Protective medical gloves and methods for their use

A method of using a flexible protective glove with a liquid-impermeable wall on a hand of an individual to protect the hand in the event that an object contaminated with an infectious agent punctures the glove, may wound the hand and may contaminate the hand and the hand wound with the infectious pathogen, comprising the steps of:

• (a) using the glove initially as a liquid-impermeable physical barrier to infectious pathogens;
• using the glove to permit the hand to perform a delicate, dexterous and complex type of work that includes the type of work performed by a surgeon, medical doctor, a dentist, a laboratory worker, a hospital health care worker, a law enforcement worker, and a hospital worker;
• and storing a liquid antiseptic composition in the glove wall;
• (b) using the object to puncture the glove wall;
• (c) using the glove to coat a portion of the object puncturing the glove wall with the liquid antiseptic composition when the object punctures the compartment storing the liquid antiseptic composition;
• (d) using the object puncturing the glove to transfer a portion of the coating of the liquid antiseptic composition on the object, to the hand and into the hand wound when the object contacts the hand;
• (e) using the glove wall having the hole formed by the object as a means for leaking more liquid antiseptic composition from the glove wall onto the hand and into the hand wound than from the glove wall onto the outer surface of the glove;
• (f) controlling the relative size of the holes in the outer and inner glove layers to bias the direction of liquid antiseptic composition from the glove so that most of the leakage occurs across the inner glove layer onto the hand and into the hand wound rather than across the outer glove layer by selecting a material composition for the inner glove layer that is less elastic than the material composition selected for the outer glove layer;
• and
• (g) using the liquid antiseptic composition transferred from the glove to the hand and to the hand wound to kill, to inactivate, and to otherwise destroy the infectious pathogen that may have been transferred to the skin and into the hand wound by the object.

A flexible protective glove with a liquid-impermeable wall having the capability to provide a liquid antiseptic composition treatment to a hand and to a hand wound should the wound occur underneath the glove while the glove is being worn when a wall of the glove is punctured by an object that may be contaminated with an infectious pathogen, comprising:

• (a) a glove wall with a liquid-impermeable outer layer comprised of a first material having a thickness of about 1 mil to about 40 mils and a liquid-impermeable inner layer composed of a second material having a thickness of about 0.3 mil to about 30 mils wherein the first material and the second material form the layers of a compartment capable of storing a liquid antiseptic composition;
• (b) the liquid antiseptic composition which contains a vasoconstrictive agent;
• (c) the glove wall capable of providing a physical barrier as a means of protection to the hand while the glove is being worn by an individual;
• the glove wall capable of being punctured by the object;
• (d) the glove having the flexibility to allow the hand of the individual wearing the glove to easily and adequately perform delicate, dexterous and complex work including the work performed by a surgeon, medical doctor, a dentist, a laboratory worker, a health care worker, a law enforcement worker, a hospital worker and like workers;
• (e) the glove having the capability to provide a coating of liquid antiseptic composition to at least a portion of the object puncturing the glove wall;
• the coating of liquid antiseptic composition on the object providing a means for immediately transferring some liquid antiseptic composition onto the hand and into the hand wound contacted by the object;
• the liquid antiseptic composition transferred to the skin and to the hand wound having the capability to help to provide an immediate treatment of liquid antiseptic composition to the hand and to the hand wound;
• (f) the glove having the additional capability of leak some of the liquid antiseptic composition from a section of the glove wall having a hole resulting from the object puncturing the glove wall;
• the liquid antiseptic composition leaking from the hole having the capability to flow onto the hand and into the hand wound as a means for providing a treatment of liquid antiseptic composition to the hand and to the hand wound;
• and
• (g) the glove having the capability to help to treat the hand and the hand wound with a liquid antiseptic composition when the object punctures the glove wall, when the object may contact, when the object may wound the hand, and when the object may contaminate the hand and the hand wound with the infectious pathogen;
• wherein the liquid antiseptic composition transferred to the hand and to the hand wound has the capability to help to protect the hand, the hand wound and the systemic circulation of the individual by killing, inactivating, and otherwise destroying the infectious pathogen that may contaminate the hand and the hand wound.