A new powder-free synthetic latex surgical glove designed and developed by ECI Medical Technologies Inc. has emerged from the prototype stage and is now on the market.
The Elastyren-brand glove is a re-engineered version of a product the Bridgewater, Nova Scotia-based manufacturer introduced a few years ago. That glove soon was pulled from the market because, among other things, it was difficult to don, making it impractical for the operating room.
That's not the case with ECI's newest product, Al DeMarco, research and development manager, said at the International Latex Conference. ``This is a 100-percent styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer glove that replaces an 80 percent SIS glove. We maintained the strength and improved the comfort of the glove.''
Two group purchasing organizations already have signed pacts for regular supply of the product, and ECI brought on board a 30-person contract sales force to build a solid glove sales base, he said.
``We have great customer loyalty,'' DeMarco said. ``So, we hope this skyrockets. Once they try it, they'll love it.''
The private firm, which also is planning to become a powder-free operation, operates adjacent 35,000-sq.-ft. and 20,000-sq.-ft. facilities on a six-acre site in Bridgewater.