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. 2022 May 17:78:103791.
doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103791. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Development of a low-cost device for testing glove and condom leakage

Mekides Abera Seyoum  1 , Menen Teshome Belachew  1 , Meron Berihun Dessale  1 , Meti Wakjira Adugna  1   2 , Tizita Yohannes Keto  1 , Yezbalem Getnet Wassie  1 , Habtamu Abafoge Dobamo  3 , Melese Uma Getaneh  1 , Hundessa Daba Nemomssa  1
Affiliations

Development of a low-cost device for testing glove and condom leakage

Mekides Abera Seyoum et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: Currently, hospital-acquired infections in healthcare workers and patients are a major concern. On the other hand, sexually transmitted infections and diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and unsafe abortions continue to be a public health concern, particularly in developing countries. Gloves are among the most commonly used personal protective equipment to safeguard healthcare workers' hands from contagious infections, and using a condom is strongly advised for people who have sexual relations with more than one partner. However, the quality of gloves and condoms in developing countries is a subject of concern. The usage of quality test instruments such as glove leakage test apparatus (GLTA), leakage testers by water level, the Ammonia leak testing method (ALTM), conductivity-based leakage testers, and water hang testers in developing countries is limited owing to cost, accessibility, and safety. The main purpose of this study was to develop and test a low-cost integrated device to test glove and condom leakage that is safe and easily accessible in resource poor settings.

Method: In this study, an integrated glove and condom leakage testing device for detecting pin holes and leakages is proposed. The device automatically fills a randomly selected condom and glove with a predetermined volume of water based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) criteria.

Results: The prototype of the proposed device was successfully developed and tested. The accuracy of 98.66% for filling condom samples with 300 ml of water and 99.29% for filling glove samples with 1000 ml of water was achieved.

Conclusion: The implementation of the developed prototype in resource poor settings to test gloves and condom leakage has the potential to improve the safety of healthcare workers, patients, and the general public.

Keywords: Condom leakage; Glove leakage; Hospital acquired infection; Low-cost tester; Resource constrained areas; Sexually transmitted diseases; Unwanted pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

There is no conflict of interest in this work.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Block diagram of low-cost glove and condom leak test device.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The result of the controlling system simulation.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Final prototype of low-cost glove and condom leakage tester.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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