Challenges and Opportunities in Medical and Apparel Textiles

Medical Textile or meditech is one of the most important, continuously expanding and growing field in technical textile. The number of applications is diverse, ranging from a single thread suture to the complex composite structures for bone replacement and from simple cleaning wipes to advanced barrier Fabric used in operating rooms. Textile materials and products are engineered to meet particular needs. Recently application of textiles has started growing beyond the usual wound care, incontinence pads, plasters, etc., wide variety of woven, non-woven, knitted forms of textile increasingly finding their way into the variety of surgical procedures.

Depending upon the usage MEDTECH" is classified as;

1. Healthcare and Hygiene product.
2. Extraporeal devices.
3. Implantable materials.
4. Non-implantable materials.

Some of the vital features of the medical textiles

1. Textile Materials must be nontoxic.
2. Must not be allergen and carcinogenic.
3. Must have the ability to disinfect without any structural or chemical changes.
4. Must be biologically compatible.
5. Complete good dimensional stability.

Why all the interest in the medical textile?

1. Meditextile continues to grow at an astounding rate and there appears to be no end in sight.
2. Virtually every form of fibre and/or textile manufacturing technology is at play in some medical textile application.
3. Increase effects to improve health and hygiene programs globally.
4. Most humans want to live longer and continue to lead productive lives.
5. Good business proposition is that higher life expectancy coupled with continued population growth with only advance the use of medical textile.