Bilayer Surgical Gloves with High Chroma Inner Layer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical gloves with puncture-indicating systems often fail to provide a clear and rapid visual indication of barrier compromise due to insufficient color contrast and opacity, leading to potential contamination risks.

Innovation Solution

A bilayer surgical glove system with an outer glove of controlled opacity (10-40%) and an inner glove with high chroma (>50) and specific surface properties, such as contact angles <30 degrees, to ensure rapid spreading and conspicuous color change upon fluid ingress, enhancing visibility of the indicating region.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the outer glove layer is made translucent to allow color indication, then the visibility of the indicating region is improved, but the opacity is insufficient to provide adequate contrast for rapid detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of indicating regionVSAvoidcontrast adequacy for rapid detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the outer glove layer opacity (23-34%) and inner glove layer chroma (>50) to optimize the balance between visibility and contrast. These parameter changes ensure that the indicating region becomes visible rapidly while maintaining sufficient contrast for reliable detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The bilayer glove system combines two different glove layers with complementary properties: the outer layer provides controlled opacity for contrast, while the inner layer provides high chroma for visibility. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with different optical properties that work together to achieve both rapid detection and reliable contrast.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Illumination intensity

If the inner glove layer has high chroma to enhance color visibility, then the color contrast is improved, but the material selection and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor contrast strengthVSAvoidmaterial selection and production complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent defines specific parameter ranges for inner glove layer chroma (>50) to achieve optimal color contrast. By specifying precise parameter ranges rather than requiring unique proprietary materials, the invention balances high color visibility with manufacturing feasibility, allowing standard manufacturing processes to produce gloves meeting the chroma specification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Speed

If the contact angle is reduced to enhance fluid spreading, then the speed of indication is improved, but the surface treatment complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of fluid spreading and indicationVSAvoidsurface treatment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies a precise contact angle parameter range (<30 degrees) for the inner glove layer surface to optimize fluid spreading speed. By defining this specific parameter range, the invention achieves rapid indication while maintaining compatibility with existing surface treatment technologies, avoiding excessive complexity in the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 system provides a rapid and conspicuous visual indication of barrier compromise, allowing for timely glove replacement and minimizing contamination risks by ensuring the indicating region is easily noticeable, even with transparent or colored fluids.

Implementation Method 1

the inner glove with high chroma (>50) and specific surface properties, such as contact angles <30 degrees, to ensure rapid spreading and conspicuous color change upon fluid ingress, enhancing visibility of the indicating region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight transmission and absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

specific surface properties, such as contact angles <30 degrees, to ensure rapid spreading

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWetting: Wetting

Data Source

PatentEP2448516B1Puncture indicating gloves

Publication Date: 2018.01.10 REGENT MEDICAL LTD

AI summary

A surgical glove has inner and outer surfaces. At least one of the surfaces is treated with a treatment consisting of a non-ionic hydrocarbon solution with a carbon chain in the range of 8 - 16 and containing a hydrophilic functionality with a pH within the range 4.5 - 6.5. After treatment, the treated surface or surfaces are dried, the glove packaged and then irradiated. The treatment controls the initial contact angle of the surface to be less than 70 degrees, so that liquid material will spread quickly across the treated surface or surfaces, thereby ensuring that the presence of the liquid, indicative of the glove having been compromised, is visible to the wearer or other observer as quickly as possible.