Method and means of surgical needle protection

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein there is a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of the sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface area of the glove located at least over the entire palmar side of any other finger.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein there is a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of the sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface area of the glove over that portion of the palm of the hand most likely to be used in a manner to touch into the needle point during the suturing operation.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein said selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of the sharp surgical instrument therethrough in the surface area of the glove located at least over the entire palmar side of the index finger of that hand is provided by a fingercot of latex having a shield therein in the surface area of said fingercot at least over the entire distal palmar portion of the index finger and where the latex glove on that hand is pulled over said fingercot and shield.

Claim 6

A fingercot for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a latex fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to a sharp protrusion, such as a sharp surgical needle, in the surface of said fingercot located to cover at least the entire palmar surface area of the distal phalanx of the finger to which fingercot is applied.

Claim 7

A fingercot for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a latex fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to a sharp protrusion, such as a sharp surgical needle, in the surface of said fingercot located to cover at least the entire palmar surface area of the distal phalanx of the finger to which fingercot is applied.

Claim 8

A fingercot for wearing under the latex gloves for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to a sharp protrusion, such as a sharp surgical needle, in the surface of said fingercot located to cover at least the entire palmar surface area of the distal phalanx of the finger to which fingercot is applied; and (c) said fingercot with said impervious shield being adapted to be applied over at least the index finger under a latex glove of the non-dominant hand of a surgeon performing suturing or cutting.

Claim 9

A fingercot for wearing under the latex gloves for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to a sharp protrusion, such as a sharp surgical needle, in the surface of said fingercot located to cover at least the entire palmar surface area of the distal phalanx of the finger to which fingercot is applied; and (c) said fingercot with said impervious shield being adapted to be applied over at least the index finger under a latex glove of the non-dominant hand of a surgeon performing suturing or cutting.

Claim 10

Fingercots for wearing under the surgical gloves for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a first and second latex fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to sharp protrusion of a surgical needle in the surface of each of said fingercots located to cover at least the entire distal palmar surface area of the finger to which fingercot is applied; and (c) each of said latex fingercots with said impervious shield being adapted to be applied over at least the index finger and adjacent finger under a latex glove of the non-dominant hand of a surgeon performing suturing or cutting.

Claim 11

Fingercots for wearing under the surgical gloves for the non-dominant hand of the surgeon suturing or cutting tissue of an infected patient comprising: (a) a first and second latex fingercot; (b) a shield impervious to sharp protrusion of a surgical needle in the surface of each of said fingercots located to cover at least the entire distal palmar surface area of the finger to which fingercot is applied; and (c) each of said latex fingercots with said impervious shield being adapted to be applied over at least the index finger and adjacent finger under a latex glove of the non-dominant hand of a surgeon performing suturing or cutting.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8 wherein there is a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of a needle therethrough in the surface area of the glove located over the palmar side of the finger adjacent to the index finger of that hand.

Claim 15

The method of claim 9 wherein there is a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of the needle therethrough in the surface area of the glove over that portion of the palm of the hand most likely to be used in a manner to touch into a sharp instrument during the surgical procedure.

Claim 16

The method of claim 8 wherein said selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of the needle therethrough in the surface area of the glove located at least over the palmar side of the index finger of that hand, is provided by a fingercot of latex having a shield therein in the surface area of the fingercot over the distal palmar portion of the index finger and where the latex glove on that hand is pulled over said fingercot and shield.

Claim 19

The method of the claim 12 wherein said selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of sharp surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough is added to the surface of the surgical glove or glove part at least at the distal phalanges of the index finger.

Claim 22

A surgical glove means especially adapted for use in protecting the user when suturing or cutting a patient made by the following method: adding a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to the surface of a surgical glove at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and the surgical glove with a sharp surgical instrument.

Claim 23

A surgical glove means especially adapted for use in protecting the user when suturing or cutting a patient made by the following method: adding a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to the surface of a surgical glove at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and the surgical glove with a sharp surgical instrument.

Claim 24

A surgical glove means especially adapted for use in protecting a user when suturing or cutting a patient comprising: a) a shield impervious to the passage of sharp surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to be included in the surface of said surgical glove means at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and said surgical glove with a sharp surgical instrument; b) wherein the location and number of the selective minimally sized shields impervious to passage of sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface of said surgical glove is determined by a trade off between the surgical glove remaining usable in terms of its effects on the manipulative, feel and dexterity requirements for the user's hands and the need of the user for having protection from penetration by a sharp surgical instrument at particular locations based on the user's own methods of accomplishing surgical tasks as well as the special requirements of selected surgical tasks.

Claim 25

A surgical glove means especially adapted for use in protecting a user when suturing or cutting a patient comprising: a) a shield impervious to the passage of sharp surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to be included in the surface of said surgical glove means at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and said surgical glove with a sharp surgical instrument; b) wherein the location and number of the selective minimally sized shields impervious to passage of sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface of said surgical glove is determined by a trade off between the surgical glove remaining usable in terms of its effects on the manipulative, feel and dexterity requirements for the user's hands and the need of the user for having protection from penetration by a sharp surgical instrument at particular locations based on the user's own methods of accomplishing surgical tasks as well as the special requirements of selected surgical tasks.

Claim 26

A surgeon's hand protection means especially adapted for use in protecting the user when suturing or cutting a patient made by the following method: adding a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to the surface of a surgeon's hand protection means at each specified location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and the surgeon's hand protection with a sharp surgical instrument.

Claim 27

A surgeon's hand protection means especially adapted for use in protecting the user when suturing or cutting a patient made by the following method: adding a selective minimally sized shield impervious to the passage of surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to the surface of a surgeon's hand protection means at each specified location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and the surgeon's hand protection with a sharp surgical instrument.

Claim 28

A surgeon's hand protection means especially adapted for use in protecting a user when suturing or cutting a patient comprising: a) a shield impervious to the passage of sharp surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to be included in the surface of said surgeon's hand protection means at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and said surgeon's hand protection means with a sharp surgical instrument; b) wherein the location and number of the selective minimally sized shields impervious to passage of sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface of said surgeon's hand protection means is determined by a trade off between the surgeon's hand protection means remaining usable in terms of its effects on the manipulative, feel and dexterity requirements for the user's hands and the need of the user for having protection from penetration by a sharp surgical instrument at particular locations based on the user's own methods of accomplishing surgical tasks as well as the special requirements of selected surgical tasks.

Claim 29

A surgeon's hand protection means especially adapted for use in protecting a user when suturing or cutting a patient comprising: a) a shield impervious to the passage of sharp surgical instruments, such as a surgical needle, therethrough to be included in the surface of said surgeon's hand protection means at each specific location where the user would most probably penetrate his own skin and said surgeon's hand protection means with a sharp surgical instrument; b) wherein the location and number of the selective minimally sized shields impervious to passage of sharp surgical instruments therethrough in the surface of said surgeon's hand protection means is determined by a trade off between the surgeon's hand protection means remaining usable in terms of its effects on the manipulative, feel and dexterity requirements for the user's hands and the need of the user for having protection from penetration by a sharp surgical instrument at particular locations based on the user's own methods of accomplishing surgical tasks as well as the special requirements of selected surgical tasks.