U.S. patent application number 10/171083 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-27 for protective guards for fingers and thumbs.
Invention is credited to Sorrels, Milton Kevin.
Application Number | 20030056274 10/171083 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26942392 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030056274 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sorrels, Milton Kevin |
March 27, 2003 |
Protective guards for fingers and thumbs
Abstract
A protective guard for a finger or thumb may be used during a
medical procedure. The protective guard may inhibit needle or
instrument puncture of a medical practitioner's skin during the
medical procedure. The protective guard may include a protective
portion and a less protective portion. The materials used to form
the protective portion and the less protective portion may be
chosen so that the guard provides a large degree of penetration
resistance while still remaining flexible. The color of the
protective portion may be different than the color of the less
protective portion to provide a user with a visual indication of
the protective area of the protective guard.
Inventors: |
Sorrels, Milton Kevin;
(Houston, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ERIC B. MEYERTONS
CONLEY, ROSE & TAYON, P.C.
P.O. BOX 398
AUSTIN
TX
78767-0398
US
|
Family ID: |
26942392 |
Appl. No.: |
10/171083 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10171083 |
Jun 12, 2002 |
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09990777 |
Nov 21, 2001 |
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60252523 |
Nov 21, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 42/00 20160201;
A41D 13/087 20130101; A61B 42/20 20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/21 |
International
Class: |
A41D 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: a protective body;
and wherein the protective body comprises at least one notch.
2. The guard of claim 1, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially arcuate.
3. The guard of claim 1, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially V-shaped.
4. The guard of claim 1, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially rectangular.
5. The guard of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is formed of an elastomeric material.
6. The guard of claim 1, wherein the protective body comprises
polyparaphenylene terephthalamide.
7. The guard of claim 1, wherein the protective body comprises an
amide.
8. The guard of claim 1, wherein the protective body comprises
polytetrafluoroethylene.
9. The guard of claim 1, wherein the protective body comprises a
fluorocarbon.
10. The guard of claim 1, wherein the protective body comprises a
Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less than about 110.
11. The guard of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant, and at least a portion of
the protective body is flexible.
12. The guard of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the protective
body is visually distinguishable from a second portion of the
protective body.
13. The guard of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.
14. A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: a body; a protective
portion of the body configured to be penetration resistant; a less
protective portion of the body adjacent to the protective portion;
and wherein the less protective portion of the body comprises at
least one notch.
15. The guard of claim 14, wherein the protective portion is of a
different color than the less protective portion.
16. The guard of claim 14, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially arcuate.
17. The guard of claim 14, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially V-shaped.
18. The guard of claim 14, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially rectangular.
19. The guard of claim 14, wherein the protective portion of the
body comprises a Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less than
about 110.
20. The guard of claim 14, wherein the less protective portion of
the body comprises an elastomeric material.
21. The guard of claim 14, wherein the protective body comprises an
amide.
22. The guard of claim 14, wherein the protective body comprises a
fluorocarbon.
23. The guard of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant, and a least a portion of
the protective body is flexible.
24. The guard of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.
25. A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: a body comprising a
top portion and a bottom portion; wherein the top portion of the
body is a different color than the bottom portion of the body; and
wherein at least the bottom portion of the body comprises at least
one notch.
26. The guard of claim 25, wherein a color of the top portion is
visibly distinguishable from a color of the bottom portion.
27. The guard of claim 25, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially arcuate.
28. The guard of claim 25, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially V-shaped.
29. The guard of claim 25, wherein a notch comprises a profile that
is substantially rectangular.
30. The guard of claim 25, wherein the first protective portion of
the body comprises a Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less
than about 110.
31. The guard of claim 25, wherein the top portion of the body
comprises an elastomeric material.
32. The guard of claim 25, wherein the bottom portion of the body
comprises an elastomeric material.
33. The guard of claim 25, wherein the protective body comprises an
amide.
34. The guard of claim 25, wherein the protective body comprises a
fluorocarbon.
35. The guard of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant, and at least a portion of
the protective body is flexible.
36. The guard of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the
protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.
37. A method, comprising: extruding material to form a tube; and
cutting the tube to form a guard for a digit of a hand.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the tube includes tapered
portions.
39. The method of claim 37, further comprising forming at least one
notch in the guard.
40. The method of claim 37, wherein the tube comprises a first
arcuate portion and a second arcuate portion, and wherein a
thickness of the first arcuate portion is greater than a thickness
of the second arcuate portion.
41. The method of claim 37, further comprising forming an indention
in an end of the guard that facilitates bending of a medial joint
of the digit.
42. The method of claim 37, further comprising forming a lip at an
end of the guard, the lip configured to provide an indication of
insertion depth of the guard on the digit.
43. The method of claim 37, further comprising coloring an arcuate
portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts with a
color of the digit.
44. A method, comprising: extruding a first material in a first
arcuate portion; extruding a second material in a second arcuate
portion; bonding the first arcuate portion and the second arcuate
portion together to form a tube; and cutting the tube to form a
guard for a digit of a hand.
45. The method of claim 44, further comprising cutting at least one
notch in the guard.
46. The method of claim 44, further comprising extruding the
material such that the tube comprises a thinner first arcuate
portion and a thicker second arcuate portion.
47. The method of claim 44, further comprising forming an indention
in an end of the guard that facilitates bending of a medial joint
of the digit.
48. The method of claim 44, further comprising forming a lip at an
end of the guard, the lip configured to provide an indication of
insertion depth of the guard on the digit.
49. The method of claim 44, further comprising coloring the first
arcuate portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts
with a color of the digit.
50. The method of claim 44, further comprising coloring the second
arcuate portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts
with a color of the digit.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/990,777, filed Nov. 21, 2001, which claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/252,523
entitled "Protective Guards for Fingers and Thumbs," filed on Nov.
21, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to protective guards, and
embodiments relate to protective guards for fingers and thumbs that
inhibit skin penetration by needles and/or instruments.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Medical practitioners including, but not limited to,
doctors, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, and dental
assistants may use instruments, implants, and/or needles during
medical procedures. Medical procedures may include, but are not
limited to, surgical procedures and operations, dental procedures
and operations, and injection or drawing of fluids using needles. A
risk exists that a medical practitioner's skin may be punctured or
penetrated during a medical procedure, resulting in a percutaneous
injury. A medical practitioner's skin may also be punctured or
penetrated during disposal or cleaning of needles or medical
instruments previously used in a medical procedure. The medical
practitioner and/or patient may be subject to infection or disease
including, but not limited to, staphylococcus, hepatitis, and
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) due to an inadvertent
skin puncture of the medical practitioner. With or without
transmission of a disease or pathogen, a skin puncture or other
wound may be traumatic to the medical practitioner. There is a need
to protect medical practitioners and patients from the risk of
infection and pathogens due to skin punctures or wounds of the
medical practitioner during a medical procedure.
[0006] Surgical gloves may be used by medical practitioners to
lessen the risk of transferring blood-borne and other pathogens
during medical procedures. Some medical practitioners use two
gloves on each hand to reduce the risk of glove failure and skin
punctures during medical procedures. Surgical gloves typically do
not provide adequate protection from penetration of skin by sharps.
Sharps may include, but are not limited to, hypodermic needles;
medical, dental and laboratory instruments; and burs and sharp
edges or projections of hard tissue and prostheses. Studies show
that puncture wounds of medical practitioners often occur on backs
of a medical practitioner's fingers or thumb. Puncture wounds may
occur predominantly to the index finger, thumb, and middle finger.
For example, a medical practitioner may hold a syringe in a
dominant hand while stabilizing, retracting, isolating, or
palpating tissue with the other hand. A sudden movement by the
patient may cause the medical practitioner to accidentally puncture
the back of a finger or thumb of the non-dominant hand.
[0007] Finger coverings and/or hand protectors may be used to
reduce the risk of inadvertent skin punctures in non-medical
applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,033 issued to Ames et al.
discloses a finger guard for use while pinning garments. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,689,828 issued to Brewer discloses a finger protector for
hair stylists' fingers that includes a wristband joined to a
two-finger protector. The two-finger protector has open ends for
the fingers to extend through. U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,245 issued to
Sullivan et al. discloses an armored glove finger including a rib
knit tubular member having an open end and a closed end.
[0008] Finger coverings and/or hand protectors may be used in
medical applications. U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,372 issued to Pierce,
which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein,
discloses a trilaminar glove with inner and outer barrier layers
and a central foam layer. The trilaminar construction may reduce
the risk of a puncture through the glove. U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,038
issued to Lyell, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set
forth herein, discloses a needle stop surgical instrument
comprising a finger housing, a needle receiving space, and a
handle. The finger housing receives a finger, and the needle
receiving space receives and guides a needle. The handle may be
grasped between the remaining fingers of the hand and the palm of
the hand to allow maneuvering. U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,543 issued to
Beck, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth
herein, discloses surgical gloves having protective pads placed at
selected areas of the surgical gloves. The selected areas of the
surgical gloves may include the fingertips and the palms.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,626 issued to Sorrels, which is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, discloses
protective finger coverings that have flexible and puncture
resistant construction. A finger covering may include a puncture
resistant, protective surface on a top side of the covering, which
fits over a dorsal portion of the finger. As used herein, dorsal in
relation to a finger means that portion of the finger opposite the
palm of the hand, and ventral means that portion of the finger
adjacent the palm of the hand when a fist is formed. The finger
guide may also include a retentive or elastic layer that may
function to hold the covering on a user's finger or thumb. The
retentive layer may be located on a bottom of the covering, which
fits over a ventral portion of the finger. The covering may be
open-ended to allow a portion of a user's thumb or finger to extend
through the covering. The portion of the user's thumb or finger
that extends through the covering may allow the user to retain
tactile sense while using the covering. The covering may be rotated
during use to change the position of the protective surface.
[0010] Finger coverings and/or hand protectors may limit finger
and/or hand flexibility of the user. Finger coverings and/or hand
protectors may limit a user's sense of touch during a procedure. A
user's sense of touch may be important during a medical procedure,
especially if palpation of various surfaces of a treatment area is
required during the procedure. A medical practitioner may need to
retain a tactile sense during a medical procedure to control a
patient and to maintain awareness of locations of sharp portions of
instruments, inserts, and/or needles. Additionally, the use of
finger and/or hand protectors may be limited by the amount of
working space available within the patient. For example, a dentist
does not have a large amount of working space within a patient's
mouth. Also, a doctor typically does not have a large amount of
working space within a patient during an invasive medical
procedure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A protective guard for a digit of a hand may include a
flexible and penetration resistant construction. A digit may be a
finger or a thumb. The protective guard may inhibit punctures or
wounds caused by needles, knives, or other sharp instruments. For
example, during the utilization of a mechanically engineered
syringe, there is window of time before insertion and after
withdrawal during which the needle tip is exposed. During this
time, the protective guard may inhibit a medical practitioner from
receiving an injury to a finger or thumb of the dominant or
non-dominant hand while retracting, isolating, or stabilizing the
needle tip.
[0012] In an embodiment, a protective guard may be formed as an
elongated tubular member that covers all or part of the middle and
terminal phalanges of a finger or thumb. When the protective guard
is positioned on a finger, the protective guard may extend from
just beyond the fingertip to just past the medial finger joint. An
end of the protective guard nearest the medial joint may be
contoured to allow bending of the medial joint. An end of the
protective guard nearest the fingertip may be shaped to avoid
covering a large portion of the pad of the fingertip. Leaving a
large portion of the pad of the fingertip uncovered may promote
retention of a user's tactile sense.
[0013] A protective guard may include a bottom portion
corresponding to a ventral portion of a digit and a top portion
corresponding to a dorsal portion of a digit. The bottom portion
may include elastic material that functions to retain the
protective guard on a medical practitioner's finger or thumb. The
top portion may include penetration and puncture resistant
material. A protective guard may have a ring-shaped cross-sectional
form. An inner diameter of the protective guard may be smaller than
a diameter of a finger or thumb upon which the protective guard is
placed. The protective guard may form a seal with a user's hand (or
a glove on a user's hand) that inhibits fluid from contacting the
portion of a user's hand or finger that is covered by the
protective guard. The elastic material may be chosen such that the
protective guard slides over digits within a range of
circumferences. The elastic properties of the material may hold the
protective guard on a finger or thumb within the range of
circumferences when the guard is positioned on the finger or thumb.
The elastic properties of the protective guard and/or the shape of
the protective guard may allow the protected finger or thumb to be
bent or flexed. In some embodiments, a notch or notches may be
formed in a portion of the protective guard to facilitate bending
of the guard when the finger or thumb is bent or flexed. The notch
or notches may allow the guard to conform to an anatomical shape of
the finger or thumb within the range of circumferences while the
digit is bent or flexed.
[0014] A top portion of a protective guard may be protective
material that is puncture and/or penetration resistant. The top
portion may include some flexibility so that a medical practitioner
may bend a finger or thumb around which the protective guard is
positioned. The top portion may include notches that are positioned
in the top portion to increase the flexibility of the top portion.
Placement of the protective guard may be chosen such that a dorsal
portion, a ventral portion, or another portion of a finger or thumb
is covered by the protective material. Alternatively, the
protective guard may be rotated on a finger or thumb during use to
change the location of the protective material.
[0015] The color or colors of the protective guard may be different
than the color of tissue and/or fluid (e.g., blood) to enhance view
of the protective guard. In an embodiment, protective guards may be
made in several sizes, with each size distinguished by a particular
color. Such color coding may allow rapid visual differentiation
between protective guard sizes. In other embodiments, protective
material of a protective guard may be dyed a different color than
less protective or retentive material of the protective guard. For
example, the protective portion of a protective guard may be red,
orange, yellow, green, or blue, while the less protective portion
of the protective guard may be uncolored or skin colored. A portion
of the protective guard may be made of a transparent or
semi-transparent material. Alternatively, a protective portion of a
protective guard may be painted or otherwise colored a different
color than other portions of the protective guard. The color
difference between the penetration resistant portion and the less
penetration resistant portions of a protective guard may allow a
medical practitioner to maintain awareness of the location of a
protective portion of the guard during a medical procedure. The
protective portion of a protective guard may be any color that
contrasts with a user's skin and/or less protective section of the
protective guard.
[0016] In an embodiment, a protective guard is made from FDA or
USDA approved plastics and/or colors, such that the protective
guard may be safely used in food preparation, including chopping,
slicing, cutting, grating, dicing, paring, trimming, or mincing
foods including, but not limited to, meats, vegetables, herbs, and
fruits. In an embodiment, a surface of a protective guard may be
used as a guide (e.g., as a guiding plane, allowing a knife or
other instrument to glide smoothly along the surface while
protecting a digit from cuts).
[0017] A top portion of a protective guard may have a longer length
than a bottom portion of the protective guard. The smaller length
of the bottom portion may promote the ability to flex and bend a
finger while wearing the protective guard. The smaller length of
the bottom portion may also allow a pad of the finger or thumb upon
which the protective guard is placed to remain uncovered during use
so that the protective guard does not interfere with a user's
ability to register tactile sensations through the finger or thumb
pad. The bottom portion may include one or more notches to increase
the flexibility of the guard.
[0018] A bottom or retentive portion of a protective guard may be
made of a flexible material with some penetration resistance. The
retentive portion of a protective guard may be formed of an
elastomeric polyvinyl chloride compound such as, but not limited
to, Flexchem.RTM., supplied by Tekni-Plex Co. of New Jersey. In an
embodiment, a retentive portion is formed of a 0.75 millimeter
thick, 65 Shore A durometer hardness, elastomeric polyvinyl
chloride material. The puncture resistance of a material may be
compared to the puncture resistance of a latex glove or a double
layer of latex gloves. The puncture resistance of a latex glove
and/or a double layer of latex gloves may be the standard against
which protection is compared. The resistance of the retentive
portion of a protective guard to penetration/puncture by a 27 gauge
needle may be over four times greater than penetration resistance
of a double layer of latex gloves, each glove having a thickness
between about 0.05 millimeters and 0.2 millimeters. The penetration
resistance of the retentive portion of a protective guard to
puncture by a 20 gauge needle may be over eight times greater than
the penetration resistance of a double layer of latex gloves, each
glove having a thickness between about 0.05 millimeters and 0.2
millimeters.
[0019] A top or protective portion of a protective guard may be
made of a penetration resistant material that has some flexibility.
The flexibility of the protective portion and the shape of the
protective guard may allow a medical practitioner to bend a finger
or thumb around which the protective guard is positioned. The
protective portion of the protective guard may be formed of an
elastomeric polyvinyl chloride compound such as, but not limited
to, Unichem.RTM., supplied by Tekni-Plex Co. of New Jersey. In an
embodiment, a protective portion is formed of a 0.80 millimeter, 90
Shore A durometer hardness, polyvinyl chloride material. The
resistance of the material to puncture by a 27 gauge needle may be
over twenty-six times greater than penetration resistance of a
double layer of latex gloves, each glove having a thickness between
about 0.05 millimeters and 0.2 millimeters. The penetration
resistance of the material to penetration/puncture by a 20 gauge
needle may be over fifty-one times greater than the penetration
resistance of a double layer of latex gloves, each glove having a
thickness between about 0.05 millimeters and 0.2 millimeters. In
some embodiments, notches may be formed in the protective portion
of the guard to increase the flexibility of the guard.
[0020] In some applications, a protective guard may be rotated on a
thumb or finger to change a position of a primary protective
portion of the protective guard. For example, if the protective
guard is positioned over a surgical glove, the guard may be rotated
during use to change the position of the protective portion of the
protective guard from the back of the finger to the front of the
finger. A color difference between a protective portion of the
protective guard and a less protective portion of the guard may
allow a medical practitioner to visually confirm that the
protective portion of the guard is positioned as desired.
[0021] A protective guard may include a lip at an end that will be
closest to a fingertip when the guard is placed on a finger or
thumb. The end may contact a fingernail or a fingertip during use
to properly position the protective guard and inhibit the guard
from advancing too far up a user's finger or thumb. The lip may be
an indicator of an insertion depth of the protective guard on a
user's finger or thumb.
[0022] A portion of a protective guard may be made of a protective
material. The protective material may be a polymer. The protective
material may include, but is not limited to, an amide (e.g., a
polyparaphenylene terephthalamide or similar material) or a
polymerized fluorocarbon (e.g, polytetrafluoroethylene or similar
material). In embodiments, the protective material may be
Kevlar.RTM. or Teflon.RTM., available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours
and Company of Delaware. The protective material may be positioned
only on a selected portion of the protective guard as a layer, or
the protective material may form substantially all of a puncture
resistant portion of a protective guard. If the protective material
is positioned on only a selected portion of the protective guard,
the protective layer may be a different color than a puncture
resistant portion of the protective guard, which may be of
different color than other portions of the protective guard.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Advantages of the present invention will become apparent to
those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed
description of the embodiments and upon reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a hand with protective
guards positioned on an index finger and a thumb.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a protective guard, wherein a
protective portion of the guard has a green color.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows an end view of a protective guard, wherein a
protective portion of the guard is thinner than a less protective
portion of the guard, and wherein a protective portion of the guard
has a pink color.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows an end view of a protective guard, wherein a
protective portion of the guard is thicker than a less protective
portion of the guard, and wherein a protective portion of the guard
has a blue color.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a protective guard, wherein a
protective portion of the guard has an outer surface that is
green.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a protective guard
positioned on a finger (the finger is not shown in cross section),
taken substantially along plane 6-6 of FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 7 shows a front view of a protective guard positioned
on a finger, wherein a bottom portion of the protective guard has
"V" shaped notches.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a hand with protective
guards positioned on an index finger and a thumb, with a glove
positioned over the protective guards, and wherein the colors of
protective portions of the guards are visible through the
glove.
[0032] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a hand with a glove, and
with protective guards positioned over the glove on an index finger
and a thumb.
[0033] FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of processing equipment that
may be used to form a protective guard.
[0034] FIG. 11 shows a front view of a symmetric protective
guard.
[0035] FIG. 12 shows a front view of a flexible protective guard
with a non-undercut end portion, wherein a protective portion of
the guard is purple.
[0036] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by
way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in
detail. The drawings may not be to scale. It should be understood,
however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not
intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed,
but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a
protective guard for a finger or thumb is designated by reference
numeral 20. A medical practitioner may use protective guard 20
during a medical procedure to reduce the risk of puncturing skin or
otherwise producing a percutaneous injury during the medical
procedure. FIG. 1 shows protective guard 20 positioned on finger 22
of hand 24 and a protective guard positioned on thumb 26 of the
hand. Using protective guards 20 to reduce the risks of forming
skin openings during medical procedures may reduce the transmission
of disease and pathogens between medical practitioners and
patients. Preventing a puncture or skin opening in a medical
practitioner may prevent emotional trauma associated with producing
an accidental opening during a medical procedure. Medical
practitioners may be, but are not limited to, doctors, physician
assistants, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, oral surgeons,
orthodontists, or oral hygienists. A medical procedure may include,
but is not limited to, an invasive medical operation, a surgical
reduction, a dental cleaning or procedure, an orthodontic
procedure, insertion of a needle into a patient to inject or draw
fluid, performing laboratory tests on tissue or fluid samples
(including cases involving blood-borne pathogens and
seroconversions), and cleaning or disposing of used instruments or
needles.
[0038] Protective guards may be used to inhibit cutting or
puncturing of skin by wires, knives, and other sharp or blunt
instruments or objects, providing finger/thumb protection to
workers including, but not limited to, jewelers, electricians, and
carpenters. Protective guards may also be used in food preparation,
electronics repair, and mechanical and engineering applications,
such as space and aeronautical engineering applications. In some
embodiments, protective guards may be used to provide first aid in
situations involving cuts sustained on digits of a hand.
[0039] In an embodiment, protective guard 20 may be an elongated
tubular member that extends generally from medial joint 28 of
finger 22 or thumb 26 to an end of the finger or thumb. FIG. 2
shows a front view of an embodiment of protective guard 20. FIGS. 3
and 4 show end views of embodiments of protective guards 20. FIG. 5
shows a bottom view of protective guard 20. Protective guard 20 may
be a semi-rigid structure. Protective guard 20 may have a shape
that does not cover creases formed by the portion of medial joint
28 on ventral surface 30 of finger 22 or thumb 26, as shown in FIG.
6. Alternatively, protective guard 20 may cover a portion of the
third metatarsal of finger 22 or a portion of the second metatarsal
of thumb 26. FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of protective guard 20
positioned on finger 22. A top portion of protective guard 20 may
cover the creases or stop in the creases of medial joint 28 on
dorsal surface 32 of finger 22. The shape of protective guard 20
may allow a medical practitioner to retain flexibility of medial
joint 28 when the guard is placed on finger 22.
[0040] Top portion 34 of protective guard 20, shown in FIGS. 2-6,
may extend beyond a fingertip of finger 22 when the guard is placed
on a finger or thumb. Protective guard 20 may optionally include
lip 36, as shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 2 and 5. The lip may
advantageously limit an insertion depth of the protective guard on
a user's finger or thumb. Contact of lip 36 against fingernail 38
(shown in FIG. 6) or end surface of a fingertip may inform a user
that protective guard 20 is fully positioned on finger 22. Lip 36
may also inhibit protective guard 20 from sliding up finger 22
during use. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in
FIG. 6, protective guards 20 do not include lips.
[0041] Bottom portion 40 of protective guard 20 may not cover
creases of distal joint 42 on ventral surface 30 of finger 22 or
thumb 26, as shown in FIG. 6. A medical practitioner may retain
flexibility of distal finger joint 42 when protective guard 20 is
placed on finger 22. Protective guard 20 may have a shape at a
fingertip end or thumb tip end of the guard that allows pad 44 of
medical practitioner's finger 22 or thumb 26 to remain uncovered
when protective guard 20 is placed on the finger or thumb. Leaving
pad 44 uncovered by protective guard 20 may advantageously allow
the medical practitioner to retain the ability to register tactile
sensations through pad 44 during a medical procedure. The ability
to flex finger joints 28, 42 while wearing protective guard 20 and
the ability to feel tactile sensations may allow a medical
practitioner to palpate and manipulate tissue during a medical
procedure while wearing the protective guard. Bottom portion 40 of
protective guard 20 may be positioned between medial joint 28 and
distal joint 42 when the protective guard is positioned on finger
22 or thumb 26.
[0042] An advantage of certain embodiments of a protective guard is
that the guard includes a puncture/penetration resistant protective
portion and a retentive less protective portion. The protective
portion may include some flexibility and the retentive portion may
include puncture/penetration resistance. The protective portion and
the less protective portion may result in a protective guard that
provides a large degree of puncture and penetration resistance
while still remaining easy to manipulate during a medical
procedure.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, top portion 34 of protective guard 20
may have a longer length than bottom portion 40 of the protective
guard. The shorter length of bottom portion 40 may facilitate
bending and flexing of user's finger 22 or thumb 26 when protective
guard 20 is positioned on the finger or thumb. The shorter length
of bottom portion 40 may also allow a portion of the user's finger
or thumb pad to remain uncovered when protective guard 20 is
positioned on user's finger 22 or thumb 26, as shown in FIGS. 1, 8
and 9.
[0044] An advantage of certain embodiments a protective guard may
be that the guard has a substantial amount of flexibility. Such
flexibility may be provided by the materials that are used to make
the guard. In other embodiments, one or more notches may be used to
provide increased flexibility.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, bottom portion 40 may include one or
more notches 80. Notches 80 may have various shapes. Notch shapes
may be, but are not limited to, rectangular, arcuate, or "V"
shaped. Notches 80 may pass partially or completely through bottom
portion 40. Notches 80 may increase the flexibility of the guard,
facilitate conformation of top portion 34 to the digit, and inhibit
the end of the top portion from flaring away from the digit when
the digit is bent. The substantial amount of flexibility may allow
the protective guard to comfortably conform to a user's finger or
thumb when the finger or thumb is flexed.
[0046] Protective guard 20 may be configured to be placed on finger
22 of a medical practitioner. Alternatively, protective guard 20
may be configured to be placed on thumb 26 of a medical
practitioner. During a medical procedure, a medical practitioner
may place protective guard 20 on one or more fingers 22 and/or on
thumb 26 of hand 24. In a typical application, protective guards 20
are placed on a non-dominant hand of the medical practitioner.
Protective guard 20 for thumb 26 may have a shorter length and a
wider diameter to account for a size difference between a thumb and
finger 22. Several different sizes of protective guards 20 for
fingers 22 and for thumbs 26 may be produced to accommodate various
sizes of fingers and thumbs. Protective guards 20 may be removed
and discarded after use.
[0047] Protective guard 20 may include protective portion 46 and
less protective portion 48. Protective portion 46 may be resistant
to punctures, penetrations, and tears. In an embodiment, protective
portion 46 may include top portion 34 of protective guard 20, and
less protective or retentive portion 48 may include bottom portion
40 of the protective guard. Less protective portion 48 of
protective guard 20 may be formed of an elastic material. One or
more notches may be cut in the elastic material. Less protective
portion 48 may extend between medial finger joint 28 and distal
finger joint 42 when protective guard 20 is placed on finger 22.
Less protective portion 48 may be a retentive portion of protective
guard 20 that keeps the guard on user's finger 22 or thumb 26. A
circumference of inner surface 50 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) of
protective guard 20 may be smaller than an outer circumference of
finger 22 or thumb 26 that the guard is to be placed on. The
elastic material may expand when the protective guard is positioned
on finger 22 or thumb 26. The elastic material may exert
compressive force on finger 22 or thumb 26 to hold protective guard
20 on the finger or thumb. The elastic properties of the material
may form a seal between finger 22 or thumb 26 and protective guard
20. The seal may inhibit fluid from contacting the skin of the
digit protected by the guard. Notches may be formed in the elastic
material to allow for increased flexibility of the protective
guard.
[0048] An advantage of certain embodiments of a protective guard is
that the protective guard may be multi-colored. Protective portion
46 of protective guard 20 may be a different color than less
protective portion 48 of the guard. FIGS. 1, 8, and 9 show
embodiments of protective guards 20 in which protective portions 46
of the guards are different in color than less protective portions
48 of the guards. FIG. 1 shows protective guards 20 positioned on
finger 22 and thumb 26 of hand 24. FIG. 8 shows protective guards
20 positioned on finger 22 and thumb 26 with surgical glove 52
positioned over the guards. FIG. 9 shows protective guards 20
positioned over a surgical glove on index finger 22 and thumb 26 of
hand 24. In an alternative embodiment, hand 24 may be covered by
surgical glove 52 with one protective guard 20 located under the
glove, and with a second protective guard positioned over the
glove. For example, protective guard 20 may be positioned on thumb
26, glove 52 may be pulled over hand 24, and a second protective
guard may be positioned on an index finger and/or middle
finger.
[0049] Material that forms protective portion 46 of protective
guard 20 may be dyed a different color than the material that forms
less protective portion 48. Alternatively, protective portion 46
may be painted a different color than less protective portion 48.
In some embodiments, the color of protective portion 46 may be a
vivid color that results in a marked contrast with the color of
less protective portion 48 of protective guard 20, and with the
color of user's finger 22 or thumb 26. The color of protective
portion 46 may be chosen from, but is not limited to, FDA approved
reds, oranges, yellows, greens, or blues. The color of less
protective portion 48 may be the natural color of the material used
to form the portion or any color that provides a noticeable
contrast with the color of protective portion 46 and/or a
noticeable contrast with the color of a user's skin. The colors of
protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 of protective
guard 20 provide a contrast that allows a medical practitioner to
distinguish between the two portions when the protective guard is
covered by surgical glove 52 or other covering. The colors of
protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 may contrast
with the skin color of user's finger 22 and/or thumb 26, so that a
user may easily visualize the limits of protection afforded by
protective guard 20.
[0050] Protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 of
protective guard 20 may be made of biocompatible materials.
Protective guard 20 may be made of inexpensive materials.
Protective guards 20 used during a medical procedure may be
disposed of after the medical procedure. Protective portion 46 and
less protective portion 48 of protective guard 20 may include
elastomeric materials. The material used to form protective portion
46 of protective guard 20 may include, but is not limited to,
UniChem.RTM. polyvinyl chloride. The material used to form less
protective portion 48 of protective guard 20 may include, but is
not limited to, FlexChem.RTM. polyvinyl chloride. UniChem.RTM. and
FlexChem.RTM. may be obtained from Tekni-Plex Co. of New Jersey.
Protective portion 46 and less protection portion 48 may be made of
chemically similar materials so that a strong bond is formed
between the two portions at interfaces between the two materials
during formation of protective guard 20. The strong bond may
inhibit separation of the two materials. If protective portion 46
and less protective portion 48 do not bond well together, a bonding
agent may be used to ensure that a strong bond is formed at
interfaces between the two portions. The inside of protective guard
20 may be coated with a lubricant (e.g., talc or a surfactant) to
ease positioning of the protective guard on a user's finger or
thumb.
[0051] Protective portion 46 may include or be a protective
material such as, but not limited to, Kevlar.RTM. (a
polyparaphenylene terephthalamide or similar material) or
Teflon.RTM. (a polytetrafluoroethylene or similar material).
Kevlar.RTM. and Teflon.RTM. may be obtained through E. I. du Pont
de Nemours and Company of Delaware. If protective guard 20 includes
a layer of a protective material within protective portion 46, the
layer may be a different color, tint, or shade than other sections
of the protective portion. Less protective portion 48 may also
include a layer or layers of protective material.
[0052] In some embodiments, protective guards may taper from a
large end to a smaller end. A taper of protective guard 20 may
substantially correspond to a taper of finger 22. The small end of
protective guard 20 may be positioned near a fingertip, and the
large end may be positioned near or over medial joint 28 of finger
22 when the protective guard is positioned on a user's finger.
Tapering protective guards 20 may be formed by any formation
technique including, but not limited to, injection molding or
reaction injection molding. In some embodiments, protective guard
20 may be substantially untapered.
[0053] In some embodiments, protective guards may be formed using a
single extrusion procedure. The protective guard may include one or
more layers of material. The protective guard may be formed as a
tube. The tube may be cut to desired lengths and desired end
patterns. The protective guards may be tapered, or the protective
guards may be substantially untapered.
[0054] In an embodiment of a protective guard made during a single
extrusion, the material used to form the guard may be thicker on a
protective side of the guard than on a retentive side of the guard.
The material used to form the protective portion and the retentive
portion may be the same material (e.g., a polymer) with the same
Shore A durometer. In an embodiment, the protective portion of the
guard may be thicker than the retentive portion of the protective
guard. The retentive portion and/or a portion of the protective
portion may include a notch or notches that allows a user to flex a
finger or thumb that has a protective guard positioned on the
finger or thumb. In some embodiments, the protective portion may
have a thickness greater than about 0.25 mm and less than about 2.0
mm. In some embodiments, the retentive portion may have a thickness
greater than about 0.05 mm and less than about 1.5 mm. In an
embodiment, the protective portion may have a thickness of about
0.9 mm and the retentive portion may have a thickness of about 0.4
mm. The retentive portion of the protective guard embodiment may
also include two or more notches to facilitate flexure of a digit
protected by the protective guard.
[0055] In some embodiments, protective guard 20 may be cut from
tube 54 formed using a dual extrusion procedure. FIG. 10 shows a
schematic diagram of processing equipment that may be used to form
tube 54. The processing equipment may include first extruder 56
that is coupled to second extruder 58. First and second extruders
56, 58 may form tube 54. Storage vessel 60 may supply a first
material to extruder 56. First dye storage vessel 62 may supply dye
that is mixed with the first material. The first material may form
protective portion 46 of protective guard 20. The color of
protective portion 46 may contrast with a user's skin color and
with a color of material used to form less protective portion 48 of
protective guard 20. Storage vessel 64 may supply a second material
to extruder 58 for forming less protective portion 48. Second dye
storage vessel 66 may supply dye that is mixed with the second
material to change the color of less protective portion 48.
[0056] First extruder 56 may form a first material into arcuate
protective portion 46 with angle A (shown in FIG. 3) from end to
end between about .pi./2 radians (or about 90.degree.) and about
2.pi. radians (or about 360.degree.). In some embodiments, angle A
is within an angular range from end to end between about .pi.
radians (or about 180.degree.) and 3.pi./2 radians (or about
270.degree.), and in an embodiment, the angular range from end to
end is about 5.pi./4 radians (or about 225.degree.). Protective
portion 46 may taper or be irregular so that the angular range of
the protective portion varies along a length of protective guard
20. The second material may be formed in an arcuate shape so that
protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 form
substantially ring-shaped protective guard 20 when bonded together.
As the first material and the second material are bonded together,
bead 68 may form at the intersection of the two materials. Bead 68
may be an overlapping layer of the second material. Bead 68 may be
formed along a length of a tube formed by extruders 56, 58.
[0057] After formation of tube 54 by extruders 56, 58, the tube may
be sent to cutting machine 70. Tube 54 formed by extruders 56, 58
may automatically be sent to cutting machine 70, or a tube may be
manually transferred to the cutting machine. Bead 68 between
protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 of tube 54 may
serve as a guide for cutting machine 70 to inhibit rotation of the
tube and to ensure that the tube is properly oriented relative to a
cutter or cutters of the cutting machine. Bead 68 may also inhibit
tearing or separation of formed protective guard 20 at an interface
between protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48.
[0058] Cutting machine 70 may form an intermediary protective guard
that may be further trimmed to a desired shape, or the cutting
machine may produce formed protective guard 20. FIG. 11 shows an
embodiment of protective guard 20 after the guard has passed
through cutting machine 70. Cutting machine 70 may produce an
embodiment of protective guard 20 that has a symmetrical shape
about axis 72. Other cutting machines 70 may produce protective
guards 20 that do not have symmetrical shapes, such as the
embodiment of protective guard 20 shown in FIG. 2. In the
protective guard embodiment shown in FIG. 11, angle B between
bottom 40 of protective guard 20 and end 76 of the protective guard
may range between 160.degree. to about 90.degree.. In other
embodiments, angle B may be between about 120.degree. and
140.degree., or about 135.degree.. B
[0059] Notches 80 may be cut out of bottom portion 40 using cutting
machine 70 or a separate cutting tool (e.g., punch and die). Bead
68 may be used as a guide for cutting notches 80.
[0060] Materials with different properties may be chosen to form
protective and less protective portions 46, 48 of protective guard
20. Table 1 shows some properties for materials that may be used to
form protective guard 20. The penetration load is the maximum load
that the material resists before being penetrated by a needle of
the indicated gauge. Two representative needle sizes were used in
the puncture/penetration tests: a thick needle size (20 gauge) and
a thin needle size (27 gauge). The first material in Table 1 is a
double layer of latex gloves, included as a reference for puncture
resistant properties of other materials.
[0061] Materials for protective guard 20 may be chosen based in
part upon resistance to puncture and flexibility. The material for
protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 of protective
guard 20 may be chosen so that the material has a penetration
resistance to a 20 gauge needle that is greater than about 1.0 N
and a penetration resistance to a 27 gauge needle greater than
about 0.4 N. Less or greater puncture resistance limits may be
chosen for the protective and less protective portions 46, 48 of
protective guard 20. For example, the material for protective
portion 46 may be chosen so that the material has a penetration
resistance to a 20 gauge needle greater than about 2.0 N and a
penetration resistance to a 27 gauge needle greater than about 1.3
N. Protective portion 46 and less protective portion 48 may be made
of material that ranges in Shore A durometer hardness from about 45
to about 110.
1TABLE 1 Material 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shore A duromet- double layer of 65
85 85 90 90 er Hardness latex gloves) Thickness (mm) 0.20 0.75 0.50
0.80 0.53 0.80 Bending load at NA 0.033 0.035 0.148 0.094 0.299
45.degree. (N) Penetration load 0.17 1.51 2.44 6.84 3.6 8.8 for 20
gauge needle (N) Penetration load 0.14 0.59 1.56 2.64 2.06 3.75 for
27 gauge needle (N) Ratio of penetra- NA 46 70 46 38 29 tion load
to bend- ing load for 20 gauge needle Ratio of penetra- NA 17 45 18
22 13 tion load to bend- ing load for 27 gauge needle
[0062] Thicknesses of materials for protective guard 20 may be
chosen so that the protective guard has desired penetration and
flexibility properties. A thickness of protective portion 46 of
protective guard 20 may be less than, equal to, or greater than a
thickness of less protective portion 48. For example, FIG. 3 shows
an end view of an embodiment of protective guard 20 that has
thinner protective portion 46 and thicker less protective portion
48. Less protective portion 48 may be formed of 90 Shore A
durometer/0.80 mm polyvinyl chloride elastomer, and protective
portion 46 may be formed of 85 Shore A durometer/0.50 mm polyvinyl
chloride elastomer. FIG. 4 shows an end view of an embodiment of
protective guard 20 that has thicker protective portion 46 and
thinner less protective portion 48. Less protective portion 48 may
be formed of 85 Shore A durometer/0.50 mm polyvinyl chloride
elastomer, and protective portion 46 may be formed of 65 Shore A
durometer/0.75 mm polyvinyl choride elastomer. The values in the
last two rows of Table 1 indicate the ratio of maximum penetration
load to bending load for 20 gauge and 27 gauge needles,
respectively. These ratios may identify the degree to which
flexibility is compromised for increased penetration resistance in
protective guard 20. For example, large ratios such as 70 (20 gauge
needle) and 45 (27 gauge needle) for 85 Shore A durometer/0.50 mm
thick material identify a material that may provide increased
protection with minimal compromise in flexibility. Small ratios
such as 29 (20 gauge needle) and 13 (27 gauge needle) for 90 Shore
A durometer/0.80 mm thick material identify a material that may
provide increased protection but may also be stiff or relatively
inflexible. Materials that are protective as well as flexible allow
protective guard 20 to provide increased penetration resistance and
conform to user's finger 22 or thumb 26 during use, even when the
user bends or flexes the finger or thumb.
[0063] In an embodiment, protective portion 46 of protective guard
20 may be made of 85 Shore A durometer/0.50 mm thick material, and
less protective portion 48 of the guard may be made of 65
durometer/0.75 mm thick material. The color of protective portion
46 may be green. Less protective portion 48 may be a transparent or
semi-transparent color that is distinctly different than the color
of protective portion 46. Because the thickness of protective
portion 46 is less than the thickness of less protective portion
48, the difference in color between the two portions may indicate
to a user of protective guard 20 that the protective portion is
actually the thin portion of the protective guard. Protective
portion 46 may provide over 14 times the protection of doubled
latex gloves to puncture from 20 gauge needles and over 11 times
the protection of doubled latex gloves to puncture from 27 gauge
needles. Less protective portion 48 may provide over 8 times the
protection of doubled latex gloves to puncture from 20 gauge
needles and over 4 times the protection of doubled latex gloves to
puncture from 27 gauge needles.
[0064] In another embodiment, protective portion 46 and less
protective portion 48 may be each be formed of 70 Shore A durometer
polyvinyl chloride elastomer that is 0.75 mm thick. Protective
portion 46 and less protective portion 48 may provide over 8 times
the protection of doubled latex gloves 52 to puncture from 20 gauge
needles and over 4 times the protection of doubled latex gloves to
puncture from 27 gauge needles. Using a relatively soft material
for the protective portion may increase the flexibility of the
guard and allow the guard to better adapt to bending of the
digit.
[0065] The values shown in Table 1 are illustrative of several
materials that may be used to form protective guards 20 that
inhibit or prevent skin penetration during medical procedures by
percutaneous injury-causing devices. Other materials may be chosen
based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to,
comfort, elasticity, allergenic properties of the material, and
penetration/puncture resistance of the material. An advantage of a
protective guard may be that the protective guard has a layer or
layers of additional protective material.
[0066] In an embodiment, the materials used to form protective
guard 20 may have a flexibility that allows an end of the
protective guard that is placed adjacent to medial joint 28 to have
a substantially cylindrical shape without undercut portions. In
other words, angle B (shown in FIG. 11) for an end of protective
guard 20 may be about 9020 . The substantially cylindrical shape
may obviate the need to shape the end of protective guard 20 to
provide a user the ability to bend a finger at medial joint 28.
FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of protective guard 20 in which the
protective guard is made of materials that allow the protective
guard to remain substantially flexible. In this embodiment, an end
of the guard does not need to include an undercut portion to allow
a user to flex a protected finger.
[0067] In an embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a material or materials
used to form a protective portion of protective guard 20 may be
sufficiently flexible and sufficiently penetration resistant that
the entire protective guard may be formed only of the material or
materials of the protective portion. Notches 80 may be formed in a
portion of the body to increase the flexibility of protective guard
20. Notches 80 may facilitate flexing of protective guard 20 when
the finger or thumb of the user is bent. In an embodiment,
protective guard 20 may be of single piece construction, with a
thicker protective portion and a thinner retentive portion. For
example, the thicker protective portion may be about 0.5 mm thick,
while the thinner retentive portion may be about 0.25 mm thick.
[0068] Protective guard 20 may be placed on finger 22 or thumb 26
immediately adjacent to skin. Alternatively, protective guard 20
may be placed over surgical glove 52 or other covering surrounding
a user's skin. A user may pull protective guard 20 on finger 22 or
thumb 26. Protective guard 20 may provide protection against
penetration or opening of the medical practitioner's skin during a
medical procedure, yet the protective guard may still allow the
user the ability to flex and bend a protected digit. During the
medical procedure, protective guard 20 may be rotated on the digit
to protect a desired portion of the digit. Alternatively, initial
placement of protective guard 20 may be chosen such that protective
portion 46 protects a dorsal portion, a ventral portion, or another
portion of the digit. A difference in color between protective
portion 46 and less protective portion 48 may allow a user to know
where the protective portion of protective guard 20 is located
during the medical procedure.
[0069] Protective guard 20 may be placed on finger 22 or fingers of
hand 24 of a user. Protective guard 20 may also be placed on thumb
26 of a user. Typically, the protective guards are placed on
selected digits of a non-dominant hand of the user, although
protective guards may also be placed on a user's dominant hand.
Protective guards 20 may protect the user against inadvertent skin
penetrations from sharps during a medical procedure while still
allowing the user to retain tactile sensations from finger 22 or
thumb 26. For example, during utilization of a mechanically
engineered syringe there is a window of time, before insertion and
after withdrawal, when the needle tip is exposed. During this time,
a healthcare worker may receive an injury to a finger or thumb of
the non-dominant hand while retracting, isolating, or stabilizing
the needle tip. As an example of use, protective guards 20
positioned on a user's non-dominant hand may inhibit inadvertent
skin penetration from needles held and positioned with the user's
dominant hand during a procedure. As another example of use,
protective guards 20 positioned on a user's non-dominant hand may
inhibit inadvertent skin penetration from a dental scaler if the
user's protected finger inadvertently slips from contact with a
patient's tooth or gum while the user is removing buildup from a
tooth with the dental scaler.
[0070] Protective guard 20 may be formed using an extrusion
process. In an embodiment, a polyvinyl chloride material that forms
protective portion 46 of protective guard 20 and a polyvinyl
chloride material that forms less protective portion 48 are
simultaneously extruded to form the protective guard. The similar
properties of the materials may allow portions 46, 48 of protective
guard 20 to bond together during the extrusion process. In
alternative embodiments, protective portion 46 is formed separately
from less protective portion 48, and the two portions are
subsequently bonded together. Portions 46, 48 may be bonded
together by methods including, but not limited to, heat welding,
sonic welding, solvent welding, or gluing. After protective portion
46 and less protective portion 48 are bonded together, the
resulting material may be cut and shaped to form individual
protective guards 20. An undercut may be formed at an end of
protective guard 20 to allow a portion of pad 44 of user's finger
22 or thumb 26 to remain uncovered by the protective guard when the
guard is placed on the finger or thumb. An undercut may be formed
at an opposite end of protective guard 20 to allow the user to bend
medial finger joint 28. Other processes may also be used to produce
protective guards 20 including, but not limited to, injection
molding and reaction injection molding.
[0071] In this patent, certain U.S. patents, U.S. patent
applications, and/or other materials (e.g., articles) have been
incorporated by reference. The text of such U.S. patents, U.S.
patent applications, and other materials is, however, only
incorporated by reference to the extent that no conflict exists
between such text and the other statements and drawings set forth
herein. In the event of such conflict, then any such conflicting
text in such incorporated by reference U.S. patents, U.S. patent
applications, and other materials is specifically not incorporated
by reference in this patent.
[0072] Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various
aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the
art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is
to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of
teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying
out the invention. Elements and materials may be substituted for
those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be
reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized
independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art
after having the benefit of this description of the invention.
Changes may be made in the elements described herein without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described
in the following claims.
* * * * *