History of Latex Dipped Products

Manufacturer:We're in the process of preparing our brochures for market promotion and we would like to add 3 to 5 lines on the history of medical gloves, condoms and catheters. Your input would be appreciated.

JohnWoon:History is always interesting but the problem is there could be more than one versions. I'd would not like to create undue controversies here. But since you had asked, the followings are my versions:

1) Medical Gloves (Examination and Surgical gloves)
Before 1890s', doctors did not wear gloves. In fact, hands were cleaned only after surgery and not before. This was to remove the resultant messy blood. William Stewart Halsted (1852-1922) was the first surgeon-in- chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital (established in 1889) who started to don the first pair of surgical gloves. He also pioneered many surgical operations. It all started when Dr. Halsted, working with Goodyear Rubber Company, produced two pairs of rubber gloves to protect his scrub nurse (with whom he was in love) from mercuric chloride solution rather than concern over asepsis problem. However, coincidentally, the incidence of asepsis problem happened to decrease considerably.



Since then he started to popularize the wearing of rubber gloves during surgery in 1890s'. This is well before the advent of the latex technology in 1920s'. Dipping was invariably done by using rubber solution (i.e. masticated rubber dissolved in solvent such as naphtha)

In 1923, the first British Patent was filed for the manufacture of gloves along with other articles using dipping process based on ammonia preserved latex. The curing was done by dipping in cold dilute solution of sulphur monochloride (in Carbon disulphide). As we all know, this was replaced with hot vulcanisation with the incorporation of vulcanising agents. Actually,"vulcanisation" was discovered in 1800s' which laid the foundation for the subsequent growth of the modern rubber industry.

Today, natural rubber layex is the best choice of base polymer for the manufacturing of not only examination gloves and surgical gloves, but also other gloves such as household gloves and electrician gloves (i.e. lineman's gloves).

2) Condoms
Condom which has also been known as sheath, protective, rubber, French letter, skin and prophylactics has a long history which some believe could be traced back to ancient Egypt. The first published document on the use of condom made from linen recorded the trials conducted by an Italian gentleman in 1500's to protect men from diseases.

Condom made from animal intestine besides linen and silk came into the scene in 1700s'. Thanks to the discovery of "vulcanisation" coupled with the advent of the latex technology between 1920s' and 1930s', mass production of condoms using latex was made possible.

Today there are many brands of good and bad condoms in the market which are made to suit every taste, smell, feel and fancy. All these bewildering types of condoms expose the users and their partners to not only the rubber itself but also the curatives (chemicals) used in the rubber.

3) Catheters
The use of urethral catheters to relieve full bladder of patients could be traced back to as early as the days of Hippocrates in Greece as reported by some. Bronze catheters were among the first to be used, followed by other metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Subsequently flexible and more malleable catheters were made from lead for "safer" use. The nineteenth century saw the advent of the first prototype of Foley catheter. However it was in the early 1900s when the first balloon catheter was developed.

Today many types of catheters are being used for the drainage of fluids from the internal organs of the human body, most frequently the bladder.

Urinary catheters are often left in the body for a considerable length of time. Hence it is essential that catheters are manufactured with a natural rubber latex compound which has the least tendency to cause irritation to the human mucous membranes.

You are at the site for answers and solutions to all your problems in natural rubber latex processing and manufacturing of medical gloves, condoms, catheters, baby teats and baby pacfiers.