Medical Glove with an Area Suitable for Mixing Substances

Abstract

A medical glove was designed to improve efficiency of operators in a variety of professions by combining the need for a mixing pad and/or dappan dish with a personal protective glove. The medical glove enables an operator to safely and ergonomically mix a variety of substances on their personal protective glove. The goal of the device is to increase procedural efficiency, increase working ergonomics, and increase protective safety of operators compared to current available products without decrease of overall glove tactile ability or comfort. The device provides an improved method compared to existing methods for ergonomic and safe placement and mixing of agents prior to placement in the working field.

Claims

1) A medical glove comprising: an area or plurality of areas suitable for placing and/or mixing substances on a portion of either the ventral or dorsal surface wherein said area has relatively appropriate size, resistance of permeability, and tear strength such that a healthcare provider may use the working surface of said area to place and/or mix substances relatively safely and properly.

2) The medical glove of claim 1, wherein said medical glove comprises nitrile rubber.

3) The medical glove of claim 1, wherein said medical glove comprises latex rubber.

4) The medical glove of claim 1, wherein said medical glove comprises neoprene.

5) The medical glove of claim 1, wherein said medical glove comprises vinyl.

6) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said area is of greater thickness than any other region of the glove.

7) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said area is positioned distal to the wrist and proximal to the knuckles of the hand.

8) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said area has an indentation portion or plurality of indentation portions suitable to serve as a mixing well or dappen dish.

9) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said area comprises rubber.

10) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said area comprises plastic.

11) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said area comprises paper.

12) The medical glove of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said area comprises silicone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a dorsal view of a glove demonstrating an embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a ventral view of a glove demonstrating an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] One embodiment of the medical glove [10A, 10B] is illustrated in FIG. 1 (dorsal view), and FIG. 2 (ventral view). The said medical glove [10A, 10B] comprises one or a plurality of demarcated areas suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] which allow a healthcare provider to relatively safely place or mix agents on the working surface [30A, 30B].

[0013] In one embodiment the said medical glove [10A, 10B] comprises a nitrile rubber material and the said demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] is of sufficient thickness of nitrile rubber compared to the body of the glove such that the working surface [30A, 30B] has characteristics suitable for placement or mixing of agents such as acceptable resistance of permeability to said agents and acceptable resistance to tearing when mixing said agents in comparison to the body of said medical glove [10A, 10B]. The said medical glove [10A, 10B] and said demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] are described as comprised of nitrile rubber, however, the body of the medical glove [10A, 10B] may comprise any materials suitable for medical gloves and the demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] may comprise any materials which are relatively suitable for placement or mixing of agents by a healthcare provider. In one embodiment, the working surface [30A, 30B] may comprise an indentation portion [40A, 40B]. Healthcare providers may utilize said indentation portion [40A, 40B] in a function similar to a dappen dish or mixing well.

[0014] In one embodiment, the preferred location of said demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] is in an ergonomic area which does not compromise operator comfort or tactile ability such as the back of the hand on the lower third between the knuckles and wrist on the non-dominant hand, which also allows an ergonomic area when worn on the reciprocating dominant hand, the lower third of the palm below the pivot of the knuckles. The medical glove [10A, 10B] may be made in a plurality of varieties to accommodate right and left hand dominant preferences in regards to the positioning of the demarcated mixing pad area [20A, 20B].

[0015] The manner in which a dental professional uses the medical glove is during a medical, dental, or research related procedure which requires the use of both a personal protective medical glove and the use of a mixing pad for agents needed for the procedure. The operator wearing the glove may utilize the working surface [30A, 30B] within the demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] to place or mix agents common to their industry relatively safely and properly.

[0016] The presented embodiments of the device enable an improved method compared to existing methods for placement or mixing of agents needed in the working field in the operatory. The medical glove [10A, 10B] enables a method which is more ergonomic for the healthcare providers as the working surface [30A, 30B] becomes a wearable mixing pad in a convenient proximity for accessing required agents and delivering said agents to the working field of the procedure. The method enabled by the wearable mixing pad of the said medical glove [10A, 10B] furthermore serves to improve ergonomics as it frees a healthcare provider's hand or their assistance's hand which may then become available to hold a different item or instrument which may also be needed in the working field. Moreover, the said medical glove [10A, 10B] has a safety benefit. Many healthcare providers currently dispense agents to mix on their gloves, or bleed impression material from automix syringes onto the back of their gloves to ensure complete mixture prior to dispensing in the working field. Based on the research presented in the background section, the healthcare providers may potentially be placing themselves at risk by dispensing agents on traditional medical gloves without a demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B].

[0017] The said medical glove [10A, 10B] may have an environmental benefit in regards to limiting waste produced in the healthcare profession. With introduction and adoption of the medical glove [10A, 10B] in the industry, medical glove waste theoretically should remain approximately undisrupted, however, waste of conventional separate mixing pads should theoretically decrease as use of said medical glove [10A, 10B] becomes more widespread. Accordingly, the reader will see the various embodiments provide medical professionals an ergonomic, fast, and safe method for placement or mixing of agents needed for the working field, as well as a potential environmental benefit.

[0018] Although the description above contains much specificity, these specifications should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments, but as merely providing illustration of some of the several embodiments. For example, The demarcated area suitable for placement or mixing substances [20A, 20B] and working surface [30A, 30B] may be positioned, shaped, sized, textured, branded and/or textured in a variety of ways so long as the said characteristics allows for a healthcare provider to utilize the working surface [30A, 30B] to place and/or mix agents common to their industry relatively safely and properly. Moreover the medical glove [10A, 10B] could be manufactured to accommodate different shapes, and sizes of human hands.

[0019] Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by only the examples given.