FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to disposable gloves, more particularly medical gloves used by doctors and nurses in the health care industry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recent studies have shown that during medical examinations, the stethoscope can retain a relatively large amount of bacteria. While doctors regularly wash and thereby sanitize their hands throughout the day to avoid the spread of germs, little to no attention may be paid to the sanitization of the commonly-used stethoscope. Doctors typically sanitize their hands with a gel or wash after treating a patient, but the stethoscope is simply placed back inside the jacket pocket in between uses without sanitizing treatment. This is because sanitizing the diaphragm between uses is impractical. As a result, bacteria from patients are carried on the stethoscope diaphragm and spread to patients. This bacteria can include Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), which is highly resistant to antibiotics, and thus not easily sanitized by gels or washes. This form of stethoscope contamination can detract from or altogether negate the anti-contamination benefits provided by hand sanitization. There is a need in the art for a means of minimizing the amount of contamination transferred to and from the stethoscope diaphragm during patient treatments. Moreover, there is a need in the art for a versatile glove that provides for the storage of objects that are readily accessible to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A disposable medical glove is provided that includes one or more anti-contamination pockets configured to receive a stethoscope diaphragm and thereby protect it from contamination during patient examinations. Additionally, it frees the use of the medical professional's fingers. In a preferred embodiment, the medical glove comprises a glove body, a pocket on the palmar side of the glove and/or a pocket on the dorsal side of the glove. The pockets are each configured to receive the diaphragm from the outside or inside of the glove depending on user preference. The glove can have a uniform construction whereby the pockets are not attached to the glove body as part of a separate manufacturing step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove with dorsal and palmar pockets pulled out.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove with dorsal and palmar pockets pulled out and voluminously expanded.
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a disposable medical glove with palmar pocket tucked into a pouch configuration, and the tucking/pulling motion required to switch between pocket configurations.
FIG. 4 illustrates both a frontal and rear view of a disposable medical glove having a pocket on its palmar and dorsal sides, with stethoscope insertion into a surface palmar pocket via a pouch configuration.
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove upon receiving the diaphragm of a stethoscope into an inner palmar pocket via a condom configuration.
FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove upon receiving the diaphragm of a stethoscope into an inner palmar pocket via a condom configuration, with the stethoscope being manipulated by a user's fingers.
FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of a disposable medical glove upon receiving gauze into a surface dorsal pocket via a pouch configuration.
FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of an alternate embodiment of a disposable medical glove with a palmar pocket pulled out.
FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of an alternate embodiment of a disposable medical glove with a palmar pocket pulled out and voluminously expanded.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a disposable medical glove having one or more anti-contamination pockets configured to receive a stethoscope diaphragm and thereby protect it from contamination during patient examinations. In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known elements, processes or techniques have been briefly mentioned and not elaborated on in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail and description. Moreover, specific details and the like may have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not deemed necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the invention, and arc considered to be within the understanding of persons having ordinary skill in the relevant art.
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove enhanced with dorsal and palmar pockets, which are pulled out and away from the glove—shown in profile view 129. The modified disposable glove has said pockets integrated into a seamless, unibody construction, whereby the pockets are reversible into and out of the interior of the glove, with no single resting configuration for the pockets. Rather, the present invention benefits from a variable pocket state, and therefore a duality of configurations. A pouch configuration and a condom configuration are made possible by either tucking the pocket into the glove's interior, or extending it outward from the glove's exterior, respectively. The latter configuration is displayed in FIG. 1. The glove comprises a glove body 105 with glove opening 136, palmar pocket 110, and dorsal pocket 120. Each pocket further comprises an elastic body 111 & 121 respectively, that terminates in the glove body 105 on the connected end via a seamless transitional perimeter 112 & 122 respectively. Each transitional perimeter is an edge or curved meeting portion between the glove body 105 and the elastic body 111 or 121 of each pocket. The opposite free end of each pocket extends perpendicularly away from the glove in FIG. 1. With the condom configuration shown, the pockets are exteriorly extended in a taut (but not stretched) manner that highlights their approximate depth dimension 115 in an exemplary embodiment. Said depth dimension 115 does not take into account the full elasticity of the pocket bodies 111,121, but rather is a practical estimate relevant to usages with insertable items, such as a stethoscope, gauze, alcohol pads, etc. Using the condom configuration of either pocket provides different advantages and capabilities than a pouch configuration (see pouch configuration of FIG. 3), including instrument manipulation. This will be discussed in greater detail in the following description.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove with dorsal and palmar pockets pulled out and voluminously expanded. The glove, shown in profile view 229, can have a nitrite, vinyl or latex composition, giving it substantial elasticity and making it well-suited for the variable pocket configurations offered by the present invention. The disposable medical glove comprises a glove body 205 with glove opening 236, palmar pocket 210, and dorsal pocket 220. Each pocket further comprises an elastic body 211 & 221 respectively, that terminates in the glove body 205 on the connected end via a seamless transitional perimeter 212 & 222 respectively. A depth dimension 215 measures the approximate distance from the free end of the pocket 210, 220 to the transitional perimeter 212, 222 which seamlessly connects the glove body 205 with either pocket. As shown in the current figure, said perimeters 212, 222 experience a moderate level of expansion coinciding with voluminous pocket expansion. This shows the capacity for stretching at this junction due to instrument insertion. Each pocket, shown voluminously expanded while in a condom configuration, is well-suited to housing a stethoscope or other relevant instrument during standard patient procedures. An “inner” pocket is created in the condom configuration, whereby the entire pocket exists outside of the glove—its exterior surface (corresponding to the exterior glove surface) being visible to the user. Conversely, the interior surface of the pocket is obscured, and makes contact with an inserted instrument. The pockets 210, 220 provide ample room for a stethoscope, with a variable shape that also maintains a reasonably small resting state. This assures a low probability of snagging due to excess pocket material, while simultaneously providing variable extra room for instruments of varying size. The result is sanitary inter-patient contact using one instrument and multiple disposable medical gloves of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a disposable medical glove with palmar pocket tucked into a pouch configuration, and the tucking/pulling motion required to switch between pocket configurations. Shown with a ¾ palmar view 330, the glove comprises a glove body 305, a glove opening 336, and palmar pocket 310 with elastic body 311 (shown with dotted lines). In the pouch configuration, said elastic body 311 occupies a flattened space on the interior of the glove. In this way, a “surface” pocket is created, whereby the exterior surface of the pocket 310 makes contact with an inserted instrument, while its interior surface makes contact on one side with the glove interior, and on the other side with the user's hand. Whether in a pouch or condom configuration, the pocket 310 is open at the junction between it and the glove—i.e. the seamless transitional perimeter 312 where glove body 305 meets pocket 310. Thus, the reversible pocket possesses a bi-directional opening. Motion arrow 301 indicates the motions associated with pocket reversibility. With the palmar pocket 310 tucked into a pouch configuration as shown, a user should reach deeply into the empty surface pocket (near or at its free end), grab/pinch a portion of its external surface, and pull away from the glove until the pocket 310 is fully outside of the glove. This reverses the surface pocket into an inner pocket in a condom configuration. The reverse action will once again place the pocket into a pouch configuration. Each configuration offers its own unique advantages. For example, the pouch configuration frees the user's fingers so that he/she can manipulate objects other than the inserted instrument; the instrument sits in substantially close proximity to the user's hand. Conversely, a condom configuration frees the user's fingers so that he/she can manipulate the inserted instrument itself. In the latter configuration, the head/sensing portion of the instrument sits up to several inches away from the user's hand.
FIG. 4 illustrates both a frontal and rear view of a disposable medical glove enhanced with a rectangular surface pocket on both its palmar and dorsal sides that are each configured to receive the diaphragm of a stethoscope. The glove's palmar view 430 (left side of FIG. 4) and dorsal view 440 (right side of FIG. 4) are shown in FIG. 4. The glove comprises a glove body 405 (including glove fingers 431-435, 441-445) with glove opening 436, palmar pocket 410, and dorsal pocket 420. In a preferred embodiment, the palmar and dorsal pockets are rectangularly shaped. The glove body 405 refers to the portion of the glove that resembles a standard glove, i.e. not including the pockets 410 and 420. The palmar and dorsal pockets 410 and 420 are identical in size, shape, and manufacture and can be comprised of the same material as the rest of the glove, such as nitrile or latex. Moreover, the pockets occupy a similar position on the glove such that they are superimposed on one another. Referring to the palmar view 430, the palmar pocket 410 comprises an elastic body 411 and a seamless transitional perimeter 412 (i.e. opening of the pocket whilst in a pouch configuration). In a pouch configuration of the palmar pocket 410, the elastic body 411 comprises a flat, rectangular pouch that is fully tucked into the interior of the glove body 405, wherein one of its surfaces makes contact with the skin of the user, while another surface makes contact with the interior of the glove body 405. The portion of the palmar pocket 410 that terminates at the transitional perimeter 412 is a seamless continuation of the glove body 405, connecting an external surface of the glove body to an external surface of the palmar pocket 410. Thus, said surface palmar pocket, inverted into the glove body 405, forms an open pouch configuration that can elastically receive and hold various objects.
Similarly, with reference to the dorsal view 440 showing the dorsal pocket 420, the elastic body 421 comprises a rectangular pouch that is fully tucked into the interior of the glove body 405, wherein one of its surfaces makes contact with the skin of the user, while another surface makes contact with the interior of the glove body 405. The portion of the dorsal pocket 420 that terminates at the transitional perimeter 422 is a seamless continuation of the glove body 405, connecting an external surface of the glove body to an external surface of the dorsal pocket 420. Thus, said surface dorsal pocket, inverted into the glove body 405, forms an open pouch configuration that can elastically receive and hold various objects. As with palmar pocket 410, the dorsal pocket 420 is a rectangle whose approximate width dimension 408 and approximate height dimension 409 are shown. In a preferred embodiment, each of said dimensions can be equal to at least 2.5 inches in order to accommodate a standard stethoscope diaphragm. Similarly, the depth of the pocket may be comfortably opened and elastically stretched to create a depth of approximately 1.5 inches. The depth of the pocket is shown in more detail in FIG. 2 (see depth 215 of voluminously expanded palmar and dorsal pockets 210 & 220). In its unused state (i.e. empty), the pocket ideally possesses minimal depth such that there is minimal slack that could snag or otherwise interfere with use of the glove. In an exemplary embodiment, the glove could have only a single pocket, i.e. only palmar pocket 410 or dorsal pocket 420.
Referring to the seamless transitional perimeter 422 of the dorsal pocket 420 as the bottom edge of the surface pocket (its opposing side being the top, free edge), and relative to the glove, the pocket's 420 top edge lies on the interior of the glove in a space approximated by (while slightly smaller than) the distance between the index finger 444 and ring finger 442 portions of the glove (including the full diameter of each finger at their proximal edges). It is nearly centered on the vertical axis that bisects the middle finger 443 portion of the glove. The positioning of the pocket maximizes the resulting ergonomics and dexterity of using the stethoscope once inserted into the pocket. The pocket may accept a number of standard medical instruments, and provides sanitary protection by preventing direct contact of the instrument with the patient and thereby preventing contaminants from being transferred onto the instrument and transferred to subsequent patients. Referring back to the palmar view 430, FIG. 4 illustrates how the pocket 410 is especially well-suited to accepting a standard stethoscope 490. As shown by motion arrow 402, a user may insert a stethoscope 490 into the palmar pocket 410 until the stethoscope diaphragm 491 is completely housed within the elastic body 411 of the pocket 410, leaving the rubber tubing 492 outside of the pocket. This inserted state is more completely visualized by FIG. 7, instead with the dorsal pocket (see dorsal pocket 720 of FIG. 7).
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove upon receiving the diaphragm of a stethoscope into an inner palmar pocket via a condom configuration. With the stethoscope diaphragm held in the pocket in this configuration, two advantages are provided. First, the medical professional's fingers are free to manipulate the instrument, and can just as easily let go of it temporarily—without releasing it from the pocket. Second, and more critically, the stethoscope diaphragm is covered by the pocket and does not contact the patient during examination. Thus, contaminants such as germs and bacteria are not transferred to the diaphragm and thereafter between patients.
The glove, shown in profile view 529, comprises a glove body 505, glove opening 536, and palmar pocket 510. Here, the diaphragm 591 of the stethoscope 590 has been fully inserted into the elastic body 511 of the pocket 510 via a condom configuration, whereby the pocket is accessed from the inside of the glove. The pocket opening is created by the seamless transitional perimeter 512. While FIG. 5 illustrates the insertion of the stethoscope diaphragm into the palmar pocket, the same applies to the dorsal pocket (not shown), although such stethoscope usage may be impractical with this configuration since it is geared toward finger manipulation of the instrument. The stethoscope is inserted into the pocket 510 in such a way that the elastic body 511 comfortably houses the diaphragm 591, thereby covering the face of the diaphragm with a layer of elastic material that then makes contact with the patient. The lack of direct contact between the diaphragm and the patient ensures that contaminants (e.g. germs or bacteria) are not transferred between the diaphragm and the patient. Once the diaphragm is inserted into the pocket, only the rubber tubing 592 extends out of the pocket 510, partially making contact with it and the glove's interior surface, and becoming visible below the glove opening 536. The depth of the pocket 510 is seen here near or at the point of optimal elastic stretching. The pocket should be configured so that there is enough slack so that the diaphragm can be easily inserted, but not so much that it results in unwanted snagging. The elastic body 511 has a composition that provides an appropriate level of elasticity for pocket expansion in this capacity, additionally holding the stethoscope's diaphragm in place with adequate tension. This tension can be adjusted based on the thickness and type of plastic/polymer used for the glove/pocket.
FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a disposable medical glove upon receiving the diaphragm of a stethoscope into an inner palmar pocket via a condom configuration, with the stethoscope being manipulated by a user's fingers. The glove, shown in profile view 629, is shown grasping a stethoscope 690 with the index finger 634 and thumb 635 portions of the glove. Other finger portions (not shown) may be used in any combination necessary to comfortably grasp the instrument. The glove comprises a glove body 605, glove opening 636, and palmar pocket 610. The palmar pocket 610 further comprises an elastic body 611 and opens into the glove interior via seamless transitional perimeter 612. In an exemplary embodiment, the stethoscope's diaphragm 691 is fully placed into the palmar pocket 610, making contact with an interior surface on the free end of the pocket, and stretching the elastic pocket taut enough to negate any excess material/slack that may be present around the diaphragm 691. The rubber tubing 692 of the stethoscope 690 extends from the interior of the palmar pocket 610, through the transitional perimeter 612 to the glove interior, and out through the bottom of the glove opening 636—leading to earpieces (not shown) worn by the medical professional. With the stethoscope 690 fully inserted, said user can grasp an exterior surface of the palmar pocket 610 surrounding the stethoscope 690, ideally using the thumb 635 and index finger 634 portions of the glove, in order to manipulate the instrument and direct it toward a patient for regular usage. The glove is fabricated to ensure maximum signal reception by the inserted instrument.
FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of a diposable medical glove upon receiving gauze into a surface dorsal pocket via a pouch configuration. The glove, shown with dorsal view 740, comprises glove body 705, finger portions 741-745 and glove opening 736. The surface dorsal pocket 720 further comprises elastic body 721 (obscured and shown with dotted lines), and an opening defined by the seamless transitional perimeter 722 leading into the glove's interior. By the same logic described above for stethoscope usage, a strip of gauze 795 can be inserted into the surface pocket's interior. The elasticity of the pocket's body 721 allows for gauze that is folded several times over—within reason in the context of a medical situation, where comfortable hand movement is required. Motion arrow 703 indicates the above insertion of gauze 795 into the dorsal pocket 720. Similarly, an alcohol pad, wrap, swab, or other small/flat medical item may be equally well-suited for usage with the dorsal pocket 720.
FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of an alternate embodiment of the disposable medical glove having only a palmar pocket, with the palmar pocket pulled out. This embodiment is the same as the one described in connection with FIG. 1, except that it has no dorsal pocket. The glove is shown in a profile view 829 and comprises a glove body 805 with glove opening 836, and palmar pocket 810. The pocket 810 further comprises an elastic body 811 that terminates in the glove body 805 on the connected end via a seamless transitional perimeter 812. The transitional perimeter is an edge or curved meeting portion between the glove body 805 and the elastic body 811 of the pocket 810. The opposite free end of each pocket extends perpendicularly away from the glove. With the condom configuration shown, the pocket is exteriorly extended in a taut (but not stretched) manner that depicts its approximate depth dimension 815 in an exemplary embodiment. Said depth dimension 815 does not take into account the full elasticity of the pocket body 811, but rather is a practical estimate relevant to usages with insertable items, such as a stethoscope, gauze, alcohol pads, etc. Using the condom configuration of either pocket provides different advantages and capabilities than a pouch configuration (see pouch configuration of FIG. 3), including instrument manipulation. This will be discussed in greater, detail in the following description.
FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of an alternate embodiment of the disposable medical glove having only a palmar pocket, with the palmar pocket pulled out and voluminously expanded. This embodiment is the same as the one described in connection with FIG. 2, except that it has no dorsal pocket. The glove, shown in profile view 929, can have a nitrile, vinyl or latex composition, giving it substantial elasticity and making it well-suited for the variable pocket configurations offered by the present invention. The disposable medical glove comprises a glove body 905 with glove opening 936 and palmar pocket 910. The pocket further comprises an elastic body 911 that terminates in the glove body 905 on the connected end via a seamless transitional perimeter 912. A depth dimension 915 measures the approximate distance from the free end of the pocket 910 to the transitional perimeter 912, which seamlessly connects the glove body 905 with either pocket. As shown in the current figure, said perimeters 912 experience a moderate level of expansion coinciding with voluminous pocket expansion. This shows the capacity for stretching at this junction due to instrument insertion. The pocket, shown voluminously expanded while in a condom configuration, is well-suited to housing a stethoscope or other relevant instrument during standard patient procedures. An “inner” pocket is created in the condom configuration, whereby the entire pocket exists outside of the glove—its exterior surface (corresponding to the exterior glove surface) being visible to the user. Conversely, the interior surface of the pocket is obscured, and makes contact with an inserted instrument. The pocket 910 provides ample room for a stethoscope, with a variable shape that also maintains a reasonably small resting state. This assures a low probability of snagging due to excess pocket material, while simultaneously providing variable extra room for instruments of varying size. The result is sanitary inter-patient contact using one instrument and multiple disposable medical gloves of the present invention.
While there have been described herein what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. For example, the relative dimensions of the device may be altered while keeping within the spirit and teachings of the invention. Moreover, the glove pocket can be configured to receive an object or instrument other than those mentioned in the foregoing description, as is appropriate for the desired application. It is therefore desired to be secured, in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
