Abrasion resistance of medical glove materials.

Due to the increasing demand for nonlatex medical gloves in the health-care community, there is a need to assess the durability of alternative glove materials. This study examines durability characteristics of various glove materials by abrasion resistance testing. Natural rubber latex (latex), polyvinyl chloride (vinyl), acrylonitrile butadiene (nitrile), polychloroprene (neoprene), and a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) were tested.

An in vitro study of the effect of in-folds on the durability of mammary implants.

We hypothesize that the presence of in-folding in a filled mammary shell leads to shortening of the time to failure under tensile fatigue. Specimens, cut from pristine shells, were mounted in S-folded, creased, and unfolded configurations. A characteristic change, occurring in a transmembrane capacitance-proportional alternating current (AC) signal, which was used to monitor working of each specimen, was chosen as a robust marker that preceded frank shell perforation.

Biaxial flex-fatigue and viral penetration of natural rubber latex gloves before and after artificial aging.

Barrier integrity of unaged and oven-aged (at 70 degrees C) natural rubber latex examination gloves was assessed with a biaxial flex-fatigue method where failure was detected electronically, and by live viral penetration testing performed according to a modified version of ASTM F1671-97a. When no change in barrier properties was detected during flex testing, no virus passage was found after viral challenge. Conversely, when a change in the barrier properties was indicated by the electrical signal, virus passage was found in 74% of the specimens.