Infection-resistant gloves for medical applications

An antimicrobial medical glove that prevents the spread of infection has been developed with the help of a University of Nottingham microbiologist.

Professor Emeritus Richard James has been working for several years on the project with medical glove makers Hartalega Malaysia and antimicrobial research and development company Chemical Intelligence UK. Part of the glove’s testing was carried out in the Advanced Microscopy Unit at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Biomolecular Science.

The gloves contain an active microorganism-killing molecule designed to prevent the spread of bacteria to and from surfaces and people. As the technology is built into the material, the gloves do not need surface applications of further solutions or chemicals.

In independent testing, the gloves achieved up to a 99.9% kill within just five minutes of contact.

“These gloves will be a game changer for the healthcare industry, both public and private. I am delighted that my lifetime’s research into bacteria and antibiotic resistance has directly informed the science behind a practical tool that will have a major impact on medical care in the future,” said James.

Kuan Mun Leong, Managing Director of Hartalega Holdings Berhad, said: “In the European Union alone, cross-contamination in hospitals results in 37,000 deaths a year at an additional cost of 7 billion euros. By renovating a medical device that has not been remodelled in over 30 years, our innovation is set to make waves in the healthcare industry and save lives across the globe.”

The product has been in the research and development phase for over six years with millions of dollars of funding already being channelled into it and various stages of testing completed. The gloves will be available in hospitals around the world because the manufacturing partnership will make sure the product is being produced at a low cost in order to prevent barriers to access.

“After years of development, we are delighted to finally release this product to market and truly believe it will make a significant difference in the fight against healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Like Hartalega, we have a passion for innovation and together we are the perfect partners to release this technology,” said Chemical Intelligence UK Founder Rob Gros.

Hartalega funded and backed UK-based Chemical Intelligence in the development of the revolutionary technology alongside Professor Richard James and chemist and Nottingham alumnus Dr Paul Wight. This groundbreaking innovation — which also has the patent in the US — is the result of a joint mission between the two companies.

The European launch of the gloves took place in London.

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