CONTENTS
Preface vii
Session 1: Modern materials and processes
1 New developments in the manufacture of circular knitting machines for the production of medical textiles
S P Mermelstein and D Hale 3
2 Nonwovens – the choice for the medical industry into the next millennium
I V Walker 12
3 Production of yarns and fabrics from alginate fibres for medical applications
X Chen, G Wells and D M Woods 20
4 Opportunities and challenges for fibrous products in healthcare and medical applications
R L Shishoo 30
5 Knitting seamless three-dimensional shell structures on modem electronic flat-bed knitting machines
T Dias, A Fernando, P K Choy and P Xie 36
6 Medical textiles with specific characteristics produced on flat knitting machines
M Legner 44
Session 2: Compression and bandaging
7 The design of pressure garments for the treatment of hypertrophic scarring caused by burns
S F Ng, J M Parkinson and B Schofield 55
8 Evaluation of the pressure distribution performance of padding bandage materials
A J Rigby, S C Anand and M Miraftab 62
9 Elastic fabrics for use in pressure garments – comfort properties
L Macintyre, M Baird and P Weedall 74
10 Methods of calculation of local pressure of elastomer products
B S Okss and D I Lyashenko 82
11 Twenty years of new development – what clinical benefit for the patient?
V Jones and P Price 92
Session 3: Healthcare and hygiene
12 Development of a versatile antimicrobial finish for textile materials for healthcare
and hygiene applications
S Rajendran and S C Anand 107
13 Air permeability and porosity evaluation of antiallergical bed linen
J Militky, V Kovacic, J Rubnerova and M Travnickova 117
14 Influence of sterilisation on the properties and performance of 0 R disposable garments
M J Araujo-Marques, M E Cabeco-Silva 124
15 Formation of creases in bedsheets – a cause of decubitus
L Van Langenhove 131
16 The design of needlefelts to control the flow of liquids in incontinence products
R A Chapman and H Landeryou 138
Session 4: Wound care
17 Some aspects of cotton leno fabric usage in the new generation of dressing materials
E Wilk 149
18 Anisotropic fluid transmission in nonwoven wound dressings
S J Russell and N Mao 156
19 Advanced materials for wound dressings: biofunctional mixed carbohydrate polymers
M Miraftab, Q Qiao, J F Kennedy, S C Anand and G Collyer 164
20 Fibrous scaffolds for tissue culturing
M Smith 173
21 Functional requirements of bedding materials for elderly patients
Y L Kwok, Y Li, L W Chu, A S Wong and W K Chan 180
Session 5: Implantable devices
22 Time dependent behaviour of some suture materials
E K Bayraktar and AS Hockenberger 189
23 Surface treatment of the textile graft which reduces thrombogenicity and improves healing
R Maini 197
24 Embroidery technology for medical textiles
E Karamuk, J Mayer, M DUring,B Wagner, B Bischoff, R Ferrario, M Billia,
R Seidl, R Panizzon and E Wintermantel 200
25 Tissue engineered synthetic scaffolds for tissue repair – a textile approach to implant design
R J Minns 207
Session 6: Test methods
26 Pitfalls of statistics in clinical trials design
S Gray 217
27 The drug tariff and its relevance to medical textiles
28 The medical devices directive 93/42/EEC and its relevance to medical textiles
D Metcal fe 234
Preface
It has been predicted that hygiene and medical textiles will account for 1.65 m tonnes or almost 12 per cent of the total worldwide technical textiles market of nearly 14 m tonnes in the year 2005. The sheer diversity of applications for medical textiles is nothing short of mind-blowing. Just some examples of these applications include textile structures made of polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid fibres, which are being used as structures for cell growth. Even human organic tissues like skin, cartilage, liver, pancreas and kidney can be grown on temporary bioresorbable textile supports.
In addition, smart fibres loaded with drugs and based on naturally occurring polymers, as well as non-animal-based protein fibres and structures, are also being developed for the treatment of wounds and ulcers. In short, the future potential of medical textiles could well mean unlimited growth.
In Europe, medical textiles are already 10 per cent of the technical textiles market, with 100 000 tonnes of fibre, a growth rate of 3 to 4 per cent per year and a market of US$7 billion.
Bolton Institute hosted its second International Conference in this area – Medical Textiles 99 – on 24 and 25 August 1999. The two-day conference attracted 170 delegates from most of the major countries worldwide. Twenty-eight papers were presented which covered modern materials and processes, compression and bandaging, healthcare and hygiene, woundcare, implantable devices and test methods. A poster session and an industrial exhibition also complemented the event.
I wish to extend special thanks to SSL International plc, Smith and Nephew Medical Fabrics Ltd, Vernon-Cams Ltd; Surgical Dressing Manufacturers Association (SDMA), Association of British Health-Care Industries (ABHI) and Lantor (UK) Ltd; for their generous sponsorship and cooperation; David Hill and Janet Galligan, Bolton Institute; Graham Collyer and Paul Gray, SSL International plc; Peter Banham, Smith and Nephew Medical Fabrics Ltd; and Rick Wiggans, Johnson & Johnson Medical Fabrics; for taking an active part in the conference organisation and managing their specific responsibilities efficiently. I also gratefully acknowledge the support and contributions from each of the respective authors and presenters for submitting and modifying their scripts for publication.