A surgical (surgeon’s) glove is made of natural or synthetic rubber intended to be worn by operating room personnel to protect a surgical wound from contamination. Surgical gloves have more precise sizing (numbered sizing, generally from size 5.5 to size 9), and are made to higher specifications. They are hand specific. Non-latex materials gloves have not yet replaced latex gloves in surgical procedures, as gloves made of alternate materials generally do not fully match the fine control or greater sensitivity to touch available with latex surgical gloves.
High-grade non-latex gloves (such as nitrile gloves) also cost two or more times the price of their latex counterparts, a fact that has often prevented switching to these alternate materials in cost-sensitive environments, such as many hospitals. Powder-free medical gloves are also used in medical cleanroom environments, where the need for cleanliness is often similar to that in a sensitive medical environment. Similar but specially tested gloves are used in electronics cleanrooms.
The primary purpose of surgical gloves is to act as a protective barrier for surgeons and nurses to prevent possible transmission of diseases or pathogens during procedures while working with surgical instruments. Similar to surgical glove standards are governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the United States. However, the FDA requires manufacturers to meet a higher level of quality standards for surgical gloves. All surgical gloves are sterilized and package sealed in pairs for individual use. The sterilization of surgical gloves is standard as surgical procedures often involve open wound operation.
Some properties of hand gloves are mentioned below:
· Barrier Protection
· Chemical Resistance
· Form, Feel, and Comfort
· Superior Strength and Durability
The demand for rubber gloves is rapidly increasing on account of rapid industrialization and urbanization of our country currently taking place. Several workers in the chemical, electrical and food processing industries use rubber gloves. Similarly, the number of people using gloves for household purposes during handling of detergents, floor polishes, pesticides and the like is also increasing especially in the urban areas.
The Indian market for medical gloves is still evolving. While the global market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of two per cent, the Indian market is at seven per cent growth. Every day there is a new hospital or nursing home popping up in India, so the demand for medical gloves is expected to increase. Medical tourism is also driving the growth of this product category in our country. The market size therefore only for surgical gloves in India is Rs 300 crore. In view of all this, there is a good scope to initiate small-scale rubber gloves manufacturing unit. Indian surgical glove market is growing at 15%. Thus, due to demand it is best to invest in this project.
Few Indian major players
1. Accent Industries Ltd.
2. Acknit Industries Ltd.
3. Asian Latex Ltd.
4. Casil Health Products Ltd.
5. Casil Health Products Ltd.
6. J K Ansell Pvt. Ltd.
