Flexible protective medical gloves and methods for their use

A method of using a flexible protective glove with a liquid-impermeable wall containing a non-liquid antiseptic composition or storing a number of substances that can form a non-liquid antiseptic composition when the substances are combined, the wall comprising an inner layer and an outer layer wherein the inner layer has a lower elasticity than the outer layer 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;
• (b) using the object to puncture the wall so that the wall has a hole;
• (c) bringing the object into contact with the non-liquid antiseptic composition or using the object to cause some combination of the substances in the wall so that some non-liquid antiseptic composition is formed when the substances are combined in some portion of the wall that has been punctured by the object;
• (d) coating a portion of the object puncturing the glove wall with the non-liquid antiseptic composition when the object punctures the glove wall;
• (e) using the object puncturing the glove as a means for transfering a portion of the coating of the non-liquid antiseptic composition on the object, to the hand and into the hand wound when the object contacts the hand or the hand wound;
• (f) promoting a larger transfer of the non-liquid antiseptic composition from the glove wall to the hand and hand wound, than from the glove to the outer surface of the glove wall, when the non-liquid antiseptic composition is dispersed from the hole in the punctured glove wall, by providing a smaller hole in the outer layer than in the inner layer of the glove wall after the object has been removed from the glove wall, by selecting a material composition for the inner glove layer that has a lower elasticity than the material composition selected for the outer glove layer;
• and
• (g) using the non-liquid antiseptic composition transferred from and dispersed from the glove to the hand or 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 non-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 mils to about 30 mils wherein the first material and the second material form the walls of a compartment capable of providing a non-liquid antiseptic composition;
• (b) wherein the non-liquid antiseptic composition in the compartment comprises an antiseptic and a vasoconstrictive agent, or a number of substances including a vasoconstrictive agent that can form the non-liquid antiseptic composition when the object punctures the glove wall and causes a combination of a portion of the substances, wherein at least a portion of the glove wall contains a non-liquid antiseptic composition when the glove wall is punctured by an object;
• (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 until a portion of the glove wall is punctured by an object;
• the glove wall capable of being punctured by the object while the glove is being worn on the hand;
• (d) the glove wall having the flexibility to allow the hand of an individual in need of wearing the glove to easily and adequately perform delicate, dexterous and complex work including the work performed by a surgeon, a medical doctor, a dentist, a laboratory worker, a health care worker, a law enforcement worker, and a hospital worker;
• (e) the glove having the capability to provide a coating to at least a portion of the object puncturing the glove wall;
• the coating comprising the non-liquid antiseptic composition;
• the coating on the object providing a means for immediately transfering some of the non-liquid antiseptic composition onto the hand and into the hand wound contacted by the object;
• the non-liquid antiseptic composition transferred to the hand and to the hand wound having the capability to provide an immediate non-liquid antiseptic composition treatment to the hand and hand wound;
• (f) the glove having the additional capability to disperse some of the non-liquid antiseptic composition from a section of the glove wall having a hole resulting from the object puncturing the glove wall;
• and
• (g) the glove having the capability to help treat the hand and the hand wound with the non-liquid antiseptic composition when the object punctures the glove wall, when the object may contact the hand, when the object may wound the hand, and when the object may contaminate the hand and the hand would with the infectious pathogen;
• wherein the non-liquid antiseptic composition transferred or dispersed to the hand and 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.