GB2270618A

GB2270618A - Rubber gloves

Info

Publication number: GB2270618A
Application number: GB9319336A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Haydn Williams; Robert William Tinsley Merrill
Original assignee: FRASER STUDIOS Ltd
Current assignee: FRASER STUDIOS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-09-17
Filing date: 1993-09-17
Publication date: 1994-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-09-17
Also published as: GB9219658D0; GB9319336D0; GB2270618B

Abstract

Surgeons gloves are made with two or more layers of vulcanised rubber which are adhered over the whole surface between the layers such that the layers perform as one layer, but which layers separate locally when the article is subjected to mechanical damage so that only the outer layer is damaged. Such gloves have better puncture resistance than a single layer surgeons glove, while being less subject to the disadvantages of double donning, such as the loss of sensitivity associated with double donned gloves. The glove is made by dipping a former into rubber latex to form layers with succeeding dipping steps being intervened by a process to reduce the strength of adhesion between the layers. The process comprises applying a partially compatible material (e.g. nitrile rubber latex, a chloroprene rubber latex, acrylic polymer, wax or silicone) to the latex layer.

Description

RUBBER GLOVES This invention is concerned with rubber gloves as used by surgeons, doctors, dentists and nurses (which will, for convenience, be referred to as surgeons gloves), and with the manufacture of such gloves.

Surgeons gloves are normally made by dipping a suitably shaped former into natural rubber latex, removing the coated former, and drying and vulcanising the rubber layer on the former; a glove consisting of a single layer of vulcanised rubber is obtained. The puncture resistance of natural rubber is poor, and in order to improve physical protection and protection against viral and bacterial crosscontamination double donning, that is the donning of two pairs of surgeons gloves, is a common practice where procedures which could give rise to punctures are being carried out. The disadvantages of double donning are that the two layers of rubber lead to a substantial loss of sensitivity in the fingers, an increase in discomfort and hand fatigue, and an increase in the difficulty of donning the gloves, and in additional cost.

We have now developed a surgeons glove which has better puncture resistance than a single surgeons glove, while being substantially less subject to the disadvantages of double donning than that procedure itself.

The rubber glove we have developed comprises two or more layers of vulcanised rubber which are adhered over the whole of the surface between the layers such that the layers perform as one layer, but which layers separate locally when the glove is subjected to stress. abrasion or other mechanical damage so that only the outer layer is damaged. Since the inner layer remains intact, no crosscontamination between the hand of the glove wearer and a body fluid of the patient can occur. There is thus a significant improvement in the barrier property of the glove as compared with a conventional single layer surgeons glove and a significant improvement in comfort as compared with double donned gloves.

The multi-layer glove having these characteristics is made by dipping a former into rubber latex, wherein a processing step is introduced between the latex dipping steps whereby the layers are formed, this processing step having the effect of reducing the strength of the adhesion between the layers, whilst maintaining sufficient adhesion to ensure that the layers perform as one layer during normal use.

The processing step for this purpose is carried out on the dried latex layer on the former after the first dip and, if desired, the second dip if a three layer glove is to be made. Suitable processing steps include, for example: (i) applying a partially compatible polymeric material to the latex layer, such as a nitrile rubber latex, a chloroprene rubber latex, an acrylic polymer, a wax or a silicone; (ii) partially or nearly completely vulcanising the first layer of latex before dipping to form the second latex layer (and similarly with the second layer if a third layer is to be formed); (iii) surface modification of the latex layer to render it partially incompatible to the subsequent layer.

In order that the invention should be more fully understood, the following examples are given by way of illustration only.

Example 1 A conventional porcelain glove former which has been thoroughly cleaned to remove all traces of contamination was dipped into a conventional aqueous solution of coagulant, the former was withdrawn from the solution and the coagulant coating on the former was dried.

The coagulant-coated former was then dipped into a compounded natural rubber latex and withdrawn slowly to leave a film of latex gel on the former. The natural rubber was partially dried.

The former, coated with the partially dried natural rubber film, was then dipped into a conventional hot water leach to remove coagulant. The leached and partially dried natural rubber film was then dipped into an alcoholic solution of an acrylic polymer and withdrawn slowly to leave a deposit of the acrylic solution on the natural rubber film. The coated and leached natural rubber glove was then vulcanised in a hot air oven.

The vulcanised and coated film was then dipped again into a conventional aqueous solution of coagulant, withdrawn from the solution and the coagulant coating on the rubber film was dried. The former was then re-dipped into the compounded natural rubber latex used for the first rubber dip and withdrawn slowly to leave a film of latex gel on top of the deposit of the acrylic solution.

The coating on the former was then partially dried, and then the former was dipped into a conventional hot water leach to remove coagulant. The coated and leached natural rubber glove was then vulcanised in a hot air oven and, after cooling, the glove was then stripped from the former.

When donned, this glove felt like a single, thicker than normal, surgeons glove; it did not give rise to the loss of sensitivity associated with double donned gloves. When subjected to localised stress - for example, being pressed against a sharp edge - the outer natural rubber layer delaminated from the inner natural rubber layer whilst preserving the integrity of the inner natural rubber layer.

Example 2 A conventional porcelain glove former was dipped into a conventional aqueous solution of coagulant, the former was withdrawn from the solution, and the coagulant coating on the former was dried.

The coagulant-coated former was then dipped into a compounded natural rubber latex and withdrawn slowly to leave a film of latex gel on the former. The natural rubber film was partially dried.

The former coated with the partially dried natural rubber film was then dipped into a compounded nitrile rubber latex and withdrawn slowly to leave a film of the nitrile rubber latex on the natural rubber film. The nitrile rubber film was partially dried.

The former was then re-dipped into the compounded rubber latex used for the first rubber dip and withdrawn slowly to leave a deposit of natural rubber latex on top of the nitrile rubber film. The coating on the former was then partially dried.

The glove formed on the former by the three dipping and drying operations was then leached in hot water to remove coagulant. The leached glove was then vulcanised in a hot air oven and, after cooling, the glove was then stripped from the former.

When donned, this glove likewise felt like a single, thicker than normal, surgeons glove. When subjected to localised stress - for example, being pressed against a sharp edge - the outer natural rubber layer delaminated from the nitrile rubber layer, whilst the integrity of the inner natural rubber layer was preserved.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rubber glove comprising two or more layers of vulcanised rubber which are adhered over the whole surface between the layers such that the layers perform as one layer, but which layers separate locally when the glove is subjected to stress, abrasion or other mechanical damage so that only the outer layer is damaged.

2. A surgeons glove as claimed in claim 1.

3. A process for making a rubber glove as defined in claim 1, which comprises dipping a former into rubber latex, characterised by a processing step between the dipping steps whereby the layers are formed, the processing step having the effect of reducing the strength of the adhesion between the layers, whilst maintaining sufficient adhesion to allow the layers to perform as one layer.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the processing step is carried out on a dried latex layer on the former after a first latex dipping step.

5. A process according to claim 3, wherein there are more than two latex dipping steps and wherein the processing step is carried out on a dried latex layer on the former after the first latex dipping step and again after each successive latex dipping step.

6. A process according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the processing step comprises applying a partially compatible polymeric material to the latex layer.

7. A process according to claim 6, wherein the partially compatible polymeric material comprises a nitrile rubber latex, a chloroprene rubber latex, an acrylic polymer, a wax or a silicone.

8. A process according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the processing step comprises partially or nearly completely vulcanising a layer of latex before dipping to form a further latex layer.

9. A process according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the processing step comprises modifying a surface of the latex layer to render it partially incompatible to the subsequent layer.

10. A process substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Examples.

11. A rubber glove made by a process as claimed in any of claims 3 to 10.