Surgical gloves abstract
An improved surgical glove, powdered to serve as a lubricant, is
provided by using a polyol powder as the lubricant. The use of a
polyol powder as the powdering agent for use on surgical gloves
avoids the problem of starch peritonitis that has been reported
upon in medical literature. In one preferred application, polyol
powder is dusted onto the side of the glove that will be the glove
exterior, or patient-contact surface of the glove when used. Alternatively,
polyol powder is dusted onto both surfaces of the glove.
Surgical gloves claims
What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of
the United States is:
1. In a molded surgical glove that has had at least one surface
thereof coated with a powder that serves either as a mold-releasing
agent, or for lubricating the inside of the glove, the improvement
comprising, in combination, the glove and namely F-68 powder, provided
on a surface of the glove.
2. In a molded surgical glove formed that has at least one surface
thereof coated with a powder, to serve either as a releasing agent
for removing the molded glove from its molding form or for lubricating
at least one surface of the glove to serve as a lubricating agent
in donning the glove, the improvement comprising, in combination:
the molded surgical glove being coated with a powder, namely F-68
provided on at least one surface of the glove, to prevent starchorigin
problems, such as formation of scar tissue, adhesions, or bowel
obstruction, in the patient.
Surgical gloves description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Surgical gloves traditionally are manufactured by providing hand-shaped
molds onto which a film-forming, such as latex or other similar
synthetic material, is deposited by dipping or the like. A mold-releasing
powder is usually dusted first onto the mold to facilitate removal
of the molded material from the mold. It is also usual pratice to
apply a lubricating substance onto the outside of the molded glove,
so that when the finished glove is peeled from the mold and retroverted,
the interior of the glove is thus coated with a layer of lubricating
powder for ease in donning the glove. Particles of the mold-releasing
powder frequently remain on or entrapped in the exterior surface
of the surgical glove.
Over the years, a variety of powders, including talc, have been
used to dust, or coat, the inner and outer surfaces of the gloves
to aid in manufacture or to provide lubrication in donning the glove.
Cornstarch, or its derivatives, is presently the preferred powder
agent.
Starch peritonitis, associated with the use of powders of cornstarch
or its derivatives, arises as a result of residual powder particles
shedding into the surgical area from the surface of a surgeon's
glove into a body cavity, such as the abdomen of a person during
abdominal surgery. These particles stimulate the formation of scar
tissue, create adhesions, and could obstruct the bowel.
See Steinlieb, et al., "STARCH PERITONITIS AND ITS PREVENTION",
Archives of Surgery, Vol. 112 April, 1977. Noting the problem of
peritonitis flowing from use of cornstarch on or in surgeon's gloves,
the authors of this report suggested the use of sodium bicarbonate
as an alternative for cornstarch derivatives to lubricate the gloves.
However, in solution, such as created by natural skin exudate, sodium
bicarbonate would yield a slightly base solution that could be irritating
to the wearer's hands.
Problems from use of cornstarch dusted surgical gloves is not limited
to surgery dealing with the interior of the human body. Thus, infection
has been found to occur from such glove-borne particles during optical
surgery, resulting that the cornea may turn opaque. Additionally,
starch can enter a surgically exposed area, through a perforation
in the fingertip of a surgical glove, where the lubricating powder
within the glove tends to accumulate.
Wearers of surgical gloves, such as doctors and aides, usually
have been admonished to vigorously wash and wipe their surgical
gloves before entering the body. Tolbert & Brown, "SURFACE
POWDERS ON SURGICAL GLOVES", Archives of Surgery, Vol. 115
June, 1980 report their study of procedures involving talcs and
other similar starch based powders which had been used as mold-releasing
agents in the manufacture of surgical gloves. They report that a
shedding hazard exists during surgery, even when the gloves have
been previously washed and wiped, which instigates starch peritonitis
and other similar complications.
One purpose of this invention is to provide a surgical glove which
avoids the problems reported upon herein. Another purpose of this
invention is to disclose a new method of lavage following surgery,
particularly abdominal surgery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An improved surgical glove is provided by dusting the glove with
a specific polyol powder that eliminates, such as peritonitis, heretofore
associated with use of certain powdered surgical gloves. The polyol
powder is non-toxic and non-irritating to the body's tissues, and
is readily absorbed by the human body. The specific polyol powder
used is identified by its source, BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Industrial
Chemicals Group, of Wyandotte, Mich. as "F-68". Entry
into the body of F-68 particles, which adhered to the surgical gloves'
surface during manufacture or which enter a body opening through
a perforation in the surgical glove, will not create additional
surgical complications. Introduction of F-68 alone in combination
with other polyol powders manufactured by BASF Wyandotte Corporation,
such as F-38 L101 is an aqueous/electrolytic solution or a colloidal
suspension/emulsion would, therefore, appear to be a highly effective
lavage for cleansing the peritoneal or thoracic body cavities.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A surgical glove coated on one or both sides with a polyol powder,
specifically "F-68", will provide an improved surgical
glove. "F-68" is a non-ionic polyol powder, namely, poly(oxypropylene)
poly(oxyethylene) polymers, manufactured and sold under the trademark
"PLURONIC" by BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Wyandotte, Mich.
F-68 has been reported in internal use, administered orally in animals,
and is easily absorbable by animal body tissue without irritation
or toxicity. Use of F-68 as a component of human plasma volume expander,
or a blood fraction, ultimately suitable for intravenous administation,
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3850903. The F-68 polyol is reported
to have a molecular weight of approximately 8350 by Wyandotte publication
OS-3012(765), and approximately 8750 In U.S. Pat. No. 3850903.
The use of polyol powder in the medical and cosmetic field has
been thoroughly studied. In a toxicity study, Pluronic Polyols .
. . Toxicity and Irritation Data, issued by BASF Wyandotte, said
publication OS-3012(765), reports on two hundred eighty five (285)
reported uses for polyols. None of these reported studies are directed
to the use of the specific polyol, F-68 or use of any other polyol
in combination with a surgical glove for purposes of avoiding infection
resulting from surgery.
In carrying out the invention disclosed herein, prior to dipping
a hand-shaped mold into a film-forming liquid, such as latex or
other synthetic material, the mold is first dusted with a coating
of F-68. When the film congeals to form a glove which is subsequently
retroverted, the danger of any remaining particles on the patient-contact
surfaces of the glove which could cause starch peritonitis, by falling
into a body cavity, is eliminated since the F-68 polyol is bio-compatible
and bioabsorbable.
Dusting this polyol powder on the glove after the glove has formed
on the mold, but before retroversion during removal from the mold,
results in the polyol powder being on the wearer-contact surfaces
of the glove. On this surface, the polyol powder acts as a lubricant
to aid in donning the glove resulting in a non-irritating solution
when the polyol powder combines with natural skin exudate. The hazard
of lubricant particles shedding through holes in the gloves which
are foreign to the body is elminated, since the F-68 polyol is bio-compatible
and non-toxic.
Tests have been performed on rats to compare the F-68 polyol powder
with cornstarch. When equal amounts, by weight, of F-68 and cornstarch
were deposited into the peritoneal cavity of different rats to see
what reactions occurred, it was determined that the F-68 polyol
powder slowly went into solution and deposited as a lubricating
film onto the viscera, and did not produce any observable problem
in the animal. When the cornstarch was deposited into the rat, the
animal suffered a violent reaction and dense peritoneal adhesions.
This has now led applicant to conclude that an aqueous/electrolyte
solution of pluronic polyol(s), or an aqueous/electrolyte colloidal
suspension/emulsion containing any of F-68 F-38 L101 and/or L121
would be highly useful in cleaning out the peritoneal or thoracic
body cavities following traumatic penetration, injury of a visceral
structure, or any disease process, resulting inflammation or contamination
of the body cavity. In addition, an aqueous/electrolyte solution
or colloidal suspension/emulsion of pluronic polyol(s) would protect
against the formation of adhesions (scar tissue) between viscera
by coating visceral surfaces with a non-toxic lubricating film that
remains following lavage. Of the polyols noted above, F-68 is water
soluble, while the other polyols, F-38 L101 and L121 are less water
soluble, but certainly go into suspension in an aqueous or saline
electrolyte solution. There would be definite advantages in effecting
lavage using F-68 polyol powder in aquenous/electrolyte solution's
over use of other lavages such as a saline electrolyte solution.
While a number of forms of my invention have been described, it
will be understood that the invention may be utilized in other forms
and environments, so that the purpose of the appended claims is
to cover all such forms of devices not disclosed but which embody
the invention disclosed herein. |