Antimicrobial Nitrile Gloves via Multi-Stage Dip Coating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Medical examination gloves often fail to prevent the transfer of infectious microorganisms, especially when they tear, posing a risk of infection to both medical staff and patients, due to the lack of effective antimicrobial properties.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing process that incorporates antimicrobial agents into nitrile rubber examination gloves, ensuring they kill infectious microorganisms on the glove, wearer's hand, and touched surfaces, even if the physical barrier is breached, by using a series of dip tanks and ovens with controlled solutions and heating stages to uniformly distribute and bond these agents with the glove material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional medical examination gloves are used, then they provide basic physical barrier protection, but they fail to prevent the transfer of infectious microorganisms when they tear or are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by incorporating antimicrobial agents into the glove material before use, creating a pre-active protective mechanism that kills microorganisms on contact. This prevents infection transfer even when the physical barrier is compromised, addressing the reliability issue without requiring perfect glove integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining conventional glove materials (nitrile rubber, vinyl, or latex) with antimicrobial agents to create a multi-functional glove that provides both physical barrier protection and active microbial destruction. This composite approach enhances reliability while maintaining the basic protective function.
2Reliability
If antimicrobial agents are incorporated into the glove manufacturing process, then infection protection is enhanced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antimicrobial function with the existing glove manufacturing process by incorporating antimicrobial agents into the rubber or polymer composition during the standard manufacturing steps. This integration approach enhances protection while avoiding the need for separate, complex post-processing stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of the glove material during manufacturing to include antimicrobial agents. This allows the antimicrobial function to be built into the material properties themselves, simplifying the overall process compared to adding separate functional layers or coatings.
3Reliability
If antimicrobial agents are added to the glove material, then microorganisms are killed on contact, but the cost of production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes production cost by carefully controlling the concentration and type of antimicrobial agents added to the glove material. By adjusting these parameters to achieve effective microbial elimination at the lowest feasible cost, the patent balances protection requirements with manufacturing economy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent accepts the disposable nature of examination gloves and incorporates antimicrobial agents at cost-effective concentrations that provide adequate protection for the glove's intended lifespan. The focus is on providing sufficient protection at minimal cost rather than achieving perfect, permanent sterilization, which would be prohibitively expensive.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The gloves provide enhanced protection against infection by ensuring that microorganisms are killed on contact, maintaining sterility and preventing cross-infection, even if the glove suffers small tears, thus improving patient and staff safety.
Implementation Method 1
A manufacturing process that incorporates antimicrobial agents into nitrile rubber examination gloves, ensuring they kill infectious microorganisms on the glove, wearer's hand, and touched surfaces
Implementation Method 2
by using a series of dip tanks and ovens with controlled solutions and heating stages to uniformly distribute and bond these agents with the glove material
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing nitrile rubber latex medical examination gloves during which (a) the glove formers are dipped into a coagulant solution containing divalent calcium cations and calcium nitrate particles, to which has been added a composition comprising Alcohol ethoxylate, Amine oxide, Ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, Glutaraldehyde, Chlorhexidine di-gluconate, Chlorhexidine di-hydrochloride, Salisept, Titanium Dioxide, nano particle silver; and during which (b) the coated glove formers are then dipped into a nitrile rubber latex dispersion to which has been added a composition comprising Alcohol ethoxylate, Amine oxide, Lactic acid, Ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, Glutaraldehyde, Salisept; and during which (c) the nitrile rubber latex gloves are finally placed in to packaging utilizing a clear coat varnish that it is impregnated with a phenolic chlorine compound, micronized nanosilver colloid, and a quaternary compound.