FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to protective gloves such as the type worn by health care professionals when examining or operating upon patients, and more particularly, to gloves incorporating an illuminator for projecting light toward the work surface being examined or operated upon.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART For workers working in various fields requiring close work such as in health care, electronics parts assembly, etc.; illumination of the work area is a considerable problem. For example, when examining or operating upon an anatomical part of a patient, physicians, dentists and veterinarians will usually have available to them several different forms of lighting for illuminating their field of examination or operation. These include natural light entering the room through windows, overhead general room lighting, and directable high intensity lamps in fairly close proximity to the patient. Often times, circumstances will require that these various sources of illumination be supplemented by a spotlighting type of illumination more specifically focused toward the particular body part being examined or operated upon.

One approach for providing such spotlighting has been to incorporate illumination devices in combination with the worker's tools and instruments. In conventionally available instruments, light is transmitted through a bore of the instrument itself or its handle, and projected toward the work surface through a distal tip of the instrument or distal ports in the handle. The light source may be, for example, a battery-powered lamp either housed entirely within the bore of the instrument or handle or detachably connected thereto. Alternatively, an optical fibre cable may be used for transmitting light to the bore of the instrument from a light source remote from the instrument.

The devices presently available have certain inherent limitations.

The relatively small size of the light output ports and their close proximity to the work surface, limit the work surface area that can be effectively illuminated by the projected light beam and permit little variance in the angle of projection of the light beam.

Furthermore, because these devices rely upon the instrument or its handle being of hollow construction, this approach lacks universal applicability for use with all types of close work tools.

In addition, these devices lack in providing any way for the work area to be projected onto a display screen and/or for the work progress to be recorded onto tape or other permanent medium. Therefore, previous devices have not addressed the terminal housing for reusable fibre optic systems including laser and video.

In addition, these devices include crude and unsafe means to affix the terminal lens of a fibre optic bundle structure to the glove.

In some available devices, the light is not attached to the finger and not as manoeuvrable. The light is attached to an instrument and sometimes one does not want another instrument in the surgical wound just for a lighting function. As already mentioned, there is typically no ability to incorporate video or laser. In some other devices, these light housings are on the finger of the wearer/ user of the device. This feature is obstructive because the light housings can get caught on delicate tissues tearing or damaging them. These applications do not provide a secure housing for attaching laser or video fibre optic cables which when reduced to practice were insecure and loose. The devices of prior patents and applications have not incorporated devices which need to be "at the user's fingertip" as much as does the present illumination means.

Accordingly, there remains a need for an illumination device which will allow the illumination of close-up work and which projects the work area onto a display screen which can also provide a record of the work progress - all while fitting seamlessly atop a glove to avoid damage to or contamination of the work environment. There is a further need for an illumination device for illuminating and displaying close-up work, and for providing other secure housing for reusable fibre optic systems such as video and laser. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment, the invention discloses a glove optic assembly. The assembly comprises a streamlined fingernail shaped housing comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a volar concave lower surface and a convex dorsal surface and a fibre optic bundle fixed with the housing, wherein the bundle emits light that is passed through the distal end. The distal end acts as a lens and is attached to the glove and placed over fingernail of a wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPNAYING FIGURES The embodiments of the invention, together with its advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which

Figurei illustrates a frontal view of a fingernail lens and a glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates an overhead view of the fingernail lens and the glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the complete circuit with a light source, fibre optic cable and the glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged top view of a single fingernail lens showing the fibre optic elements of a fibre optic bundle conducting through the housing according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates an enlarged side view of fibre optic bundle in conjunction with the housing of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 illustrates different perspectives of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 illustrates an enlarged side view of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 illustrates an enlarged front view of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 illustrates an enlarged side view of a reusable fibre optic network and the fingernail lens according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 10 illustrates an enlarged side view of the reusable fibre optic network engaged within the housing according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 1 1 illustrates an enlarged top view of the housing showing an internal tunnel with female ring structure according to another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 12 illustrates an enlarged assembly of the fibre optic network and the housing according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a glove optic assembly that projects a light beam distally of a fingernail lens in various patterns and configurations, as might be desired by a user/ wearer. The assembly comprises a streamlined fingernail shaped housing comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a volar concave lower surface and a convex dorsal surface and a fibre optic bundle fixed with the housing, wherein the bundle emits light that is passed through the distal end. The distal end acts as a lens and is attached to the glove and placed over fingernail of a wearer.

The proximal end and the distal end are defined by the proximity of the ends from the start of fingernail of the user. Therefore, distal end is farther than the start of the fingernail lens and is closer to the finger tip, whereas the proximal end is closer to the start of the fingernail lens. The concave volar refers to the surface which is concave shaped and closer to the surface of fingernail, whereas convex dorsal surface refers to the surface, which is convex in shape and farther away from the surface of the fingernail. It would be appreciated by the skilled person that the fibre optic bundle may further include a connector through which the light passes before the light is passed to the distal end. Similarly, in an embodiment, the housing is sloping from the proximal end down towards the distal end.

In one embodiment of the invention, the fingernail shaped housing is used for only emitting light. In another embodiment, the fingernail shaped housing is used as a structural base for using disposable or reusable fibre optic networks such as video and/ or laser to monitor activities at the work area and also to emit light. In such situations, the fingernail shaped housing is moulded around the distal end of a fibre optic element responsible for conducting video or laser.

In the first embodiment of the invention, the fingernail housing is in the shape of a fingernail and has the distal fingernail lens. The lens preferably being integrally manufactured with injection moulding of a clear or translucent solid plastic or glass, which acts as the lens at the end of a fibre optic bundle so that light emitted from the fibre optic bundle is directed distally through the fingernail lens. The fibre optic bundle transverses the glove on which it is attached via an attachment means preferably a tube of latex manufactured into the glove, thereby securely fixed with the glove and housing. However, in another embodiment, the fibre optic bundle and the attachment means may be a separate unit, hence are detachably fixed with the glove and housing. The fibre optic bundle is only as long as the glove, that is from fingers portion of the glove to the wrist and the fibre optic bundle is fed into a tube, of material such as latex, at the finger end of the tube toward the wrist. At the tip of the fingers portion of the glove, the fingernail lens is glued into place. At the wrist, the fibre optic bundle is attached to a connector. At the connector is attached a reusable fibre optic cable. The fibre optic cable then connects to a remote light source and conducts light from the remote light source behind or off the person of the surgeon or mechanic towards the fingernail lens. In operation, the light source emits light into and through fibre optic cable to the connector on the wrist. The fibre optic bundle then conducts the light to the terminal fingernail lens which would emit light onto the working surface through the lens, the lens being directable and controllable by simple finger movements. The fibre optic bundle includes fibre optic connection from the wrist portion of the glove to the housing. The fibre optic connection is a cable, which is thin and flexible over the back-of-the-glove portion and the hand-knuckle region of the glove, that is, over metacarpal portion of the glove. The fibre optic bundle is designed to allow for reduction of flexion stiffness and fibre tension, especially when the fingers are flexed or when the wrist is moved. The glove according to the invention has the appearance similar to a convention glove, when the illumination feature is not in use. In use, it has the feeling, flexibility and endurance of conventional gloves.

The fingernail shaped housing is constructed of solid moulded optic material. However, other materials may also be used by the skilled person and any material, which serves the object of the invention, is within the scope of this invention. For example, in another embodiment of the invention, the housing is made of an opaque plastic material and with the general shape of a fingernail. The housing and the lens is built with interacting holes defining a tunnel in the housing. The holes accept a male piece of a fibre optic network for integrating video and/ or laser feature in the glove assembly. The hole in the lens is preferably at the middle of the fingernail lens. In an embodiment, the fingernail shaped housing includes a ring-female mechanism inside the tunnel and the fibre optic network male piece, which includes a ring-male made of a material such as a soft plastic material to fit into the ring-female mechanism with a snap mechanism or glue. Other locking mechanisms, such as friction-based locking, or ball-latch mechanisms may also be employed. The fibre optic network is a long continuous piece of video and/ or laser fibre optic, which is uninterrupted from the transducer to the fingernail lens and may or may not have a connection at the wrist. The fibre optic network is contained on the glove and conducted through the glove with a hollow piece of latex which goes from the wrist to the tip of any one of the five fingers. The additional no wrist connector fibre optic is, at surgery time, manually pushed through the glove attachment means preferably with a latex tube conducting the fibre optic network across the glove and conducts it to the fingernail lens which securely snaps into place, by any number of locking mechanisms as mentioned above, in the fingernail lens. The fibre optic network for video and/ or laser is then attached to an appropriate transducer off the person of the surgeon or mechanic, without a wrist connection. However, in other embodiments, wrist connection may be provided. The fibre optic networks, which are attached to the glove by means of having the fibre optic network preferably contained in a hollow tube atop the latex or other material glove, are bound at the wrist and elbow to the wearer with a means such as a clipping means or a strapping means. Such means may include hook-and-loop fasteners, male- female clicking means, glue based strapping means, etc.

The assembly of the present invention is being utilized in a surgical environment, but also may with mechanical applications, a gown or jumpsuit with wrist-length sleeves will normally be worn over the body of the user. The illumination glove could be used without a gown or jumpsuit for certain applications. Such surgical-type gowns or jumpsuits are of standard construction well-known in the art, and in another embodiment, may also be conveniently modified so as to be particularly suitable for use in conjunction with the fibre optics assembly of the invention employing an optical fibre cable leading from the remote light source. The modification involves providing the gown or jumpsuit with an attached casing through which the optical fibre cable may be suitably threaded. The casing extends along the sleeve of the gown or jumpsuit from a point adjacent to the wrist end of the sleeve, up the sleeve, over the shoulder and down the back of the gown or jumpsuit, and is secured to the gown or jumpsuit along its entire length by suitable fastening means, such as stitching or adhesive. The use of such a casing-modified surgical-type gown or jumpsuit in conjunction with the fibre optics embodiment of the assembly of the present invention enables an optical fibre cable to be suitably threaded through the casing of the gown or jumpsuit so that it exits from the casing at its proximal end along the back of the gown or jumpsuit and at its distal end adjacent to its coupling location with the connector. This type of arrangement facilitates the coupling action while maintaining a sterile field, and also facilitates keeping the optical fibre cable out of the way of the surgeon or worker while working with the glove and illuminator assembly.

In an embodiment of the invention, the glove is adapted to include more than one separate function. In such situations, separate fingers of the glove may be used for distinct functions, for example one finger of the glove for a lighting function and a second finger of the glove for endoscopic or laser function. In an embodiment, the housing may be integrated with reusable fibre optic network having recording means, such as video or other means, such as laser. The fingernail mounted housing safely conveys these fibre optic networks to the working surface and fingernail shaped housing provide desirable biomechanics.

The glove assembly of the invention is useful in a wide variety of close work, such as in surgical operations and other close-in medical work and in the assembly and repair of mechanical or electronic components. In addition, the disclosed glove assembly of the invention is convenient and easy to use.

The glove further comprises an interior hand chamber on the inner side of the glove, a distal fingers portion proximate to the distal half of the fingers, an intermediate metacarpal portion on the outer side of the glove, and a proximal wrist portion; texture may be placed into the finger surface of the glove. The fingernail shaped housing is proximate to or at the distal fingers portion of the glove. The streamlined housing fits atop the distal finger portion near a fingernail of a user and is sized similar to the fingernail of the user. This avoids the housing getting caught on delicate tissues tearing or damaging. Furthermore, the housing may also be flattened at the dorsal surface with a curved thin distal surface.

In different embodiments of the invention, the fibre optic bundle is configured to generate either a dispersive or focussed light of a fixed intensity or varying intensities.

During operation, a remote light source emits light and a reusable fibre optic cable extending from the light source to the housing conducts the light from the light source through the fibre optic cable to the housing. The fibre optic cable is worn over an arm of the user and held in place by a strapping means or clipping means.

In an embodiment of the invention, the fibre optic bundle comprises splayed fibre optic elements across the proximal end of the housing. In an embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a plurality of housings and each of the plurality of housings houses each of the splayed fibre optic elements. In one embodiment of the invention, the fingernail shaped housing may further comprise an anterior chamber, which receives the splayed fibre optic elements. In various embodiments of the invention, the anterior chamber is vacuous or filled with a liquid optical material or a solid optical material.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the glove comprises a plurality of fingers and at least one of the plurality of fingers includes a gripping area selected from a textured gripping area, vacuum gripping area and a combination thereof. The gripping area, thus, allows better grip over objects such as liver, which are difficult to grip.

In another embodiment of the invention, the fingernail shaped housing includes a plurality of holes defining a tunnel. The assembly further includes a fibre optic network having a ring structure and a male portion that protrudes through a female counterpart shaped like a fingernail defined by the tunnel, such that a monitoring means is provided at an end of the male portion. The housing further includes a ring-female mechanism inside the tunnel interacting and fitting with the ring-structure and male portion of the fibre optic network with a locking mechanism such as a snap mechanism, friction-based locking, and ball-latch mechanism or glue.

In different embodiments of the invention, the monitoring means, such as a video camera, is adapted to monitor a work area and display the monitored data on a display means, where the display data is displayed as display data or send the monitored data to a recording means, where the monitored data is saved as a record data.

Description with reference to the Figures Referring now to figures, Figurei illustrates a frontal view of a fingernail lens and a glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. The fingernail lens type 1 , which forms part of a housing (also indicated by 1 ) is shown atop a glove 2. The glove 2 is shown being worn over the hand of a surgeon or worker and pointing directly toward the observer. In the figure, the fingernail lens type 1 is mounted on the index finger 5 and the thumb is demonstrated by 4. However, in other embodiments, the fingernail lens may be mounted on any other finger, as desired by the user. There is a latex tube 3 constructed onto the glove 2 containing the fibre optic material 6 with the light 7 shining toward the viewer.

The present invention is designed to fit atop a glove 2, such as a surgical- type or worker's glove of standard construction, well known in the art, and is formed of a of a resilient material, which is selected from latex, cotton, plastic, leather, neoprene and other materials and a combination thereof suitable for the job at hand. The glove further comprises an interior hand chamber on the inner side of the glove, a distal fingers portion proximate to the distal half of the fingers, an intermediate metacarpal portion on the outer side of the glove, and a proximal wrist portion. A fingernail lens housing 1 , having a fingernail-shaped housing 1 terminating by distally facing light output, is securely mounted with glue on the glove 2, and oriented to project a light beam distally off the glove 2 toward the anatomical part or work surface being operated upon.

In order to ensure against accidental disengagement of the fingernail lens 1 from the glove 2, the housing 1 is mounted on the glove 2 in a firm fashion. The housing 1 is extremely streamlined, fitting atop the glove 2 near the users fingernail (not shown), and in fact, sized similar to a user's fingernail. Thus, it is unlikely that the housing 1 will engage or catch on any surface in the work environment.

Figure 2 illustrates an overhead view of the fingernail lens and the glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. The housing 1 is atop the index finger 5. The housing 1 is affixed to the glove 2 and the fibre optic bundle 6 conducts light to the housing 1 and emits light distally 7. The fibre optic 6 is contained in a tube of latex, or other suitable material, 3. The feature 8 is the splaying of fibre optic material across the housing 1 (refer Figure 4).

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the complete circuit with a light source, fibre optic cable and the glove assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. The glove assembly, in this Figure is worn by a surgeon. It would be appreciated by the skilled person that in other embodiments, other users such as one working in electronic industry may also use a similar set up. The light source 14 emits light and conducts that light in a reusable fibre optic cable 12 to the glove 2 where there is a connector 9 attaching to the fibre optic bundle 6 in the glove 2. The reusable fibre optic cable 12 is worn, in this case, over a surgical gown 15 and held in place by a strapping means such as a wrist strap 10 and a strap near the elbow 1 1.

Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged top view of a single fingernail lens showing the fibre optic elements of a fibre optic bundle conducting through the housing according to an embodiment of the invention. The fingernail lens type 1 is shown, where the fibre optic bundle 6 is conducted through the fingernail housing 1 and is splayed into fibre optic elements across the proximal end of the housing 1 (refer Figures 5 and 8) and into an anterior chamber 19 of the housing (refer Figure 7).

Figure 5 illustrates an enlarged side view of fibre optic bundle in conjunction with the housing of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention. The bundle 6 comprises the splayed fibre optic element 8 and also the part of the fibre optic, which is fixed to the glove, i.e. from the housing to the proximate wrist portion of the glove. The fibre optic bundle 6 enters the fingernail lens 1 and is fixed in the housing 21 , and there is a splay 8, which enters into the anterior chamber 19.

Figure 6 illustrates different perspectives of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention with bottom left curved line representing the front view, bottom right representing the side view and top representing the top view of the housing having the fingernail lens.

Figure 7 illustrates an enlarged side view of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention. The fibre optic bundle 6 is splayed 8 across the proximal end of the housing. The convex dorsal portion 18 of the housing holds a clear plastic piece 17 and the anterior chamber 19, which is either vacuous or filled with optic material, liquid or solid. The housing also comprises a convex dorsal surface 16. In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing has an alternative shape that is a solid clear or translucent material around the fibre optic elements 8. In an alternate embodiment, an another approach for preventing undesirable frictional interference between the housing and bodily tissue and or the work environment, the housing as shown in Figure 7 is flattened at its dorsal surface with a curved thin dorsal surface 16, the fingernail lens type 1 has an elevated portion 21 (refer Figure 8) at its proximal end which decreases in slope of curvature as it nears the distal end of the fingernail lens type. The distal end of the fingernail lens type 1 , in this embodiment, is extremely thin; although the dorsal surface 16 remains convex, and the volar surface 20 (refer Figure 8) remains concave. As in, the other embodiment, the optic fibres 6, may be directed to focus light in different dispersal patterns and, thus, with a fixed intensity or varied intensities depending upon their positioning. It is contemplated that several housings might be injection moulded such that each housing 1 has a different arrangement of optic fibres 6 to direct light in various directions, at different intensities.

Figure 8 illustrates an enlarged front view of the fingernail lens of Figure 4 according to an embodiment of the invention. It shows an elevated portion 21 containing the tips of the optic fibres 6 only, if desired, as opposed to a dispersal of optic fibres 6 throughout the housing 21. Thus, the tips 6 of the optic fibres 6 may be easily directed in a forward direction, pointing distally. The concave volar surface 20 of the fingernail lens is in contact with the glove 2 and located directly over the fingernail of the wearer (non shown).

It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that various light sources such as halogen lights and other light sources may be used. These include optical fibres 6 embedded within the glove 2 extending to a coupler/ connector 9 and/or directly to a light source 14 (refer Figure 3).

Figure 9 illustrates an enlarged side view of a reusable fibre optic network and the fingernail lens according to another embodiment of the invention. It shows a two-piece representation of a reusable or disposable fibre optic network 22 that is either video and/or laser in proximity to the glove. A plurality of holes 24 and 25 defining a tunnel from hole 24 through 25 in the fingernail housing 28 are provided and the fibre optic network 22 is inserted using a soft plastic ring 23 around the fibre optic network 22 and protrudes through the housing through a distal hole 25 continuous with the dorsal surface.

In different embodiments of the invention, the fibre optic network may be integrated with monitoring means, such as a video camera, which is adapted to monitor a work area and display the monitored data on a display means, where the display data is displayed as display data or send the monitored data to a recording means, where the monitored data is saved as a record data.

Figure 10 illustrates an enlarged side view of the reusable fibre optic network engaged within the housing according to another embodiment of the invention. It shows the fibre optic network 22 engaged with the fingernail lens and protrusion 26 through the dorsal hole 25.

Figure 1 1 illustrates an enlarged top view of the housing showing an internal tunnel with female ring structure according to another embodiment of the invention. This figure shows an overhead view of the housing 28, which demonstrates the fibre optic network ring 23 around the network 22. The ring is designed to hold the fibre optic network 22 securely within the fingernail housing 28. The interior of the fingernail lens 28 is a female section or ring 27 which holds securely to the male ring 23 around the fibre optic bundle 22.

Figure 12 illustrates an enlarged assembly of the fibre optic network and the housing according to another embodiment of the invention. The fingernail lens type, as defined by the housing 28 is firmly affixed to the glove 2 worn over the index finger 5 with the video and/ or laser reusable fibre optic network protruding 26 from the fingernail lens 28.

While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. This invention may be embodied in many different forms, for example texture treatment for fingertips, and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure, the drawings and the claims.

It should be understood that it is within the scope of this invention to cover the base claim (i.e., claim 1 ) plus one or more of the various optional limitations added in the dependent claims, which either directly or indirectly depend from claim 1.

The glove optic assembly of the invention is safer illumination means securely mounted on or in close proximity to a fingernail of a glove. The term "safer" is used to indicate that the present invention fits atop the fingernail of a glove so that it does not catch on or rupture any object in the work environment. In other words, the illumination means is almost unnoticeable when mounted atop the glove in this manner. In addition, in one embodiment, the fibre optic bundle, system, network, cable or material may be moulded into the fingernail lens as one unit.