In the field of clinical hygiene, medical textiles are used in a broad variety of settings, ranging from wound care at home to hospital bedding to surgical procedures.
In the past, medical textiles have been:
The creation of wound closures and sutures, which took thousands of years to complete, marked the beginning of the history of medical textiles. For as far back as ancient times, natural fibers have been used in many medicinal purposes.
During the Egyptian period, flapper yarn and natural rubber glue were used in order to stitch the wound. To prevent the mummies from being subjected to any kind of chemical treatment, they were wrapped in linen yarn. A broad array of textile structures, including woven, knitted, braided, and nonwoven options, are used in the production of medical textiles. The ancient Chinese utilized flax fiber for sutures and a cotton cloth to stop bleeding respectively. The use of medical textiles has expanded to include a wide range of applications, including skin grafts, artificial organs, surgical gowns, and wound dressings, among other medical applications.
In order to be used in medical textiles, fibers must satisfy the following requirements:
- It must be resistant to both heat and chemicals.
- They must not be allergic and must not be poisonous.
- Not to be carcinogenic in any way.
- The ability to disinfect must be present, but there must be no changes in the chemical or physical properties of the substance.
- It must be biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable (in cases when it is required).
Utilization Areas of Textiles Used in Medical Settings:
Numerous uses may be discovered for textiles used in the medical and health care industries.
The following is a list of these:
- Wound therapy with antiseptic.
- The treatment of compression.
- The prosthesis.
- Combining coating and lamination.
- Items that are hygienic.
- Liver Treatment
- Lungs that are mechanical.
Types of Fibers That Are Employed in the Production of Medical Textiles:
Based on the many distinct varieties, fibers that are used for medicinal reasons may be categorized into a variety of different groups.
According to the structure:
- a) Woven Fabrics: Woven fabrics have structures that are dimensionally stable, have less extensibility and porosity than other types of textiles, and have a propensity to unravel at the edges if they are cut in the square for the purpose of implantation. When it comes to medical applications, woven textiles may provide a variety of outputs, such as vascular plugs, tissue scaffolds, artificial ligaments, and other similar products.
- b) Knitted textiles may be divided into two groups, namely weft-knitted and warp-knitted, exactly as other types of knitted materials. The structures that are knitted with the weft have a high extensibility, but they are dimensionally unstable since there are no additional interlocking structures being used.
- c) When it comes to medical textiles, non-woven structures are quite popular and are utilized extensively. The polymeric qualities or fibers that are used, as well as the bonding procedure that is utilized for the production of the structures of nonwoven textiles, are what decide the end users. It is included in the application that surgical caps, surgical gowns, sanitary pads, and diapers are all included.
- d) Braided structure: The braided structures include a variety of designs, either with or without the core component, and are used in the production of cords and sutures. It is primarily the porous nature of these structures that contributes to their ability to absorb fluids via the use of the interstitial spaces that are present between the yarn and the filaments in the braided structure.
On the basis of the origin of the source:
- a) Natural Fibers: Natural fibers are used extensively in the medical industry due to their capacity for absorption and their ability to provide a pleasant sensation. Fabrics such as cotton, silk, viscose, rayon, and hydrogel are all examples of natural fibers. Cotton is a highly helpful material for decreasing bleeding during surgical procedures. Cotton has a number of characteristics that make it more advantageous for usage in the medical industry. Cotton is hypoallergenic, soft, and has a higher absorbency than other materials. Baby wipes, diapers, and feminine hygienic lads are all examples of products that are made from cotton and are meant to keep the body clean.
- b) Synthetic fibers: Synthetic fibers are mostly used for the purpose of performing internal tasks inside the human body. Some examples of these functions are surgical sutures, plasters (polypropylene), artificial joints (polyethylene), wound care pads (polyamide), and artificial kidneys (hollow polyester).
According to the region of use:
- a) Extra Corporal Devices: More often, these kinds of textiles are used to provide support for various organs inside the body, including the heart pacemaker, lungs, liver, kidneys, and so on. Artificial kidneys made of hollow viscose, mechanical lungs made of hollow silicone membrane, artificial liver made of hollow viscose, and other applications such as these are among the uses.
- b) Products for Healthcare and Hygiene: Medical textiles are a godsend for healthcare and hygiene, spanning from the care and safety of hospital workers and patients to the protection of patients themselves. Disposable or washable options are available for these goods. There are a variety of applications that provide protection against cross-infection among patients, personnel, and physicians. These applications include surgical gowns, hats, mattress coverings, wipes, and other similar items. Additionally, sanitary napkins, adult diapers, and infant diapers are included in this category of textiles.
- c) Implantable Materials: These materials are used for the purpose of healing sections of the human body that have been damaged. Artificial joints, breast implants, pacemakers, and many other cardiac implants are some examples of types of implants.
- d) Non-implantable Materials: These materials are mostly used for the creation of exterior structures of the human body, namely the skin. Some examples that are particularly helpful are gauze and surgical bandages. As a means of wound healing, they are used.
Concluding remarks:
Improvements in the area of medical textile were brought about as a result of changes in people and an increase in their expectations. In the realm of medicine, textiles are used in a variety of ways, depending on the kinds of fibers and polymeric structures that are utilized. It includes things like bandages, prosthetic organs, and sutures, as well as other medical care goods. There has also been an increase in research and development within the textile industry as a result of medical textiles.
