over the combination foundation glove/pliable overlay
PENETRATION RESISTANT HAND PROTECTOR by dipping in liquid latex rubber.
Welch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,733, describes a
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE method for making a cut resistant surgical glove 10. The
INVENTION 5 method includes the steps of dipping a mold shell 24
The present invention relates to penetration resistant having the configuration of a human hand into a curable
hand protectors for medical applications. More particu- liquid 34. The curable liquid 34, when dried, must form
larly, the present invention relates to puncture and cut a stretchable, air and water impermeable material. Prior
resistant gloves for use by medical personnel. to complete curing of the liquid 34, a hand shape layer
Medical personnel are commonly placed in contact of flexible armor fiber 18 is disposed on a dorsal side of
with a patient's body tissue, blood, and other body flu- the mold shell 24. The mold shell 24 is then dipped a
ids. To minimize the risk of communicable disease trans- second time into the liquid 34 to embed the armor fiber
mission and introduction of foreign contaminants, pro- 18. Col. 3, lines 23-32 describe the use of aramid fibers
tective hand gear is typically used during procedures J5 such as Kevlar®, manufactured by E.I. DuPont.
that involve patient contact. Traditionally, medical u.S. Pat. Nos. 4,777,789 and 4,838,017 to Kolmes et
personnel have used tight fitting latex gloves that pre- ^ both describe cut resistant yarns used for manufac
vent fluid contact between a patient and the hand. Latex ture of cut resjstant garments. A yarn 10 as disclosed
gloves are inexpensive, effective for blocking fluid includes a core 12 formed from spun, monofilament, or
transfer, and widely available. 20 multifllament fiber. Around the fiber core 12 is wrapped
Proper protective hand gear is particularly critical at ^ Qne stran(J of wife 22 The wirfi 22 fa ferabl
for surgeons and surgical assistants working on trauma ... Mes& ^ wife
patients, or on patients requiring major reconstructive . .. , , . , , _
,. K o i_ J.- ■ * Other protective hand wear is also known. For exam
orthopedic surgery. Such operating environments are , „ ^r, T , ^ . T , .....
<-ii J i * Ji u c Pie. Bettcher Industries, Inc. produces Whizard ® Pro
often filled with cutting implements, needles, bone frag- „ r '. ... . ,.' v ,. . r o /-n
ments, and sharp bone edges, greatly enhancing the 25 ^ctrve Wear in which a combination of Spectra®,
possibility of cutting through or puncturing traditional Kevlar ®» and stamless steel V^rn is knit to form lacera
latex surgical gloves t,on reslstant products. Also, Smith and Nephew, Inc.
One method that has been used to reduce the chance produces Perry ® Cut-Resistant Gloves, formed from a
of needle puncture is described in Stern et al., U.S. Pat. 30 continuous filament Spectra® polyolefin fiber. Cut
No. 4,942,626, which relates to a glove having a first resistant surgical glove liners are manufactured by
discrete layer of flexible material having a pore size DePuy-DuPont Orthopaedics under the tradename
smaller than the diameter of a needle. This first layer is Repel ®. The Repel ® surgical glove liners are made
formed into a glove having openings in the fingerprint with Kevlar ® and Lycra ® materials, area of the index finger and little finger. A second dis- 35 The present invention provides a penetration-resist
crete layer of flexible material, also having a pore size ant hand protector for medical applications. The hand
smaller than the diameter of the needle, is permanently protector includes a glove having an exterior and an
attached to selected areas of the first layer. Generally, interior side. The glove is formed to allow a medical
the selected areas include all of a thumb stall and lateral practitioner's hand to conformingly fit into contact with
sides of both an index finger stall and middle finger stall, 40 the interior side of the glove. The glove has stalls termi
although col. 4, lines 61-65 disclose protection of all nating in tip ends to accommodate all four fingers and
fingers and other hand locations deemed advisable. thumb of a medical practitioner's hand. The glove has a
Although this type of needle-stick protective glove front paim sjde; a back side, and is formed or woven
protects against needle-stick puncture of selected areas from a cut-resistant material. A puncture-resistant cov
of a hand, significant protection against cutting lacera- 45 ering is attached to at least two of the stalls of the four
tions of the hand is not provided. fingers and t0 the thumb stalL
Joyner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,998, describes a protec- In a preferred embodiment, the cut resistant yarn is a
tive surgical hand covering equipped with a hardened composite formed from a resilient core and an outer
mold material situated over selected regions of the windi of cu{ fiber Generall a continuous
hand. I he hardened material covers portions ot the 50 iece of
cut resistant yarn is formed or woven to form
palm, the knuckles, and the lower knuckles. Thimble- f, , . ■ ,
V ' . - , . , , , . , the glove. The yarn may be a single continuous yarn,
shaped tips formed of the hardened mold material can ". . . . - ^uj.4.u *
, , j c e • 11 1 u The puncture resistant covering is attached to the exte
be placed over the fingers. Surgical latex gloves may be *, , , , ^ , * A, , ,.,
r ... j ° , .. 0 . , nor of the glove and extends to cover the tip ends of the
worn either over or under the protective surgical hand „ , ,f, _ . . . T
covering. Although this protective surgical hand cover- 55 sta"s °.f a11 four, fm8ers 88 wdl 88 the thumb' In some ing protects against cuts to those areas directly covered embodiments, the puncture-resistant covering may also
by a hard mold material, those portions of the hand not extend t0 cover Part or 811 of the front Palm slde of the
covered by the hard mold material are still susceptible extenor of the Slove- '"Eluding the entire palmer sur
to cuts or punctures 'ace- ... the wrist may be covered in addition
Seid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,578, describes a penetration 60 to covering of the palmer surface. These embodiments
resistant glove consisting of a thin latex of synthetic are particularly useful for trauma, orthopedic, or other
rubber foundation glove having a front surface overlay surgical operations involving a substantial chance of
of a thin and pliable limp material. The thin, pliable puncture, cuts, or lacerations.
material is composed of tightly interlaced fibers or fila- Additional features and advantages of the invention ments, typically interwoven high density nylon, that are 65 will become apparent to those skilled in the art on conadhesively attached to the face or palmar surface of the sideration of the following detailed description of prefoundation glove. The surface overlay serves to prevent ferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carsharp object penetration. A hermetic seal can be formed rying out the invention as presently perceived.
