| abstract |
Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, adult incontinence devices, and the like are disclosed. The absorbent articles described herein comprise a foam absorbent structure comprising a hydrophilic, flexible, nonionic polymeric foam structure of interconnected open cells which is particularly suitable for absorbing blood and blood-based liquids. The foam structure is resiliently compressible and has resistance to compression deflection of from about 5% to about 85% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi at 31 °C after 15 minutes. In preferred embodiments, the foam structure is compressible under such forces that when it is placed in the space between the wearer's labia majora, it will be compressed without deforming the wearer's labia majora, and will be molded by the wearer's labia and conform to the shape thereof. The absorbent structure may comprise an acquisition/fit portion and a storage portion wherein the acquisition/fit portion has softer mechanical properties than the storage portion, and is a capillary gradient in the direction of the storage portion. |