Medical

Textiles
SUBMITTED TO:Dr. Monika Sikka

SUBMITTED BY :Aditya Grover

11110004
Textile Technology

ABSTRACT
. Medical textiles are one of the most rapidly expanding sectors in the
technical textile market & medical industry .

. An important field of application of textile in medicine has been

developed . Bandages and wound dressings are most commonly used

because they are affordable and reusable.

.The medical textile should have bio-compatibility, flexibility and

strength.

INTRODUCTION
. Combination of textile technology and medical sciences has
resulted into a new field called medical textiles.

. Development in the field of textiles, either natural or

manmade textiles, normally aimed at how they enhance the

comfort to the users.

. Development of medical textiles can be considered as one

such development, which is really meant for converting the
painful days of patients into the comfortable days.

Characteristics of
materials for
medical use

The major requirements for biomedical polymers

Non toxicity
Nonallergenic response
The ability to be sterilized
Mechanical properties
Strength
Elasticity
Durability
Biocompatibility

Classification of
Medical Textiles

These are the textile products for medical applications include

materials as fibres , yarns , woven , knitted & nonwoven etc.

Depending upon the usage, they are classified as :

Healthcare and Hygiene products
Extracorporeal devices
Implantable materials
Non-implantable materials

Healthcare & hygienic

products
An important area of textile is the healthcare and hygiene sector. The range of
products available for healthcare and hygiene is vast, but they are typically
used either in the operating theatre or in the hospital wards for hygienic, care
and safety of the staff and patients. They could be washable or disposable.
Surgical gown :- Surgical gowns should act as barrier to prevent release of
pollutant particles into air. Traditional surgical gowns are woven cotton goods
that not only allow the release of particles from the surgeons but also a source
of contamination generating high levels of dust (lint).
Surgical masks :- They should have higher filter capacity, high level of air
permeability, lightweight and nonallergic.
Surgical drapes and covercloths: - These are used to cover patients or to
cover
working areas around patients. It should be completely impermeable
to bacterial and also absorbent to body perspiration and secretion from wound.
Surgical caps: - These are made from nonwoven materials based on
cellulose.

Extracorporeal devices
These are extracorporeally mounted devices used to support the function of
vital organs, such as kidney, liver, lung, heart pacer etc. The
extracorporeal devices are mechanical organs that are used for blood
purification and include the artificial kidney (dialyser), the artificial liver, and
the mechanical lung. The function and performance of these devices benefit
from fibre and textile technology.
Artificial kidney
Tiny instrument, made with hollow hair sized cellulose fibres which is used to
remove waste products from patients blood.
Artificial liver

Made of hollow viscose to separate and dispose patients plasmas and supply
fresh plasma.

Artificial heart
An 8-ource plastic pump lined with decom velour to reduce damage to blood
and is a

chambered apparatus about the size of human heart. Silastic backing that
makes the fabric impervious to emerging gas that is not desirable in the blood.

Mechanical lung
Made with a hollow polypropylene fibre or a hollow silicone membrane.
Used to remove carbon dioxide from patients blood and supply fresh oxygen.

Implantable materials
These materials are used in effective repair to the body whether it is
wound closure (sutures) or replacement surgery (vascular grafts,
artificial ligaments etc).
E.g. Sutures, soft tissue implants, orthopaedic implants,
cardiovascular implants etc.
Why textile implants?
Biocompatible materials
Material combinations
Mechanical characteristic adapted to the environment
Adjustable macroscopic structure
Specific surface design

Vascular prosthesis

The first artificial vascular graft was produced from polyamide

fibre in 1956

Vascular grafts are used to replace, bypass or maintain function of

damaged, or diseased blood vessels in small, medium and large

diameter.
The major requirements of a good vascular graft include:
Non-fraying
Flexibility

Durability

Biocompatibility

Stability to sterilization

Resistance to bacteria/viruses

Surgical Sutures
Surgical Sutures are medical devices used to hold body tissues
together after an injury or surgery. It generally consists of a
needle with an attached length of thread. A number of different
shapes, sizes, and thread materials have been developed.

A suture should be chosen with the following properties :

Tensile strength
Stiffness
Easy handling properties
Good knotting security

Non-implantable materials

These materials used for external applications on the body and may or may
not make contact with skin. They are made from co-polymer of two amino
acids.

This includes wound care, bandages, plasters, pressure garments,

orthopaedic belts etc.

Surgical dressing :- These are employed as coverings,

adsorbent, protective and supports for injured or diseased part. They
are different types:

Primary wound dressing

Absorbent

Bandages

Protective

Adhesive tapes

Primary wound dressing :

Placed next to the wound surface

Nonwovens with a binder content of 60% and made of cellulose

fabrics are being
used.
A dressing should possess the following properties :
Healing properties, regulated mainly with the substances which
are applied to
or added to the dressing.
Causing no mechanical injury of a granulating wound.
Decreased adherence surface.
Eliminating a possibility of loose fibers getting caught in the
wound.
Stable and spatial structure
Easy penetration of wound secretion to the absorbing dressing.
Painless changing of the dressing.

Bandages :These are narrow cotton or linen, plain weave cloth of low texture,
either woven or knitted. There are different types: Cotton and rubber elastic net bandages -- for sprains and strains
Cotton rubber elastic net bandages -- net fabric of lace
construction.
Plaster of Paris bandages -- cotton cloth is impregnated with a
mixture of calcium sulphate.
Orthopedic cushion bandages.
Crepe bandage -- elastic in nature due to special weave allows it to
stretch twice its length.

Adhesive
tapes :It is narrow, plain weave fabric having a coating of adhesive paste. It is
used with other pads to conform them on the injury

CONCLUSION:

Textiles are more and more developing into high-tech

products with interesting changes in the market. Each
country has its own regulations and standards for
medical textiles. As medical procedures continue to
develop, the demand for textile materials is bound to
grow.

References:

1.
2.

I.V.Walker ,proceedings of Medical Textile Conference,1999,Bolton

Institute, U.K. Publishing Co., Cambridge,12 - 19.
G.Fisher .Technical Textile Int., July/Aug 2003, 19.

3.

magic-magnet.com/products/accessary2.htm.

4.

www.journalofwoundcare.com

5.

Dr.V.K.Kothari, Journal of the Textile Association Nov.Dec.2006.vol.67 p : 181 - 185

6.

J Luneschloss and W. Albrecht Non-woven Bonded Fabrics, p : 404 452

7.

https://biotextiles.wordpress.com/surgical-sutures/

THANKS