A surgeon who is developing a set of medical gloves to reduce the pain and potential danger associated with needle punctures has received follow-on funding from the New Jersey Health Foundation, according to a statement from the foundation. The glove is intended to mitigate the risk healthcare workers face of contracting viruses such as Hepatitis C or HIV.
Dr. Tomer Davidov, assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received a $20,000 grant from the New Jersey Health Foundation. It follows another grant he received last year.
The challenge is to design a medical glove that offers enough protection without undermining flexibility or tactile sensation and dexterity. The market for disposable medical gloves is expected to climb to $4 billion by 2017
Dr. Laura Fabris, an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Rutgers School of Engineering, will collaborate with Dr. Davidov on the project. She is adding her experience in nanoparticles.
Dr. Davidov said: “While many types of gloves have been tested, there are none currently on the market that are puncture resistant yet flexible enough to provide surgeons with the dexterity they need during surgical procedures.”
One of the biggest challenges Dr. Davidov faces is distinguishing his glove from the large medical device and medical product companies in the industry. Adding an antimicrobial and anti-puncture component to gloves has been a big trend in healthcare and several companies are active in the space such as Ansell, Cardinal Health, Medline Industries, Top Glove and Supermax.
