GB2216056A - Glove boxes - Google Patents

Abstract

Gloves used in glove boxes are fixed to the sleeves by securing a rigid flanged cuff ring on the "wrist" (or inner) end of the sleeve, and mounting the glove on this. During replacement of an old glove by a new glove the flange makes it hard to remove the old glove, especially when the new glove has been stretched onto the cuff ring on top. The invention proposes that the problem of easily removing the glove (21) from the flange (32i) be solved by giving the flange (32i) at the ring tube's (22) inner end a flat (34). Though the rest of the flange holds the glove firmly in place during normal use, during replacement a glove (21) will, clearly, slide off the ring (22) more easily at this flat (34) than wherever there is a flange (32i). A similar connecting ring is provided to connect the outer end of the sleeve to a flexible glove box wall. <IMAGE>

Description

Glove Boxes This invention relates to glove boxes, and concerns in particular the way in which the gloves used in the glove box are fixed to the sleeves, and the sleeves to the shoulder pieces.

In many fields of technology there is a need for work to be carried out in an environment that is safely sealed off from the rest of the world. For example, in the biological sciences it is common to work with dangerously toxic or infectious materials (such as poisons, bacteria or viruses) and it will usually be desirable to carry out this work in a fully enclosed area from which the dangerous materials cannot easily escape into, and so contaminate, the surroundings. In the pharmaceutical and electronics industries, on the other hand, it may be desirable to work on some product (such as a drug or microchip) within a scrupulously clean enclosure, so as to prevent the ambient conditions contaminating the product.

Both of these situations require a volume of space to be sealed off - isolated - from its surroundings, and to meet this need technology has produced the isolator, which comes in sizes varying from that of a large Cixixi m, or about 2.5x2.5x2.5 ft) box up to that of a small room) In essence, an isolator is little more than a sealed, bubble-like envelope in the wall of which is both a hatch (though which articles can be passed in and out) as well as means whereby the bubble's contents can be manipulated. The envelope is naturally made of some (preferably transparent) material suitably resistant to whatever chemicals and other substances are likely to come into contact with it both inside and outside the isolator (typical such materials are flexible polyvinyl chloride - PVC - film or sheet, but some isolators can be made of rigid materials such as a glass).One very successful form of isolator available today is a cuboidal "bubble" of flexible PVC suspended from an external framework that both shapes and supports the bubble.

Whether an isolator is a small box or a large room there is clearly a need to allow the contents to be manipulated. In a room-sized isolator it will be convenient to have the operator "enter" the isolator environment in a suit, often a half-suit, that communicates freely with the outside world but nevertheless allows the wearer to work on whatever is inside the isolator. In such a case the suit will normally have gloved sleeves for the operator's hands and arms. In a small isolator (a glove box), however, it may be only possible - and yet sufficient .- for the operator to be able to insert his hands and arms into the isolator via gloved sleeves attached to the isolator walls.In either case the gloves, and to a lesser extent the sleeves, will be of a relatively fragile material (soft, thin, flexible natural or synthetic rubber) prone to damage and thus leakage, and so must be changeable. Moreover, they must be changeable without breaking the containment of the isolator.

The conventional solution to this problem is to fit a rigid cuff ring on the "wrist" (or inner) end of the sleeve, and mount the glove on this. In positive pressure containment, glove change may then be effected by everting the old glove into the sleeve (that is to say, by pulling the glove inside out and back into the sleeve), fitting a new sterile glove completely over the old one, and, finally, slipping the old glove out from under the new one, to be discharged to the outside world via the sleeve. In negative pressure containment the procedure is reversed, and the new glove is introduced from the operator side of the enclosure. In either case, the procedure is simple in theory, but difficult to effect in practice because it is hard to slip the old glove from under the new one without freeing the new glove at the same time, in which case there is a massive loss of containment.

For replacing an entire sleeve, the solution is much the same, namely to fit a similarly rigid shoulder ring on the "shoulder" (or outer) end of the sleeve, and mount the sleeve in the isolator wall via this. To replace the sleeve (under positive pressure conditions) it is everted into and through the shoulder (where the whole is fixed into the isolator wall), a new sleeve (plus glove) is slipped over the old one, and the old sleeve is then slipped off the shoulder ring, under the new sleeve, and removed. This, like removing an old glove, is simple in theory but difficult in practice.

Various solutions (at least, for the new glove problem) have been proposed. One such, for example, involves the provision of a special glove with a widened (wrist) portion between the hand and the glove-bead Unfortunately, this naturally precludes the use of cheap, widely available laboratory gloves, and so confines the customer to a very limited choice of glove design.

Presently, a cuff ring is essentially a short tube (of internal diameter big enough to allow the operator's hand through) with outwardly directed flanges (or lips > at each end. Over the flange at the outside (shoulder) end is secured the sleeve, whilst over the flange at the inside (glove) end is secured the glove. It is the flange which stops the glove coming off - the glove is stretchable, and its beaded end fits elastically over the flange (where it is preferably held in position by a security O-ring) - and, of course, it is the flange that then makes it hard to remove the old glove, especially when the new glove has been stretched onto the cuff ring on top. A shoulder ring is much the same - a short tube with outward flanges at each end - and the sleeve is secured to the ring, and retained by the inner end flange (and O-ring).

The invention proposes that the problem of easily removing the glove (or sleeve) from the flange be solved by giving the flange at the ring tube's inner end a flat - at this flat a glove (or sleeve) will, clearly, slide off the ring more easily than wherever there is a flange.

In one aspect, therefore, this invention provides a sleeve joining member (either a glove ring or a shoulder ring) in the form of a short tube with an outwardly directed flange at each end, one such flange (for use at the inner end) having a flat thereon.

The sleeve joining member of the invention may be a cuff ring, joining the glove to the sleeve, or a shoulder ring, joining the sleeve to the shoulder piece attached to the isolator wall Cor, in the case of a suit or half-suit, to the suit torso). In each case it is of a suitable internal diameter. Thus, for a cuff ring it is large enough to allow the operator's hand to pass therethrough - about locum (4in) - whilst for a shoulder ring it is large enough to allow the operator's upper arm to pass conveniently therethrough - about 30 cm (12 in). A typical tube length, in either case, is about 4 cm (1.75 in), and conveniently the tube has a centrally located groove therearound (a "parking" groove) to aid in glove or sleeve changes. The tube's flanges will be about 5 mm (about 0.2 in) deep.

Apart from the flat the joining member is generally conventional.

The joining member can be made from almost any material that is rigid, light and corrosion resistant.

Preferred materials are synthetic resins such as the polyalkylenes, especially polyethylene, but other plastics (like a nylon), or metals Clike stainless steel or an aluminium alloy) can be used.

The essence of the invention is in effect the provision of a flat in the flange (or lip). This flat, which in use will be on the glove side for a cuff ring (and on the sleeve side for a shoulder ring), allows the bead of the old glove to be slid off the cuff ring easily, underneath the new glove. Once a small portion of the old bead has been slipped from the ring, it is only necessary to pull firmly on the old glove to remove it entirely. The new glove remains in place on the central "parking" groove (though this is not an essential part of the system).Though any size of flat will be of some value, most preferably it will be such that the flange is flattened down almost to the tube's external surface, so making a small area where in effect there is hardly any flange at all, and the glove (or sleeve) will easily slide off (though the remaining small amount of flange still prevents the glove coming off in general use).

The isolator itself may be any of those used or proposed for use in the Art. It therefore needs no further discussion in this respect, though even so it can be said that a preferred structure of isolator is one having a tray-like base portion of a generally rigid physically and chemically resistant material upon which is sealing mounted around the edges thereof a tent-like canopy portion of a flexible and transparent chemically resistant material,- typically one such as is described and claimed in our co-pending Application for Letters Patent No..8.8./Q5.,?1.7 An embodiment of the invention is now described, though only by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic Drawings in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view from above and one end of a glove box isolator; Figure 2 shows (partly in see-through) a detailed view of a sleeve and glove as used in the glove box isolator of Figure 1; Figures 3A & B show part end and side view details (partly in see-through) of the cuff ring used in the glove/sleeve assembly of Figure 2; and Figures 4A & B each show a glove-changing sequence, for positive and negative pressure containment respectively.

The isolator (generally 10) shown in the Drawings has a rigid tray-like base part (11) onto which is sealingly mounted a transparent flexible tent-like canopy part (12). Both the canopy and the tray are supported by a framework (50) of rods; the tray 11 sits on cross-pieces < 51).

The tray 11 is oblong, and has a floor (13), a perimeter wall (14), and a lip (15). The canopy 12 is cuboidal (matching the tray 11 dimensions), and is sealingly mounted on the tray by having its open end edge folded around the tray's lip 15 and held in place by an extended U-channel trim-strip clip (not shown in Figure 1) that runs all the way round the tray.

The glove box has the usual glove pair (generally 19) and hatch and hatchway (20).

As best seen in Figure 2, each glove (21) is fixed via a cuff ring (22) to a sleeve (23), and the sleeve itself fixed via a shoulder ring (24) to a shoulder piece (25) that is part of the isolator wall 12. Though the bead of the glove 21 prevents the glove slipping off the cuff ring 22, the retaining forces are increased by use of an elastic O-ring (26). A similar O-ring (27) helps to prevent the sleeve 23 slipping off the cuff ring.

From Figures 3A & B it can be seen that the cuff ring 22 is a short tube (31) with a flange (32i, 320) at each of its inner and outer ends (respectively left and right as shown) and a "parking" groove (33) around its middle. The inner flange 32i has a flat (34) almost but not quite down to the level of the tube body's external surface.

Though this is not clearly shown in the Figures, the shoulder ring 24 is like the cuff ring 22 in that it too has a flat in the inner end flange, so that the sleeve 23 may more easily be removed.

Figures 4A & B show, as a cartoon sequence, how gloves are charged under positive (Figure 4A) or respective (Figure 4B) pressure conditions.

Glove Exchange - Positive Pressure Mode Before changing gloves in the positive pressure mode, sterile replacement gloves should be placed inside the isolator.

< 1) This view shows the glove 21 retained by its bead (41) and the security O-ring 26 against the flange 32i of the cuff-ring 22.

(2) Here the security O-ring 26 has been removed, the glove bead 41 pulled right against the flange 32i, and the glove 21 everted out into the isolator sleeve 23.

The flat 34 on the top of the flange may be used to ease off the O-ring by rolling it away.

(3) In this view, the new sterile glove (21N) has been put over the old one 21, with its bead (41N) in the "parking groove" 33.

(4) This shows the old glove 21 emerging from under the new one 21N, to be removed via the isolator sleeve 23.

The process of slipping the old glove out is made much easier by the flat 34 in the front flange 32i.

Glove exchange - Negative Pressure Mode (1) This view shows how the glove 21 is mounted on the outside of the cuff-ring 22 and doubled back to re-enter the isolator (not shown).

(2) Here the security O-ring 26 has been removed and the glove bead 41 slid up against the cuff-ring flange 320.

(3) The third view shows how the new glove 21N is placed over the old one 21 from the outside. Note that the new glove must be turned inside-out before fitting to the cuff-ring, so that it turns the correct way when everted into the isolator.

(4) Finally, this shows the old glove 21 emerging into the isolator, whilst the new one 21N is everted into the correct position with its security O-ring 26.

Claims (6)

1. A sleeve joining member, suitable for use in a glove box or other type of isolator as either a glove ring or a shoulder ring, to join a sleeve to a glove or a "shoulder" respectively, which joining member is in the form of a short tube with an outwardly directed flange at each end, one such flange (for use at the inner end) having a flat thereon.

2. A joining member as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the tube is 4 cm (1.75 in) long and either 10 cm (4 in) wide, for a cuff ring, or 30 cm (12 in) wide for a shoulder ring.

3. A joining member as claimed in either of the preceding Clairns, wherein the tube has a centrally located circumferential groove therearound (a "parking" groove) to aid in glove or sleeve changes.

4. A joining member as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the tube's flanges are 5 mm (.2 in) deep.

5. A joining member as claimed in any of the preceding Claims and made from polyethylene.

6. A joining member as claimed in any of the preceding Claims and substantially as described hereinbefore.