Dipped rubber article

US4575476A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Howard I. Podell · US

Inventors

• Howard I. Podell · New Rochelle, US
• Albert Goldstein · Tinton Falls, US
• David C. Blackley · Grafton, GB
• Michael James · Port Allen, US
• David M. Bratby · London, GB
• Roger Duck · London, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 28, 1983
• Grant date: Mar 11, 1986
• Expiry date: Nov 28, 2003

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/31931
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A skin-contacting lubricating layer formed from a hydrogel polymer bonded to a rubber article (such as a surgeon's glove) is treated by means of surfactant material (such as a bactericidal cationic surfactant which preferably has a 6-18C alkyl or alkenyl group, such as an N-hexadecyl group) or a long chain fatty amine so as to substantially improve the lubricity of the layer with respect to damp skin. The hydrogel polymer is preferably a copolymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) with methacrylic acid (MAA) or with 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA) or with both MAA and EHA. Such a hydrogel polymer has improved lubricity to dry skin and, if used for this purpose, need not be treated with a surfactant or fatty amine to improve the lubricity with respect to damp skin.