The invention relates an absorbent article and a process for making an absorbent article. The absorbent article comprises an acquisition and distribution system comprising at least one acquisition and/or distribution layer comprising one or more saturated carboxylic acids. The one or more saturated carboxylic acids are each selected from the group of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids or tricarboxylic acids. The one or more saturated carboxylic acids each have a pK.sub.a for the first acid dissociation in water and the pK.sub.a of each carboxylic acid is from 2.5 to 5.0.

A tampon with an absorbent body of which at least a part of its volume is made from an absorbent material and having a middle part, a distal end and a proximal end, and which is connected to an extraction device. The volume of absorbent material in such a tampon is designed to absorb between 0.5 g and 4 g, preferably 3.5 g, of liquid.

A surgical fluid-absorbing instrument to enable absorption of an amount of fluid several times as large as by a conventional surgical sponge system and to substantially decreased the times of changing surgical sponges during surgery. A tip sponge part, a retaining sponge part for absorbing the fluid, provided on a position continued from the tip sponge part, and a tubular handle part in which the tip sponge part is loaded are provided. At least the retaining sponge part is water-absorbing. The water-absorbing sponge may be compressed in one direction and solidified, or the water-absorbing sponge may extended in one direction and swollen.

The present invention relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein the absorbent article has a caliper expansion measured at 5 minutes of at least 275%. The present invention also relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein the absorbent article has a dry caliper of 4.5 mm or less and wherein the absorbent article has a caliper expansion, measured at five minutes of at least 75%. The present invention also relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein a ratio of the caliper expansion measured at 5 minutes to the dry peak stiffness is at least 0.5%/N.

The present invention relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein the absorbent article has a caliper expansion measured at 5 minutes of at least 275%. The present invention also relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein the absorbent article has a dry caliper of 4.5 mm or less and wherein the absorbent article has a caliper expansion, measured at five minutes of at least 75%. The present invention also relates to an absorbent article, comprising a fluid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent element disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet wherein a ratio of the caliper expansion measured at 5 minutes to the dry peak stiffness is at least 0.5%/N.

An absorbent article is provided with a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet and an absorbent body between the top sheet and the back sheet. The top sheet has a non-woven fabric having multiple convex portions and multiple concave portions. The individual convex portions and concave portions contain a blood lubricity-imparting agent that has a kinetic viscosity of 0.01-80 mm.sup.2/s at 40 C., a water retention rate of 0.01-4.0 mass % and a weight-average molecular weight of less than 1,000. The amount of the blood lubricity-imparting agent at the top of the convex portions is larger than in the parts other than the top of the convex portions. The amount of the blood lubricity-imparting agent at the bottom of the concave portions is larger than in the parts other than the bottom of the concave portions.

An absorbent article in which an absorber includes an upper auxiliary layer disposed on an uppermost portion and a main absorption layer disposed on a back surface side of the upper auxiliary layer, and the upper auxiliary layer includes a super absorbent nonwoven fabric having a surface exposed to an uppermost surface of the absorber and having a Klemm water absorptiveness of 100 mm or more.

Disclosed herein are multilayer absorbent cores, as well as personal care absorbent articles comprising the multilayer absorbent cores. The multilayer absorbent cores can comprise three or more layers including an intake layer and an absorbent layer. By employing a multilayer structure that includes a relatively low basis weight intake layer and a relatively high basis weight absorbent layer (and thus with a relatively large difference between the basis weight of the intake layer and the basis weight of the absorbent layer), fluid contacting the multilayer absorbent core can be rapidly directed through the intake layer to the absorbent layer. Consequently, articles incorporating these multilayer absorbent cores can exhibit improved intake properties, improved rewet performance, improved saturation and retention capacity, and/or improved desorption.

An absorbent article includes: a liquid-permeable topsheet; a liquid-impermeable backsheet; an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; and one or more low liquid permeation portions each of which: has a lower permeability speed of body fluid permeating from a skin side to a non-skin side of the absorbent article than a permeability speed of the body fluid in a surrounding area of the one or more low liquid permeation portions, is disposed on the non-skin side relative to a non-skin surface of the topsheet and on the skin side relative to a non-skin surface of the absorbent core, and is disposed in a central region among three equally divided regions of the absorbent core in a width direction of the absorbent article.

Washable absorbent assembly which is adapted to being permanently or detachably secured in a textile pant. The absorbent assembly includes a liquid permeable layer, a liquid impermeable layer; and an absorbent member located between the liquid permeable layer and the liquid impermeable layer, the absorbent member including a liquid acquisition structure and a liquid retaining structure and being arranged between the liquid permeable layer and the liquid retaining structure. The liquid permeable layer has a basis weight of less than 300 g/m.sup.2; the liquid acquisition structure includes a spacer fabric including a top web, a bottom web and an intermediate section including pile filaments connecting the top web with the bottom web. The spacer fabric has a density of 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 or less and the liquid retaining structure has a density higher than the density of the liquid acquisition structure.