PUNCTURE RESISTANT ARTICLE

Abstract: Protective tape/patch (1) made by adhering to a piece of tape (2) a puncture resistant film (3) material comprised of high strength fibers such as that made from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene which has been subjected to pressure and temperature adequate to cause it to melt and flow to fill up voids in said fabric and render it relatively puncture resistant, or poly(ethylene terephathalate) or polycarbonate.

Description: PUNCTURE RESISTANT ARTICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a protective tape/patch material which is substantially puncture resistant so as to enable the patch to be placed anywhere on the body, particularly in or around the hands to protect that piece of that body from harm by a sharp object such as a needle, etc. Protective gloves, fingers, etc., for surgeons are known. For example, U.S. Patent 4,858,254 to Sullivan et al. discloses an armor glove finger knit from high strength fibers such as polyamide fiber, polyethylene terephthalate fiber, and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibers. U.S. patent 4,864,661 to Gimbel discloses a puncture resistant surgical glove where the puncture resistant patches are adhered to a glove at strategic points to protect a surgeon against injuries due to puncture. However, this sort of glove presents a potential problem in that the protective portions of the glove may not conform to areas in which the surgeon deems himself subject to punctures; or the areas susceptible to puncture may be outside of the area normally covered by the surgeon's glove. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is characterized by a protective patch comprising a thin, puncture resistant flexible patch, whereby the patch can be applied to a vulnerable portion of the hand or body to prevent it from suffering cuts or punctures normally incurred during surgery or other activities wherein the person wearing the patch is susceptible to cuts or punctures in selected portions of the body. In a presently preferred embodiment, the thin, semi-flexible puncture-resistant piece can be fabricated from a poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) or polycarbonate film or sheet or other ilm or sheet made from similar puncture resistant material, or preferably from a composite network of ultrahigh molecular weight solution spun extended chain polyethylene (ECPE) fibers which have been formed under the application of temperature and pressure to a network of such fibers having a tenacity of at least 7 grams per denier and a tensile modulus of at least 500 g/d grams per denier, at a temperature and at a pressure and for a time sufficient to cause adjacent fibers to partially coalesce and adhere and to deform to substantially eliminate the voids in the fabric wherein the pressure and time are sufficient to form a translucent article substantially free of voids and having a puncture resistance of at least 75 lbs./in. as measured by the puncture test specified herein, and preferably a Modulus of Elasticity (HOE) of less than about 12 preferably less than about 6 x 10 5 (PSI) as measured by ASTM Test D-790-86. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a view of a protective patch of the type exemplified by this invention. Fig. 2 is a view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing an edge view of the patch of this invention. Fig. 3 is a round protective patch of this invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic showing of the "Puncture Test" specified in this specification. Fig. 5 is a chart showing comparable flexibilities of the materials of this invention and some prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Fig. 1, the protective patch 1 of this invention is shown as comprising a conventional surgical tape 2 to which is adhered somewhere along the length thereof, preferably in the center, one or more puncture resistant pieces 3. While the protective patch 1 is shown as an elongated article in Fig. 1, it can also be made as a round patch 4 containing a puncture resistant piece 3 as shown in Fig. 3. The piece 3 is adhered to the tape by conventional adhesives, such as the acrylic adhesive or its equivalents normally used on surgical tape. Optionally, the puncture resistant flexible. piece 3 may be used by itself as the puncture resistant patch merely by applying an adhesive to one side thereof and using it without the tape 2. One preferred aspect of this invention is the structure of the puncture resistant piece 3 which may be formed from ECPE fibers ' . This process is described in more detail in Application U.S. Serial No. 358,501 entitled Consolidation of Polyethylene Fibrous Networks, filed on 5/30/89 (PD 82-2060) which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This application discloses that articles can be prepared by applying pressure to a network of ECPE fibers at elevated temperature without substantially impairing the physical properties of the fibers. The process comprises applying pressure to a network of fibers consisting essentially of ECPE fibers having weight average molecular weight at least about 500,000, said fibers having a tenacity at least 7, preferably about 15 to 25 g/denier and tensile modulus at least about 500 g/denier, at a temperature between about 100*C and 160"C, sufficient to cause adjacent fibers to adhere. Preferably, the pressure and time are sufficient to deform the fibers and substantiall eliminate the voids, and more preferably the pressure and time are sufficient to form a translucent film. This process for forming the piece 3 can be described as follows: The fibers, particularly ECPE fibers of the type disclosed in USP 4,413,110; incorporated herein by reference, with a weight average molecular weight of at least 500,000 preferably, a tenacity of at least 7 and a tensile modulus of at least 500 g/d, are formed into a network such as by weaving or its equivalent including tabby weave, basket weave and satin weave; although other more elaborate weaves such a triaxial weaves, or knits or non-wovens may also be used. It is contemplated that either the multifilament yarns used in preparing the fabrics or the fabrics themselves may be heat set or heat shrunk (in the presence of applied pressure) prior to the practice of the present invention. In one present process, pressure is applied to the fibrous network at a temperature between about 100*C and about 160*C, with the pressure and time being sufficient to achieve a film-like article which is substantially free of voids, and especially has a high degree of resistance to puncture. The temperature of the process may vary from about 100*C to about 160*C, with about 110*C to about 155*C being preferred. For some applications, the range of about 140*C to about 155*C is more preferred. It is considered particularly surprising that these higher temperatures.are effective and do not substantially degrade film properties given that the polyethylene used generally has a melting temperature of approximately 138*C (by DSC at 10*C/min) and the fiber a main melting temperature of 144-158*C, depending upon the mode of preparation. In the course of this process, it is important that the melting point be exceeded for a time so that the fibers can be pressed to flow them into a sheet-like substantially impervious material. When these oriented fibers are shrunk under the specified processing conditions they produce a relatively flexible material which is highly resistant to puncture. More importantly it is preferred that the pressure and temperature and time of the processing conditions are selected such that at least 55% of the tensile strength of the fiber is retained, preferably 60 through 90 more preferably 60 through 80%. Also usable are tapes or pieces of oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) or polycarbonate film in forms such as film, and woven and nonwoven fabrics, having a thickness of from about .002 - .015 inches and having been biaxially oriented (i.e. both in the machine and the cross direction) so that they have good puncture resistant properties, are hypo allergenic and easily sterilized by conventional methods; and are thin and flexible. Other thin puncture resistant materials such as metal, biaxially oriented nylon and other equivalent materials may be used so long as they are puncture resistant and have some flexibility allowing the puncture resistant piece of the patch to conform to that portion of the body to which the patch is affixed. The protective patch of this invention is made by adhering a previously cut puncture resistant piece 3 to the adhesive side of normal adhesive surgical tape 2 either using the adhesive already on the tape or a special adhesive to provide additional adhering action between the tape and the puncture resistant piece. Rectangular patches typically can range in length from 1 3/4 to 3 inches in length and have a width of about 1/4 inch to 1 inch. The protective piece can range from 1/4 to 1 inch wide 1-2 inches long in the rectangular configuration. When a round patch is used the diameter of the patch can typically range from 1 to 4 inches and the protective piece from 3/4 to 3 inches. Other shapes and dimensions may also be used. The puncture resistance of the protective piece 3 should be at least 75 lbs./in. and preferably 125 to 150 lbs./in. or more when tested as provided herein. It is also preferred that the piece 3 be flexible, and in this respect will generally have a thickness from about 0.002-0.015 inches. In practice the patch of any suitable configuration is adhered to vulnerable portions of the body such as ingers or thumbs to provide protection during surgery from puncture due to the use of scalpels, syringes, sutures, etc. Likewise, it could be used by other individuals whose job brings them in to contact with sharp, pointed materials that are likely to puncture or cut the skin. Referring now to Table 1 below the products that comprise the present invention including PET film and ECPE fiber composite film are compared to other gloves currently on the market. The first column is the thickness of the surface to be penetrated. The second column represents the actual "Puncture Force" in pounds that it takes to pierce the specimen, and the third column is the "Normalized Puncture Force" expressed in pounds of force required to pierce the specimen divided by the thickness thereof. As can be seen, the PET, polycarbonate, and ECPE fiber composite materials were substantially superior in Normalized Puncture Resistance when compared to existing materials. PUNCTURE RESISTANCE OF VARIOUS PRODUCTS TABLE I To be efficient, it is important that the puncture resistance of the piece be at least 75 pounds per inch of thickness of the piece (lbs/in) preferably at least 125 lbs./in. , more preferably at least 150 lbs./in., when tested by the test method specified below. Another important factor is the flexibility of the piece 3. Referencing Fig. 5 it is noted that the ECPE composite film of the invention is substantially superior to PET and polycarbonate. From the above it can be seen that products of this invention provide superior puncture resistance when compared to other materials; and in the case of ECPE fibers composite film of improved flexibility versus other substantially puncture resistant materials such as polyester and polycarbonate. The test method used for Figure 4 was ASTM D-790-86 method 1. The particular property measured was the tangent modulus of elasticity, test method 1 which is a measure of the stiffness of the material, i.e. the greater the number the stiffer the material. The test procedure was modified slightly because of load cell insensitivity. Sample size was X 4 inches square and the head speed was 10 inches per minute. Also because of the flexibility of the material being tested it was not possible to achieve a rupture or maximum fiber strength of 5% per section 3.2. Accordingly, the specimen was deflected just enough to get a representative slope of the stress/strain curve. TESTING PROCEDURE FOR PUNCTURE Referring to Fig. 4 the apparatus used for the puncture test essentially comprises an assembly of two flat metal plates 10,11 between which the material that is to be tested is clamped. A circular opening 12 of approximately three 1/8" in diameter in the middle of the plates 10,11 serves as the penetration area for the needle 13 such as a conventional medical K-wire. The clamp assembly 14 containing the fabric 15 is placed underneath the moving head of an Instron tensile tester 16 to which K-wire 13 is attached through a needle holder and adapter on the head of the Instron 16. The downward movement of the cross hand enables the penetration of the needle into the fabric at a specific speed. The K-wire has a shank diameter of about 0.035 inches. The test specimen 15 must be large enough so that the clamping bolts 18 securely hold the specimen and restrict any fabric movement during needle penetration. It must have an area in excess of 25 square inches. In practice, the clamp assembly 14 is moved into position to secure the test specimen tightly and the cross-head containing the K-wire- moves down at a speed of 5 inches per minute. NEEDLE SELECTION Resistance to puncture is not only a material function but also a function of the needle "sharpness". The sharpness of the needle is influenced by its manufacturing process since very tight tolerances are needed. Because of the variation in "sharpness" of various needles, it is necessary to select those that exhibit the same sharpness against penetration into a given material so that a meaningful comparison of various material is achieved. The needle "sharpness" is determined by measuring the force needed for its penetration into a 10 mil thick ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene (PE) sheet formed by applying heat and pressure to UHMWPE granules between two endless belts which applying heat and pressure. Similar to the fabric that is to be tested, a UHMW specimen is mounted in the support assembly and each needle is penetrated once into the sheet and its normalized puncture value is determined. From the many different needles tested, we can conclude that those needles exhibiting puncture values between 65 and 83 lbs/in have the same "sharpness" (this range is taken as plus or minus one Coefficient of Variation (CV) around the mean) . PROCEDURE 1. Pre-screened needles which show a puncture value between 65 and 83 lbs/in. are selected for the test. 2. The test specimen 15 is securely clamped in the support assembly 14 and placed beneath the moving head of the Instron tensile tester 16. 3. The distance from the tip of the needle to the fabric or/film should be maintained at 1/8 to 1/4 inch. 4. The needle penetrates the fabric at a constant speed of 5 inches per minute. 5. For each specimen, ten penetrations with the same needle are used and averaged out. KSPO T: 1. Normalized Maximum Puncture value is reported in lbs/in. of specimen thickness) . This value is the maximum force necessary to puncture the material and is normalized by the specimen thickness. It represents the necessary force for complete needle penetration into the fabric. a) Measure the fabric thickness by micrometer; b) Determine the average puncture force from ten test replicates; c) Report the results in lbs/in. 2. The initial slope (force vs needle movement) 3. The Yield point. This is the first puncture point, i.e., the point at which the tip of the needle has just penetrated the specimen. For samples in which do not exhibit a distinguished Yield point, it is taken as.the point in which the initial slope of the curve changes by 70%. 4. Maximum distance of specimen deflection before rupture penetration. The above test results are important parameters in comparing the behavior of various materials in a puncture test. However, the most important value determining the puncture resistance is the Normalized Puncture force reported in lbs/in. With reference to Table 1 above it is noted that the flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) film having a thickness of 0.010 inches provides the best puncture resistance of many fabrics expressed as normalized puncture resistance (lbs./in.) . The PET specimen represents biaxially oriented film having a thickness of 10 mils and 5 mils. With reference to Table 1 above it is noted that the poly(ethylene terephthalate) film having a thickness of about 0.010 inches provides the best puncture resistance of the fabric thickness expressed as normalized puncture (lbs./inch) of protective piece thickness. This film is generally biaxially oriented for best results. The polycarbonate specimen represents polycarbonate film having a thickness of 0.005 and .015 inches. The ECPE composite fiber specimen represents a previously formed network of ECPE fibers as indicated in a preferred embodiment above. The UHMW specimen represents an ultra high molecular weight PE ilm material manufactured by applying heat and pressure to conventional ultra high molecular weight polyethylene to form it into a film between two opposed endless belts which apply heat and pressure to the powder to form the film. From this Table it can also be seen that it is particularly important that the protective piece be formed from a thin, tough puncture resistance flexible material. As can be seen from Table 1 above, polycarbonate, PET film and ECPE fibers composite specimens were substantially superior to the plain ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene specimen. Likewise is noted that they are substantially superior in puncture resistance to conventional gloves.

Claims: IN THE CLAIMS: While I have described general and preferred embodiments of my invention in the above specification, it is understood that the scope thereof is determined by the following claims and equivalents thereof. 1. A protective patch comprising a tape containing, affixed thereto a puncture-resistant piece whereby the patch may be adhered to a portion of the body vulnerable to cuts and punctures. 2. The protective patch of claim 1 wherein the puncture resistant piece comprises a network of thermo-plastic fibers which have been formed by the application of heat and pressure for a time sufficient to cause adjacent fibers to melt and adhere and to deform the fibers and substantially eliminate the voids in the fabric wherein the pressure and time are sufficient to form a translucent article substantially free of voids and having a puncture resistance of at least 75 lbs./in. as measured by the test specified here. 3. The protective patch of claim 2 wherein the puncture resistant portion is made from ECPE fibers having an average molecular weight of at least 500,000, a tenacity of at least 20 grams per denier, and a tensile modulus of at least 500 grams per denier. 4. The protective article of claim 1 wherein the puncture resistant piece is made from poly(ethylene terephalate) film having a puncture resistance of at least 150 lbs./in. 5. A protective article of claim 1 wherein the puncture resistant piece is polycarbonate film. 6. A protective patch comprising an adhesive tape containing, affixed thereto, a flexible, puncture resistant piece having a thickness ranging from about 0.002-0.015" and being flexible enough to allow conformity of the patch to portions of the human body. 7. The protective patch of claim 6 wherein th puncture resistant flexible piece comprises a network of ECPE fibers which have been formed by the application of heat and pressure for a time sufficient to cause adjacent fibers to melt and adhere and to deform the fibers and substantially eliminate the voids of the fabric sufficien to form a flexible translucent article substantially free of voids and having a puncture resistance of at least 75 lbs./in. 8. A protective patch comprising an adhesive tape containing, affixed thereto, a puncture resistance piece comprising a composite formed from ECPE fibers with time sufficient to yield a film-like article having a normalized puncture resistance measured according to the procedures specified herein of at least 125 lbs./in. and which has a Modulus of Elasticity of less than about 12 when measured as. specified herein. 9. The protective patch of claim 1 wherein a piece has a thickness ranging from 0.002 to 0.015, in Modulus of Elasticity as measured herein of less than about 12 x 10 5 (PSI) and a puncture resistant of at least 75 lbs./in. 10. The protective patch of claim 8 wherein th puncture resistance of the material is at least 150 lbs./in. 11. The protective patch of claim 10 wherein the modulus of elasticity is less than about 6 x lθ 5 (PSI 12. The protective patch of claim 2 wherein th modulus of elasticity of a 10-11 mil. specimen is less than about 6 x lo 5 (PSI) . 13. The protective patch comprising an adhesiv puncture-resistant piece of tape, whereby the patch may b adhered to a portion of the body vulnerable to cuts and puncture. 14. A protective patch comprising an adhesive tape affixed thereto a puncture-resistant flexible piece, said piece comprising a network of ECPE fibers which have been formed by application of heat and pressure for a tim sufficient to cause adjacent fibers to melt and adhere to and deform the fiber and substantially eliminate the voids in the fabric wherein the pressure and time are sufficient to form a translucent article substantially free of voids having a puncture-resistance of at least 75 lbs./in. (as measured by the test specified herein) and a modulus of elasticity of less than about 12 when measured as specified herein.

Inventors: PHILLIPS CHRISTOPHER ROBERT, PHILLIPS, CHRISTOPHER, ROBERT
Applicants: ALLIED SIGNAL INC, ALLIED-SIGNAL INC.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A61F13
IPC codes: A61B19