According to other characteristics of the composition according to the invention:

• capsaicinoids consist of capsaicin, obtained from an extract of chilli from the family salanacea, taken from the group consisting of Capsicum Frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L;
• said pepper extract has a guaranteed capsaicin content, greater than or equal to 8%, in particular between 8 and 10%;
• piperidides contain piperine and are obtained from an essential oil of pepper;
• the essential oil of pepper is obtained from a pepper of the piperacea family, in particular a pepper from the group consisting of: black or common pepper, fruit of Piper Nigrum L .; long pepper: Piper longum L. and Piper Officinarum; the Betel-Piper Betle L .; Piper methysticum; Piper Parthenium; Piper angustifolium; Xylopia aethiopica;
• advantageously, the impregnation solution contains a coupling solvent, capable of ensuring the obtaining of a homogeneous mixture of the constituents at room temperature, and consisting of an odorless to slightly odorous material of food contact quality, consisting of a hydrophilic pole and a lipophilic pole on the same molecule. The coupling solvent is for example constituted by a glycol ether.

The composition according to the invention can be presented in several forms, in particular in the form of a solution of the active ingredients and, where appropriate, of the coupling solvent, the solution then being capable of being sprayed. towards a target by means of an appropriate conditioning and / or projection device. As a variant, the composition is in the form of a powder impregnated with the active ingredients, and capable of being projected towards a target. According to another variant of presentation, the composition is combined with a powder, and the assembly is dispersed in an immiscible liquid, so that the spraying of the powder and of the composition is carried out by spraying the dispersing liquid.

The invention also relates to a device containing an incapacitating composition having the above characteristics. The characteristics of the device vary depending on the presentation of the composition to be projected.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, which successively details the composition according to the invention, then a certain number of devices suitable for its packaging and projection, but without any limiting character.

Origin and methods of preparation of the active ingredients of the incapacitating composition:

The origin of the active ingredients of the composition is as follows. Pepper essential oil is obtained by hydrodistillation of dried pepper. To obtain the constituents in concentrated form, an oleoresin is produced from ground pepper berries, mixed with solvents such as alcohol, acetone or ether. Solvent separation produces a pepper oleoresin, which contains varieties of piperidides, such as piperine and chavicine, which are isomers of the condensed formula C ₁₇ H ₁₉ NO ₃ , or the piperettine of formula condensed C ₁₉ H ₂₁ O ₃ N. These varieties have been described in the specialized literature, notably by Gildemeister and Hoffmann, in "Die Ätherischen Öle", 3rd edition, Vol. II, 457.

In its preferred form, the composition according to the invention uses in particular piperine, which is almost insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol, acetic acid, ether or chloroform. Distilled with soda lime, it gives a volatile alkaloid: piperidine (C ₅ H ₁₁ N) and piperic acid (C ₁₂ H ₁₀ O ₄ ).

Piperine is obtained from several species of peppers, of the Piperaceae family, in which it is found in proportions of 3 to 10% by weight. Piperine is found in particular in the essential oil of black pepper cultivated in Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Brazil. The essential oil yield is 1.6 to 2.9%.

• le poivre noir ou commun, fruit du Piper Nigrum L. , liane grimpante de l'Inde et de Malaisie;
• le poivre long: Piper longum L. et Piper Officinarum;
• le Bétel-Piper Betle L.;
• le Piper methysticum ou poivre enivrant;
• le Piper Parthenium;
• le Piper angustifolium;
• le Xylopia aethiopica, ou poivre d'Ethiopie.

Among the peppers which are particularly suitable, there are also:

• black or common pepper, fruit of Piper Nigrum L., climbing vine from India and Malaysia;
• long pepper: Piper longum L. and Piper Officinarum;
• the Betel-Piper Betle L .;
• Piper methysticum or intoxicating pepper;
• Piper Parthenium;
• Piper angustifolium;
• Xylopia aethiopica, or Ethiopian pepper.

The composition according to the invention also contains at least one capsicinoid, such as capsaicin, which comes in particular from a chili extract. Capsaicin has the condensed chemical formula: C ₁₈ H ₂₇ NO ₃ .

Capsaicin is obtained from the extraction with acetone of capsicums of the Solanaceae family, dried and ground, in particular of the species Capsicum Frutescens L. or garden peppers, and Capsicum annuum L. , or rabid peppers. These varieties are grown in all tropical and warm temperate regions, especially in India and Japan, where the yield of capsaicin is 4 to 8% by weight of the chili pepper treated.

Additives to active ingredients:

For the preparation of the composition according to the invention, the active principles described above based on pepper and chili extracts can be mixed with an impregnating solution acting as a coupling solvent, so that the irritant effect of piperine, piperidine and capsaicin is enhanced by a synergistic effect.

By avoiding insolubility, the coupling solvent makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous mixture of the constituents at ambient temperature, exhibiting the desired maximum incapacitating effect. The coupling solvent consists of an odorless to slightly odorous material, constituted in particular by an apolar, anhydrous liquid, containing an antioxidant, with programmed evaporation rate. For example, a glycol ether or a component having a hydrophilic pole and a lipophilic pole on the same molecule is used.

Active properties of the composition:

Whatever its form of implementation, the composition has irritating, watery properties or suffocating, which generate a phenomenon of uncontrolled panic which disorients the aggressor (s), who are then incapable of any effective and reasoned action. Its action lasts up to thirty minutes. This action also intervenes on people under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as on animals.

Secondary properties of the composition:

The composition is neither fatal nor carcinogenic at the doses normally used. Being a natural product, it is ecological by definition and biodegradable.

With regard to cleaning and decontamination, it should be noted that the active principle is biodegradable by nature and does not persist in the textiles on which it is sprayed. If necessary, objects in contact with the active ingredient can be decontaminated with ethyl or isopropyl alcohol at 50% by volume, or with the aid of nonionic or anionic surfactants in aqueous solution.

Use of the composition:

Taking into account the irritant function of the composition even at low doses, precautions for use are recommended. The user will take precautions to protect the skin, mucous membranes, eyes and hair. In addition, if used in the form of a powder, it is recommended to use a mask with a dust filter for the respiratory tract. In case of contamination, it is necessary to put in the open air, avoid rubbing contaminated areas, and wash thoroughly with pure water and then with soapy water.

The composition is preferably stored away from light and moisture. The use of packaging under nitrogen optimizes the shelf life.

Presentation of the composition and implementation devices:

The composition according to the invention benefits from a great flexibility of implementation, so that its use can be adapted to numerous defense situations, or in a theater of military operations.

Thus, the invention provides that the composition may be in the form of a solution of the active principles and, where appropriate, of the coupling solvent, more or less concentrated, and packaged in a conditioning and / or spraying device to be sprayed towards a human or animal target. The device comprises for this purpose a means of projecting the solution against a human or animal target, in contact with which the incapacitating composition is distributed and produces its effect. An example of a suitable spraying device consists of an aerosol containing the solution of the composition, and a propellant, consisting of a liquefied gas, flammable or not, preferably a gas without harmful effects on the environment, such as 134A or 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, or else a compressed gas of the nitrogen (N ₂ ), nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) or carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) type.

The aerosol is equipped with a valve and a high flow diffuser producing a mist with a range of several meters.

As a variant, the composition is simply sprayed by means of any sprayer suitable for the desired flow rate and range and generating a mist of liquid droplets, such as for example a small spray bottle actuated by manual pumping for short ranges, or a projection lance fed from a container such as a tank or a tank, for higher flow rates and ranges.

Another variant of the invention consists in packaging the solution of the composition in microbeads, capsules or capsules, and in projecting these containers towards the surface of the target where they burst when spreading the composition. The capsules, capsules or microbeads can themselves be conditioned beforehand in a longer-range projection means, such as for example a gun projectile or not, so that the charge of the projectile bursts to the point of impact by distributing its load on the target.

The invention further provides that the composition may be in the form of a granulated powder obtained from aggregates of the incapacitating composition, or in the form of an inert powder associated with the incapacitating composition.

In the case of an inert powder, the powder grains are either coated with the composition, or the composition in the form of a solution is adsorbed by the powder, which consequently is impregnated with the composition.

The advantage of an implementation using a powder lies in the fact that the powder particles can cover, when they are sprayed, a large surface, or a large volume in which the people are located or target animals.

The impregnated powder is capable of being sprayed towards the target by means of a suitable conditioning and / or spraying device, which is constituted, for example, by a pyrotechnic and / or smoke spraying means.

The support powder used is in particular a powder of mineral origin of controlled fine particle size, comprising a specific water-repellent and anti-clumping treatment. The support powder can thus be chosen from a variety of inert powders, in particular of pharmaceutical or cosmetic quality. As an embodiment of the powder, one can use a mixture of talc (approximately 20%), colloidal silica (approximately 20%), calcium carbonate (approximately 60%). To the preceding constituents, it is possible to add from 0 to 20% of magnesium carbonate and approximately 1% to 20% of magnesium stearate, the proportions of the initial constituents then being somewhat reduced.

As a variant, the granulated powder or the impregnated inert powder is encapsulated in microspheres or capsules which serve as a charge for a munition such as a grenade, the bursting of which makes it possible to spread the charge, and consequently the incapacitating composition, over a zone or in a volume.

According to another embodiment which combines the advantages of a composition presented in solution and of a composition presented in powder form, the incapacitating composition is adsorbed in the powder, and the assembly formed by the powder impregnated with the incapacitating composition is suspended in a diluent constituted by an immiscible liquid. In this case it is possible to use as projection means both an aerosol as a vaporizer or a projectile containing the composition in suspension. In this case the projection of the liquid is initially relatively precise and directive, then in contact with the target, the powdery form makes it possible to cover an area or a large volume.

Depending on the form of implementation chosen, the proportion by weight of the incapacitating composition in the solution or the powder may be between a few% and 96%. Of course, the proportion by weight of the incapacitating composition relative to the total weight of the support powder or of the impregnating solution can vary depending on the specific applications, and will be easily determined by a person skilled in the art. The same applies to the concentration of the composition in the aerosol, a concentration of between 5 and 10% by weight of the active mixture providing all of the desired effects, although higher concentrations may be expected.

Of course, the person skilled in the art will be able to choose a device having a capacity and characteristics appropriate to each type of user, devices of greater capacity, of greater range or else different containers, such as anti-grenades. - riots or powder dispersers, which may be provided for the military or police forces.

From the above, it appears that the invention perfectly meets the objectives set. The incapacitating composition according to the invention has a formidable effectiveness. It causes an immediate reddening action, leading to the withdrawal and inactivation of the person or affected animal. The properties of the composition make it entirely suitable, in particular for anti-aggression products. In particular, the composition is suitable for loading of aerosols, large capacity tanks or riot grenades or powder dispersers. However, the composition can also be used for weapons for military use.

Claims (22)

An incapacitating composition, of the type containing at least one active principle with incapacitating effect, characterized in that the active principle contains a synergistic mixture of piperidides and capsaicinoids. Composition according to Claim 1, characterized in that the capsaicinoids consist of capsaicin. Composition according to Claim 2, characterized in that the capsaicin is obtained from an extract of chilli from the salanacea family , taken from the group consisting of Capsicum Frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L. Disabling composition according to claim 3, characterized in that said chili extract has a guaranteed capsaicin content, greater than or equal to 8%, in particular between 8 and 10%. Composition according to Claim 1, characterized in that the piperidides contain piperine and are obtained from an essential oil of pepper. Composition according to Claim 5, characterized in that the essential oil of pepper is obtained from a pepper of the piperacea family, in particular a pepper from the group consisting of: black or common pepper, fruit of Piper Nigrum L. ; long pepper: Piper longum L. and Piper Officinarum; the Betel-Piper Betle L .; Piper methysticum; Piper Parthenium; Piper angustifolium; Xylopia aethiopica. Disabling composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a coupling solvent, capable of ensuring that a homogeneous mixture of the constituents is obtained at room temperature. Disabling composition according to Claim 7, characterized in that the said coupling solvent consists of an odorless to weakly odorous material, consisting of a hydrophilic pole and a lipophilic pole on the same molecule, such as a glycol ether. Disabling composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is in the form of a solution of the active principles and, where appropriate, of the coupling solvent, said solution being capable of being projected towards a target by means of 'a packaging and / or projection device. Disabling composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is in the form of a powder impregnated with the active ingredients, said impregnated powder being capable of being projected towards a target by means of a conditioning and / or projection device. An incapacitating composition according to claim 10, characterized in that said impregnated powder is diluted in an immiscible liquid, so that the projection of the powder is carried out by projecting the liquid. Device for using the incapacitating composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 11, said composition being in the form of a more or less diluted solution, characterized in that it comprises a means for spraying said solution against a human or animal target, so as to distribute the incapacitating composition on the target. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that said projection means consists of an aerosol containing the solution and a propellant. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that said projection means is constituted by a device for vaporizing the solution, in particular a spray lance supplied from a container such as a tank. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that said projection means consists of a projectile containing capsules or microbeads of the solution, said projectile being intended to burst at the point of impact so as to distribute its load on the target . Device for implementing the incapacitating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, said incapacitating composition being associated with a powder, characterized in that it comprises means for projecting said powder against a human or animal target , so as to spread the composition over an area and / or in a volume. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the incapacitating composition is adsorbed in said powder, and in that said projection means consists of pyrotechnic and / or smoke projection means of the powder impregnated with the composition. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the incapacitating composition is adsorbed in said powder, the assembly formed by the powder impregnated by the incapacitating composition being dispersed in a diluent where it is then in suspension, and in that said means spraying powder is formed by an aerosol containing a propellant, or by a spray. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the incapacitating composition is adsorbed in said powder, the impregnated powder being granulated and / or encapsulated in microspheres or capsules, and in that said means for spraying the impregnated powder consists of ammunition, the burst of which allows its contents to be spread over an area or in a volume. Device according to one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that the proportion by weight of the incapacitating composition is between a few% and 96%. Device according to claim 13 or claim 18, characterized in that the propellant is a liquefied gas, flammable or not, in particular 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, or a compressed gas such as nitrogen, protoxide nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. Device according to any one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that said support powder consists of an inert mixture of talc, colloidal silica, calcium carbonate, and magnesium carbonate.