MEDICAL TEXTILES

Medtech/Medtex
By: Granch Berhe
2015
The Medtech application area “embraces all those technical
textiles used in health and hygiene applications”
The medical application of textile fibres can be categorized into:
– Extracorporeal devices
• Artificial kidney, liver, lung, heart pacer
– Non-implantable textile materials
• Absorbent pad, bandages, compression bandages, plasters,
absorbent gauges, lint and wadding
– Implantable textile materials
• Tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, contact lenses, cornea,
joints, vascular grafts, heart valves
– Healthcare and hygiene products
• Surgical gowns, caps, gloves , masks; surgical covers drapes,
aprons; beddings (blankets, sheets, pillow covers); clothing
(uniform); incontinence/baby/adult diapers; cloth wiper,
surgical hosiery, sanitary napkins, medical mattress,
sterilization wraps, head and shoe covers, panty shield,
wadding; wipes
1. Non-implantable materials-

These materials used for external applications on the

body and may or may not make contact with skin.
Examples are: wound dressings, bandages, plasters,
Absorbent pad, compression bandages 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
(i) PRIMARY WOUND DRESSING
•Placed next to the wound surface
•Nonwovens with a binder content of 60% are 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.
•Decreased adherence surface.
•Eliminating a possibility of loose fibers getting caught in the
wound.
•Easy penetration of wound secretion to the absorbing dressing.
•Not- interrupted process of wound healing - as only the outer
gauze compress is changed.
•Painless changing of the dressing.
(ii) ABSORBENT 
•Similar to wound pads used in surgery.
•Manufactured from well bleached, carded and
cleaned cotton fabrics.
•Absorbent lint is cotton of plain weave, warp
nap raised on one side, used as an external
absorbent and protective dressing and for the
applications of ointments and lotions, as
antiseptic adsorbent and protective dressing in
first aid treatment.
 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.
PROTECTIVE EYE PAD:-
•Scientifically shaped to lit over the eye used in
outpatient clinic and industrial department.
 
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.
TYPES AND USES OF SURGICAL
DRESSING
STRIP BANDAGE IS THE MOST COMMON

FINGER TIP BANDAGE

KNUCKLE BANDAGE BUTTERFLY CLOSURE

DONUT BANDAGE PRESSURE BANDAGES

GAUZE ROLLS TENSOR BANDAGES

TRIANGULAR BANDAGE
EYE PATCH ADHESIVE COTTON TAPE

Orthopaedic supports and medical

compression stockings
Here, special accessories
developed by Stoll guarantee
tension-controlled yarn feed and
reliable weft thread insertion.
 Wound dressing
Chronic wounds: 6.5 million Impaired healing – Inflammation Resistance to
people - $25 billion stage is prolonged antibiotics

Naturally derived Alternative metals, e.g. zinc as

Silver impregnated
compounds? well as non-metal bactericides
dressings
2. Extracorporeal devices- artificial kidney, liver, heart pacer and
lung
3.Implantable materials- sutures, vascular grafts, artificial ligaments,
cartilages, artificial joints, heart valves etc
4. Healthcare/hygiene products- bedding, clothing, surgical
gowns, cloths, wipes, Surgical gowns, caps, gloves , masks; surgical
covers drapes, aprons; beddings (blankets, sheets, pillow covers);
clothing (uniform); incontinence/baby/adult diapers; cloth wiper,
surgical hosiery, sanitary napkins, medical mattress, sterilization
wraps, head and shoe covers, panty shield, wadding; wipes
 Requirements of textile material for
medical applications
•Biocompatible and sterile
•Anti Allergenic and anti Bacterial
•Good resistance to alkalis, acids and micro-organisms
•Good dimensional stability and elasticity
•Free from contamination or impurities
•Absorption / Repellency and air permeability
•White staple fiber (no bleaching necessary).
• Pure (without any dyes or other additives)
•Manufactured under strict procedures and clean environment
•Biodegradable and Environment friendly
Biodegradable Polymers as Drug Carrier Systems

• Polymer Processing
– Drug-incorporated matrices can be formulated
either compression or injection molding
– Polymer & drug can be ground in a Micro Mill,
sieve into particle size of 90-120 µm, then press
into circular disc
– Alternatively drug can be mixed into molten
polymer to form small chips, then it is fed into
injection molder to mold into desired shape
• Polyesters
– Lactide/Glycolide Copolymers
• Have been used for the delivery of steriods, anticancer
agent, antibiotics, etc.
• PLGA is most widely investigated biodegradable
polymers for drug delivery.
• Lactide/glycolide copolymers have been subjected to
extensive animal and human trials without any
significant harmful side effects

• Poly(amides)
– Natural Polymers
• Remain attractive because they are natural products of
living organism, readily available, relatively
inexpensive, etc.
• Mostly focused on the use of proteins such as gelatin,
collagen, and albumin
Why nanoparticles are desired for drug delivery
system?

• Nanoparticles can be used to increase drug solubility,

have lower toxicity & target drug delivery

• In order to use nanoparticle as drug delivery, they

must satisfy number of criteria;
– Biocompatible
– Good drug payload
– Manufacturing cost must be reasonable
 Polymer for Dental Application
• Four main groups of materials used in
dentistry;
– Metal and alloys
– Ceramics
– Synthetic organic polymers & biopolymers
(derived from natural tissues)
– Composites (an organic matrix polymers filled with
inorganic fine particles)
 Polymer for Dental Application
• Bases, liners and varnishes for cavities
– There is a large diversity or organic and inorganic
materials for this purposes

– Zinc polycarboxylate (or polyacrylate) cement is

prepared by mixing zinc oxide and the polymer
solution, and water solution of polyacrylic acid
 Polymer for Dental Application
• Filling & Restorative Materials
– Made up of organic matrix and inorganic
particulate or fibrous filling. Held together by
coupling agent
– PMMA resins have been used as filling materials,
but they have several disadvantages
• Nonadhesion to dental structures
• Low colour stability
• Low molecular weight of monomer
• High polymerization shrinkage
Textile based Biomaterials for Surgical Application

• Suture- is a strand of textile materials (natural or

synthetic), used to ligate blood vessel and draw
tissue together
• Ideal suture should
– Physical and mechanical properties (adequate tensile
strength, etc)
– Handling properties (easy to handle)
– Biological properties (unfavourable for bacterial growth)
– Biodegradation properties (absorbable; its tensile strength
loss must match the healing rate of the tissue to be closed)
Resorb
Detail classifications of Medtex based on its scope
 Recent Advances
* Development of Polylactic acid polyglycolic
acid fibers as structures for cell growth.

* Temporary bio-resource-able textile supports

for growing human organic tissue

* Development of smart fibers (Polymers/

Proteins) – for treatment of wounds & Ulcers