Description:
Reusable Self-disinfecting Gloves
for the Mitigation of Pathogen Spread
Princeton Docket # 20-3700
Researchers in the Department of Physics at Princeton University have designed reusable self-disinfecting gloves for both commercial and medical use. This technology functions by using an inner impermeable layer of material and an outer semipermeable membrane with a thin layer of disinfectant nested in between.
The SARS-Cov2 pandemic has forcibly focused attention on the challenge of maintaining consistent daily vigilance with respect to contact mediated transmission of pathogens. Such contact involves touching a pathogen bearing surface followed by involuntary transfer to the mucosal lining of the nose, mouth, or eye. The standard advice is to wash or sanitize hands regularly to interrupt this transfer. While this course of action is correct, it requires constant vigilance and is likely to suffer from a significant failure rate under normal conditions. This self-disinfecting glove technology represents a significant step forward in our ability to mitigate the transfer pathway of pathogens from infected surfaces to exposed areas of the body.
Applications
- Consumer-level use for protection against pathogen bearing surfaces
- Medical applications to reduce possible pathogen spread within a facility
Advantages
- Mitigates the possibility of pathogen spread from non-sterile glove surfaces
- Reduces disposable glove demand and waste in times of scarcity
Intellectual Property & Development Status
Patent protection is pending. Princeton is currently seeking commercial partners for the further development and commercialization of this opportunity.
The Inventors
Shivaji Sondhi is a professor of physics at Princeton University. His group studies quantum condensed matter physics with a focus on strongly correlated systems. He has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and the Europhysics Prize.
Robert Austin is a professor of physics at Princeton University. His group focuses on the use of microarrays and nanotechnology to further our physical understanding of biological processes. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He has also been awarded a Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize, the Max Delbruck Biological Physics Price of the APS, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Contact:
Laurie J. Tzodikov
Princeton University Office of Technology Licensing
(609) 258-7256 • tzodikov@princeton.edu
Sean King
Princeton University Office of Technology Licensing
sbking@princeton.edu