Two fourth-year medical school students from the Uniformed Services University (USU) have patented a new device that can assist healthcare providers in quickly donning multiple glove layers — something essential during a potential mass casualty event when hygiene and timing are both critical.
The Multilayer Glove Loader, a pocket-sized crescent-shaped device, was created and developed by Air Force 2nd Lt. Andy Bayne and Air Force 2nd Lt. Noah Smith, both members of USU’s Class of 2024. After development, the Patent and Technology Transfer Office at USU and Army Medical Research and Development Command at Fort Detrick helped them to secure a provisional patent through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Smith says the initial idea came about when he was approached by a special operations medic who needed a device that would help him to put on multiple layers of gloves at the same time for multiple casualty and mass casualty situations. “He told me that, in these cases, he often wears several layers of gloves so that he can take off one layer of gloves at a time when moving rapidly from one patient to the next while maintaining body substance isolation,” says Smith.