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Abstract: The Guiding Light Surgical Glove (GLSG) is a novel device designed for the short range illumination of the body cavities as surgery is performed. It is intended for use in operating rooms where overhead lights are already present. The GLSG will provide the surgeon with a fully contained light emitting glove that can be treated just like the sterile latex gloves commonly used in hospitals. However, the GLSG provides a greater degree of functionality than a latex glove in that it is a secondary light source.
The GLSG is disposable, light weight, and elastic. The light is emitted at the distal end of the glove's index finger, and a large portion of the circuitry is housed on the posterior of the hand. The need for short-rage secondary light source in surgery was first identified by Byrne Medical, Inc. Though the initial idea was to invent a finger glove that would be slipped over a single phalange, a light that is fully integrated into a whole physician's glove will be safer and unobtrusive as a surgery is performed.
The GLSG is powered by Lithium ion batteries and can last through the duration of a surgery. The glove also has a simple user interface of a push down button to enable and disable the light at the physician's discretion. The light is produced by a light emitting diode (LED) and reflected along a fiber optic until it reaches the distal end of the index finger. The glove is clear as not to block the light waves as it is emitted at the termination of the fiber-optic bundle. The GLSG is a stand alone device that is designed to give the surgeon the illumination needed in order to perform the task better while not compromising the physician's sense of touch, dexterity or the sterility of the procedure.
