Birthing gloove

Abstract

A birthing glove exposes portions of the finger and thumb, which may be covered by a regular surgical glove. The birthing glove has a trank having an inner wall covering the palm and backhand of the birthing practitioner. Four finger sleeves and a thumb sleeve extend from the trank and terminate over the first phalanx of each finger. A cuff extends from the trank for covering at least a portion of the practitioner's forearm and an inflatable bladder is disposed over the inner wall of the trank adjacent to the back of the hand for inflation in order to expand behind the exposed fingers and thumb of the practitioner in order to dilate the birth canal and provide access to the head of the infant.

1 . A birthing glove exposing portions of the fingers and the thumb of a birthing practitioner; the birthing glove comprising:
 a trank having an inner wall converging the palm and back of the hand of the practitioner;   four finger sleeves and a thumb sleeve extending from the trank, the sleeves having open ends that terminate in front of the third phalanx of each finger the second phalanx of the thumb of the practitioner;   a cuff extending from the trank for converging at least a portion of the practitioners arm, and   an inflatable bladder disposed over the inner wall of the trank adjacent to the back of the hand for inflation to expand behind the fingers and thumb of the practitioner for widening the birth canal upon inflation.   
   
   
       2 . The birthing glove of  claim 1  wherein the open ends of the finger and thumb sleeves terminate in seals. 
   
   
       3 . The birthing glove of  claim 2  wherein the sleeves have a length which extends over only a portion the first phalanges of the fingers and the thumb. 
   
   
       4 . The birthing glove of  claim 3  wherein the bladder extends only over the back side of the metacarpus of the hand with no sufficient extent over the palm of the hand to allow flexibility of the metacarpus when the hand is inserted into the birth canal. 
   
   
       5 . The birthing glove of  claim 4  in combination with a thin surgical glove which encloses the fingers and thumb entirely and projects thereon past the birthing glove. 
   
   
       6 . The birthing glove of  claim 1  in combination with a thin surgical glove which encloses the fingers and thumb entirely and projects thereon past the birthing glove. 
   
   
       7 . The birthing glove of  claim 2  in combination with a thin surgical glove which encloses the fingers and thumb entirely and projects thereon past the birthing glove. 
   
   
       8 . The birthing glove of  claim 3  in combination with a thin surgical glove which encloses the fingers and thumb entirely and projects thereon past the birthing glove.