Robotic Glove Donning System to Reduce Contamination and Fitting Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional manual method of donning gloves is time-consuming, cumbersome, and prone to improper fitting and contamination in industries like healthcare and manufacturing, necessitating an automated solution.
Innovation Solution
An automated glove donning system utilizing robotics, pneumatics, and mechanical systems, including a robotic arm with grippers, a glove donning device with subassemblies for clamping and positioning, and a control system with sensors for real-time feedback, to efficiently apply gloves while reducing contamination and waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual glove donning is used, then the process is simple and requires minimal equipment, but it is time-consuming and prone to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The automated glove donning device is divided into multiple independent subassemblies: a first subassembly with radially arranged arms for clamping the glove, a second subassembly with positioning fingers for wrapping and opening the cuff, and a control system. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated intermediary device between the glove supply and the user's hand. This robotic system acts as a mediator that handles the glove manipulation, positioning, and donning process, eliminating direct manual intervention and reducing contamination risk while improving donning speed.
2Reliability
If manual glove donning is used, then the equipment required is minimal, but improper fitting and contamination occur frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The control system receives real-time feedback from sensors during the glove donning process to monitor and adjust the positioning and clamping forces. This feedback mechanism ensures the glove is properly fitted on the user's hand while maintaining contamination-free operation, resolving the reliability issue without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning and pre-opening the glove cuff before actual donning occurs. The radially arranged arms and positioning fingers prepare the glove in advance, ensuring proper orientation and fit before the user inserts their hand, thereby improving reliability.
3Loss of time
If automated systems are introduced to improve donning speed, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic radially arranged arms that can move and adjust their position during the donning process. These arms transition from a closed configuration for clamping to an opened configuration for cuff manipulation, allowing the system to adapt to different stages of the donning process efficiently without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated glove donning device is designed to handle multiple functions within a single integrated system: gripping the glove, positioning it, opening the cuff, and facilitating donning. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby improving donning speed while controlling overall system complexity.
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 enhances convenience, speed, and hygiene by automating the glove application process, ensuring proper fitting and reducing manual intervention, thus improving efficiency across various industries.
Implementation Method 1
the glove donning system may also include a vacuum pump to inflate the glove
Data Source
AI summary
A glove donning system for automated donning of gloves includes a robotic arm equipped with grippers configured to select a glove from a glove supply, a glove donning device configured to receive the glove from the robotic arm and prepare the glove for a user's hand, control system configured to control the robotic arm and the glove donning device, and one or more sensors in communication with the control system to provide real-time feedback and ensure smooth operation of the system.