Patented (US 11, 457, 988) UV Wall/Stand Mounted Nitrile Glove Dispensing System
My name is John Anderson, from a town near Houston, Texas. I worked for a major local hospital in the procurement and supply chain department, who saw a problem and created a solution for that problem.
While watching TV one evening in March of 2020 I noticed time and time again medical professionals walking up to a box of gloves, touching the box, pulling out a pair of gloves then struggle to pull them onto their hands. Then the next person, and the next walked up and did the same, repeatedly. I asked myself, why are they doing this? We are being told not to touch anything. To wipe down every surface we touch. I thought there had to be a better way for professionals to easily, safely, and a much faster way to do this task. I researched the USPTO and didn’t see any available solutions.
Problem: Doctors, nurses, ER physicians, EMT, all healthcare workers, and others touching a cardboard box or acrylic container where the gloves are housed before pulling out a pair to put onto their hands. Thus, contaminating the surface with their own germs and viruses before the next person touched the container.
Solution: A device, wall or stand mounted that allows the wearer to simply walk up to the unit, insert their hands into the gloves, and with a gentle pushing down motion, release the glove from the unit. The units UV light source would bath the approaching hands and gloves in germ and virus killing light before the hand is inserted into the glove.
Grandview Research.com estimates that the global disposable glove market was at 6.71 billion dollars in 2019. It’s expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 11.2% from 2020 to 2027. This was projected before the pandemic. During the COVID19 pandemic, PPE costs increased 1000% per McKnight.com.
With this knowledge of the problem, I developed a prototype, tested it, and submitted my idea to patent. I was recently granted this patent in October 2022 for the ingenious way that allows medical professionals and others to don nitrile gloves quickly and safely. This wall or stand mounted unit allows the professional to simply walk up to the wall or stand mounted glove dispenser unit with UV light and simply slide their hands into the awaiting gloves.
This unique wall or stand mounted unit will help keep our healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, ER physicians, lab technicians, clinics, Dentist offices, anyone who must wear nitrile gloves, safe and protected. Could be used in a non-medical setting as well. Restaurants/food prep areas, clean rooms, IT areas, Bio-Tech Labs, Petro-Chemical Labs, Environmental Services, just to name a few.
Wearing of gloves for protection has been a standard operating procedure in our healthcare institutions for some time. Any device that provides that extra layer of protection to ensure that we help stop the transmission of germs and viruses, especially the dreaded COVID-19 virus that killed thousands is only beneficial to the end user. This specially designed unit provides that extra layer of defense with the patented UV light built into the unit. The light bathes the gloves and hands in UV, germ and virus killing, light prior to hand insertion into the glove.
The unit allows any user to simply walk up to the unit, insert their hands, one at a time, into the awaiting glove. After the hand is inserted into the gloves, the user then simply pushes downward gently, thus releasing the gloves from the unit.
Optional component: Additionally, the added UVC light source mounted on the unit will provide added protection from germs and viruses. The UVC light source, activated and deactivated by a motion sensor upon approach on the unit, is positioned above the gloves ensuring the gloves and hand are disinfected by the UVC light prior to the user inserting their hands. The UVC light source emit wavelengths (100 nm to 280 nm UVC – useful for disinfection, thus killing any surrounding germs and viruses in the air. Note-far-UVC light (207 to 222 nm) has been shown to be as efficient as conventional germicidal UV light in killing microorganisms. These wavelengths do not cause the human health issues associated with direct exposure to conventional germicidal UV light. In short, the reason is that far-UVC light has a range in biological materials of less than a few micrometers, and thus it cannot reach living human cells in the skin or eyes, being absorbed in the skin stratum corneum or the ocular tear layer. Note: as noted in Far-UVC light (222 nm) efficiently and safely inactivates airborne human coronaviruses https://rdcu.be/c6y6z
An important point to bring to your attention, there is nothing like this on the market today. This unit should become the industry standard moving forward.
Benefits of this device are immeasurable in this day of COVID19. This device will accomplish the following:
· Allows a much safer, much faster (especially in an ER setting), and more hygienic way for all medical staff, and others to don protective nitrile gloves.
· The device will also help reduce HAI (Hospital Acquired Infections), which accounts for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year, per the CDC.
· With a UV light source, the unit will increase the reduction of germs and viruses spreading in nursing homes, clinics, labs, ERs, dentists’ offices; anyplace where reducing contamination, and wearing gloves are essential.
I am looking to share further details regarding this groundbreaking device. My objective is to secure a license agreement, a medical device manufacturing company, or glove manufacturer to partner with to develop this product further.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,