Gloves

Details Gloves Gloves

1989-10-17

1992-02-18

Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.

Apparel

Hand or arm coverings

Gloves

2168, A41D 1900

Patent

active

050881256

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to gloves and to their manufacture. More particularly, the invention relates to gloves of the type worn by medical practitioners for example those used by surgeons.
Many of the elastomeric materials, for example natural rubber latex, employed for the manufacture of gloves have allergenic properties. Attempts to render such gloves hypoallergenic have included the provision of a laminated inner layer or coating of a less allergenic material. However such layers or coatings suffer problems of delamination or cracking, especially in the regions of flexing or stretching e.g., the knuckles or when the gloves are donned. The problem can be particularly serious if the gloves are donned when the hands are damp.
One method of avoiding delamination is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,852 which discloses a method for bonding two layers wherein an inner glove of a non-allergenic elastomer is covalently bonded to an outer glove of an allergenic elastomer. One suggestion is that polyurethanes with hydroxy groups could be covalently bonded to the allergenic elastomer by use of an isocyanate linker to provide an inner barrier glove of polyurethane. However, the use of agents such as free isocyanates in the manufacture of such gloves could pose a health risk unless considerable care is taken during production.
We have found that hypoallergenic gloves can be produced which have good resistance to delamination and which can be produced without the need to resort to the use of noxious agents such as isocyanates in the glove manufacture. Such gloves are suitable for use by those with sensitive skins.
Gloves fabricated from elastomeric materials such as natural rubber latex have suffered from other problems. For example, they always have been difficult to don due to the high coefficient of friction between the skin and the glove material.
In order to reduce the donning problems it has been conventional practice to employ lubricating agents such as talc or starch. The glove may be `dusted` with the lubricating agent or donning powder at the time of manufacture and/or at the time of donning. The use of such donning agents has the disadvantage that, if the glove is worn by a surgeon, particles may drop from the glove into the surgical wound possibly resulting in a granuloma. Attempts have been made to eliminate the use of donning powders including treatment of the hand contacting surface of the gloves, for example by halogenating the surface, or by laminating another material having greater lubricity than the base rubber. Laminating the glove, also makes for a more hypoallergenic glove, provided that the integrity of the laminate is maintained.
The integrity of such laminates can be destroyed by either continuous flexing eg. over the region of the knuckles or stretching eg. on donning of the glove. Delamination problems can be exacerbated if the gloves are donned whilst the hands are wet, a practice which is increasing, particularly in the United States of America.
One method of providing a laminate structure reported, for reducing the friction between the glove and the user's hand, is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,695 wherein a hydrogel resin is polymerised onto a rubber surface in order to improve the interface bond. Such hydrophilic materials are also stated to have the capacity to absorb perspiration or other lubricating materials such as a silicone lubricant.
The present invention further seeks to provide a glove wherein good donning characteristics are obtained without the need for donning agents such as talc and without the need to produce an inner laminar by polymerisation methods.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hypoallergenic glove fabricated from an allergenic elastomer, characterised in that the hand contacting surface of the glove has been modified by an ionic polyurethane.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a glove fabricated from a first flexible elastomeric material, characterised in that the hand contacting surface of the gl

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Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 13: pp. 277,292,293, publ. 1988 by Wiley & Sons Inc.

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