Non-contact grasping mitt

A device for protecting a portion of a user's hand from contact with an object to be grasped, the device comprising:

• a first member that comprises a pocket extending from an outside surface of the first member, the pocket being configured to accommodate placement of one or more fingers therein, the first member including an inside surface opposite the outside surface;
• a second member that comprises a pocket extending from an outside surface of the second member, the pocket being configured to accommodate placement of one or more fingers therein that are opposed to fingers on the same hand disposed in the pocket of the first member, the second member including an inside surface opposite the outside surface;
• and
• a hinge that is interposed between the first and second members and that is connected with top edges of the first and second members to enable use of the device to be opened by outward movement of opposed first and second member bottom edges positioned opposite the top edges for grasping an object between the opposed inside surfaces of the first and second members while maintaining connection of the first and second members along the top edges.

A method for enabling a user to grasp an object without directly touching the object comprising the steps of:

• placing one or more fingers within a pocket extending from an outside surface of a device first member;
• placing one or more fingers within a pocket extending from an outside surface of the device second member, wherein the fingers disposed in the pockets of the first and second members are on the user's same hand, and wherein the one or more fingers disposed in the first member pocket are opposed from the one or more fingers disposed in the second member pocket;
• opening the device by the user moving the fingers in the first and second member pockets outwardly away from each exposing opposed first member and second member inside surfaces;
• and
• placing the device inside surfaces over the object and grasping the object by the user moving the fingers in the first and second member pockets towards each other.