Protective guards for fingers and thumbs

Abstract

A protective guard for a finger or thumb may be used during a medical procedure. The protective guard may inhibit needle or instrument puncture of a medical practitioner's skin during the medical procedure. The protective guard may include a protective portion and a less protective portion. The materials used to form the protective portion and the less protective portion may be chosen so that the guard provides a large degree of penetration resistance while still remaining flexible. The color of the protective portion may be different than the color of the less protective portion to provide a user with a visual indication of the protective area of the protective guard.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: 
 a protective body; and    wherein the protective body comprises at least one notch.    
     
     
         2 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially arcuate.  
     
     
         3 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially V-shaped.  
     
     
         4 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially rectangular.  
     
     
         5 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is formed of an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         6 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the protective body comprises polyparaphenylene terephthalamide.  
     
     
         7 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the protective body comprises an amide.  
     
     
         8 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the protective body comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         9 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the protective body comprises a fluorocarbon.  
     
     
         10 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the protective body comprises a Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less than about 110.  
     
     
         11 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant, and at least a portion of the protective body is flexible.  
     
     
         12 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the protective body is visually distinguishable from a second portion of the protective body.  
     
     
         13 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.  
     
     
         14 . A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: 
 a body;    a protective portion of the body configured to be penetration resistant;    a less protective portion of the body adjacent to the protective portion; and    wherein the less protective portion of the body comprises at least one notch.    
     
     
         15 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein the protective portion is of a different color than the less protective portion.  
     
     
         16 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially arcuate.  
     
     
         17 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially V-shaped.  
     
     
         18 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially rectangular.  
     
     
         19 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein the protective portion of the body comprises a Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less than about 110.  
     
     
         20 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein the less protective portion of the body comprises an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         21 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein the protective body comprises an amide.  
     
     
         22 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein the protective body comprises a fluorocarbon.  
     
     
         23 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant, and a least a portion of the protective body is flexible.  
     
     
         24 . The guard of  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.  
     
     
         25 . A guard for a digit of a hand, comprising: 
 a body comprising a top portion and a bottom portion;    wherein the top portion of the body is a different color than the bottom portion of the body; and    wherein at least the bottom portion of the body comprises at least one notch.    
     
     
         26 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein a color of the top portion is visibly distinguishable from a color of the bottom portion.  
     
     
         27 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially arcuate.  
     
     
         28 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially V-shaped.  
     
     
         29 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein a notch comprises a profile that is substantially rectangular.  
     
     
         30 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein the first protective portion of the body comprises a Shore hardness greater than about 45 and less than about 110.  
     
     
         31 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein the top portion of the body comprises an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         32 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein the bottom portion of the body comprises an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         33 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein the protective body comprises an amide.  
     
     
         34 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein the protective body comprises a fluorocarbon.  
     
     
         35 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant, and at least a portion of the protective body is flexible.  
     
     
         36 . The guard of  claim 25 , wherein at least a portion of the protective body is penetration resistant and flexible.  
     
     
         37 . A method, comprising: 
 extruding material to form a tube; and    cutting the tube to form a guard for a digit of a hand.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the tube includes tapered portions.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising forming at least one notch in the guard.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the tube comprises a first arcuate portion and a second arcuate portion, and wherein a thickness of the first arcuate portion is greater than a thickness of the second arcuate portion.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising forming an indention in an end of the guard that facilitates bending of a medial joint of the digit.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising forming a lip at an end of the guard, the lip configured to provide an indication of insertion depth of the guard on the digit.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising coloring an arcuate portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts with a color of the digit.  
     
     
         44 . A method, comprising: 
 extruding a first material in a first arcuate portion;    extruding a second material in a second arcuate portion;    bonding the first arcuate portion and the second arcuate portion together to form a tube; and    cutting the tube to form a guard for a digit of a hand.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising cutting at least one notch in the guard.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising extruding the material such that the tube comprises a thinner first arcuate portion and a thicker second arcuate portion.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising forming an indention in an end of the guard that facilitates bending of a medial joint of the digit.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising forming a lip at an end of the guard, the lip configured to provide an indication of insertion depth of the guard on the digit.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising coloring the first arcuate portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts with a color of the digit.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising coloring the second arcuate portion of the guard so that the colored portion contrasts with a color of the digit.