Methods for reducing allergenicity of natural rubber latex articles and articles so produced
OwnerJeffrey S. Doveinventor
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Abstract
Reduced allergenicity natural rubber latex articles having otherwise normal physical, mechanical, and chemical properties are produced by inducing the antigenic components of the natural rubber latex to bloom onto and adjacent to the tissue contacting surface of the article prior to treatment with a screening reagent to sequester the antigenic regions.
Claims20
A method for the production of a hypoallergenic natural rubber latex article having normal physical, mechanical, and chemical properties and at least one tissue contacting surface exhibiting reduced allergenicity, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a natural rubber latex emulsion including antigenic components;
- forming a latex article from said emulsion, said article having at least one surface intended to contact tissue and having at least one exposed surface;
- inducing the blooming of said antigenic components onto and adjacent to said at least one surface by coagulating the latex emulsion into a gel on the surface of the dipped article and displacing said antigenic components of said gelled latex emulsion toward the exposed surface of said gel;
- and
- chemically treating said bloomed antigenic components with at least one screening reagent to sequester the antigenic regions of the said bloomed antigenic components by dipping said bloomed gelled latex emulsion into a treating bath containing an effective concentration of said at least one screening reagent under mild conditions of temperature and pH for a sufficient period of time to react said at least one screening reagent with said bloomed antigenic components, whereby said screening reagent selectively chemically interacts in a linking reaction with the antigenic regions of said bloomed antigenic components.
A natural rubber latex article having normal physical, mechanical, and chemical properties, and at least one tissue contacting surface exhibiting reduced allergenicity, said article produced through the steps of:
- inducing the blooming of the natural rubber latex antigenic components onto and adjacent to said at least one tissue contacting surface of said article by coagulating the latex emulsion into a gel on said surface of the dipped article and displacing said antigenic components of said gelled latex emulsion toward said surface of said gel;
- and
- chemically treating said bloomed antigenic components with at least one screening reagent to sequester the antigenic regions of the said bloomed antigenic components by dipping said bloomed gelled latex emulsion into a treating bath containing an effective concentration of said at least one screening reagent under mild conditions of temperature and pH for a sufficient period of time to react said at least one screening reagent with said bloomed antigenic components, whereby said screening reagent selectively chemically interacts in a linking reaction with the antigenic regions of said bloomed antigenic components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.