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Disposable gloves and methods of making sameRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, GlovesDisposable gloves and methods of making same description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060191056, Disposable gloves and methods of making same. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/656,654, filed Feb. 25, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to medical grade disposable examination and surgical gloves and methods of making these gloves that reduce or eliminate the occurrence of glove cuff roll-down. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Disposable medical gloves are widely used as a protective measure and have become mandatory in many industries and nearly all medical settings. In particular, disposable gloves are required as a means for protecting medical staff from coming into contact with bodily fluids during surgical procedures, medical examinations, laboratory testing and other medical procedures. Disposable gloves have traditionally been made of rubber materials such as latex, thermoplastic materials such as vinyl, and other natural and synthetic materials. Often the disposable gloves, particularly powder-free disposable gloves, have a coating on the interior surface of the disposable gloves to make donning of the gloves easier. Coatings, particularly polymer coatings, have been used in place of powder in disposable gloves to reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions to the powder by users of the gloves. [0004] In addition to gloves, medical staff must also wear other protective garments, such as surgical gowns to protect them from coming into contact with bodily fluids. A surgical gown is typically placed over the torso and arms of a surgeon or other medical staff member. Disposable gloves are then placed on the hands and forearms of a surgeon while he or she is wearing the surgical gown. A portion of the disposable glove is placed over the sleeve of the surgical gown to ensure that no portion of the surgeon's arm or hand is exposed during a medical procedure. The surgical gowns and gloves help to prevent the surgeon from coming into contact with bodily fluids. Also, by using sterile gloves, gowns and other protective apparel, the patient is better protected from acquiring infections, etc. [0005] Recently, surgical gown manufacturers have begun to produce surgical gowns that are manufactured with materials such as spunlace and blends of polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. Surgical gowns manufactured from these materials are generally more slippery than surgical gowns of the past that were made out of cloth fabrics. These new materials are designed to more effectively repel bodily fluids with which a surgeon may come into contact. [0006] The use of these materials in surgical gowns, in combination with the use of disposable gloves having coatings on the interior surfaces of the gloves, has produced problems for medical staff. Specifically, as coated disposable gloves are placed over the sleeves of existing surgical gowns, the inner surface of the coated disposable gloves contacts the slippery outer surface of the surgical gown and causes the gloves to roll down the arm or the wrist-forearm of the surgical gown. This problem, often referred to as glove cuff roll-down, permits for the possibility of contamination due to the exposure of the surgeon's arm, hand or wrist-forearm. This contamination may affect the surgeon, medical staff and patient, possibly exposing them to infectious agents, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. [0007] The glove cuff roll-down problem has provided challenges for those in the protective garment industry, particularly glove manufacturers, who manufacture disposable products having coated surfaces to provide gloves that resist glove cuff roll-down. The present invention addresses this problem by providing gloves and methods of making gloves that reduce the occurrence of glove cuff roll-down. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a disposable glove comprises a first area including a hand area and a second area. The hand area includes a palm area and a plurality of finger-receiving receptacles. The second area includes a wrist-forearm area. The wrist-forearm area includes a beaded cuff and a cuff portion. The disposable glove has a coating on an interior surface of the disposable glove. The coating on the interior surface of the disposable glove covers the first area and a portion of the second area such that the beaded cuff and the cuff portion are uncoated and resistant to glove cuff roll-down. [0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for making a disposable glove comprises forming the disposable glove on a former. The disposable glove includes a first area and a second area. The first area includes a hand area, including a palm area and a plurality of finger-receiving receptacles. The second area includes a wrist-forearm area. The method comprises dipping the disposable glove into a coating such that the hand area and a portion of the wrist-forearm area are coated with the coating and a portion of the wrist-forearm area remains uncoated. The method further comprises removing the disposable glove from the former and inverting the disposable glove so that the coating is on an interior surface of the disposable glove. The uncoated portion of the wrist-forearm area reduces glove cuff roll-down when the disposable glove is worn by a user. [0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a disposable glove comprises a flexible body article shaped like a hand comprising finger-receiving receptacles, a palm area and a wrist-forearm area. The wrist-forearm area includes a beaded cuff and a cuff portion. The article has an interior surface which includes a coated region and a substantially uncoated region. The coated region includes the finger-receiving receptacles, the palm area, and a portion of the wrist-forearm area. The substantially uncoated region includes the beaded cuff and the cuff portion. The substantially uncoated region helps to reduce the occurrence of glove cuff roll-down. [0011] According to another embodiment, a disposable glove comprises a first area including a hand area and a second area. The hand area includes a palm area and a plurality of finger-receiving receptacles. The second area including a wrist-forearm area. The wrist-forearm area includes a beaded cuff and a cuff portion. The disposable glove has a coating on an interior surface of the disposable glove. The coating on the interior surface of the disposable glove covers the first area and a portion of the second area such that the beaded cuff and the cuff portion are substantially uncoated and resistant to glove cuff roll-down. [0012] According to a further embodiment, a method for making a disposable glove comprises forming the disposable glove on a former. The disposable glove includes a first area and a second area. The first area includes a hand area, including a palm area and a plurality of finger-receiving receptacles. The second including a wrist-forearm area. The method also comprises dipping the disposable glove into a coating such that the hand area and a portion of the wrist-forearm area are coated with the coating and a portion of the wrist-forearm area remains substantially uncoated. The method further comprises removing the disposable glove from the former and inverting the disposable glove so that the coating is on an interior surface of the disposable glove. The substantially uncoated portion of the wrist-forearm area reduces glove cuff roll-down when the disposable glove is worn by a user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a disposable glove with a cutaway portion of the wrist-forearm area according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0014] FIG. 2 illustrates the disposable glove of FIG. 1 prior to being stripped from its former. [0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus used to carry out the method for making the disposable glove of FIG. 1. [0016] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS [0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a disposable glove 10 according to embodiments of the present invention. The disposable glove 10 comprises a hollow flexible body article having a first area 11 and a second area 13. The first area 11 includes a hand area 12. The second area 13 includes and a wrist-forearm area 14. The disposable glove 10 has an open end 16 into which a hand is inserted. The hand area 12 includes a palm area 22 and a plurality of finger-receiving receptacles 24. The wrist-forearm area 14 includes a beaded cuff 26 and a cuff portion 28. The disposable glove 10 may be made of various materials, including natural rubber latex and/or synthetic rubber materials such as polyisoprene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, copolymer blends, neoprene (polychloroprene), nitrile, vinyl, polyurethane, and combinations thereof as well as other materials suitable for use in disposable medical gloves. For example, some disposable gloves are made with materials such as a polyisoprene/neoprene blend. [0018] The thickness of the disposable glove 10 may vary depending on the surgical procedure being performed. For instance, gloves used in eye procedures are generally thinner to allow for greater sensitivity for the surgeon. Gloves used in orthopedic procedures are generally required to be thicker because of the wear and tear the glove may take. Most gloves range from about 5.5 mil thickness to about 13 mil thickness (measured as a single wall thickness). The minimum thickness for a surgical glove is required to be about 4 mils per FDA regulations as defined by ASTM standards. Continue reading about Disposable gloves and methods of making same... Full patent description for Disposable gloves and methods of making same Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Disposable gloves and methods of making same patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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