Medical textiles are numerous fiber-based materials intended for medical purposes. Medical textile is a sector of technical textiles that emphasizes fiber-based products used in health care applications such as prevention, care, and hygiene.
The spectrum of applications of medical textiles ranges from simple cotton bandages to advanced tissue engineering. Common examples of products made from medical textiles include dressings, implants, surgical sutures, certain medical devices, healthcare textiles, diapers, menstrual pads, wipes, and barrier fabrics.
Medical textiles include many fiber types, yarns, fabrics, non-woven materials, woven, braided, as well as knitted fabrics. Physical and chemical alterations of fiber architectures, the use of functional finishes, and the production of stimuli-sensitive materials are major approaches for developing innovative medical textiles.
Advances in textile manufacturing and medical technologies have made medical healthcare an important industry in textiles. Textiles are used in the production of a variety of medical devices, including replacements for damaged, injured, or non-functioning organs. The manufacture of medical textiles is a growing sector. There are many reasons for its growth, such as new technology in both textiles and medicine; ageing populations; growing populations; changes in lifestyles; and longer life expectancies. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic generated higher demand for certain medical textile applications [such as PPE, medical gowns and face masks], and there were shortages worldwide. Even China, the world's largest manufacturer of such applications, has struggled to keep up with demand.
History
Natural fibers have been used in medical applications since ancient times. The use of splints, bandages, and gauges is very old. An ancient Sanskrit text on medicine and surgery, the Sushruta Samhita, categorises Kausheya under the "articles of bandaging." The concept of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical practitioners dates all the way back to the 17th century. Plague doctor costumes were intended to protect plague doctors from the disease during outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague in Europe. According to descriptions, the costumes were typically composed of heavy fabric or leather and was waxed.Encyclopedia of Pestilence Pandemics and Plagues.pdf
Significance
Medical textiles have a critical role in preserving human life. So, e.g., medical textile applications (PPE cover all, N95 masks), were in high demand and scarce supply during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in severe shortages. Considering the shortage, in February 2020, the World Health Organization restricted the use of medical essentials such as PPE and masks, etc. to front-line workers only (PPE includes gowns, aprons, masks, gloves, medical masks, goggles, face shields, and respirators, i.e., N95 or FFP2).Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) PPE protects medical professionals from illness, infections [from virus or bacteria]. The PPE cloth acts as a barrier with the capacity to prevent contaminants from entering the body through respiratory secretions, blood, and bodily fluids.
Masks can protect healthy people from illness by limiting the spread of respiratory droplets and aerosols.
Types Categories of fibers, fabrics and materials There are four different groups of fibers, fabrics and materials used in medical textile products. +Types of fibers, fabrics and materials in different medical textile productsCategoryMedical textile productsExtracorporeal devicesArtificial organs such as lung, liver, and kidney, etc.Implantable materialsVascular grafts, sutures, artificial joints, and ligaments.Non-implantable materialsDressing, bandages, and plaster, etc.Hygiene and healthcare productsClothing, surgical gowns, bedding, and wipes, etc. Different types of fibers and manufacturing systems are utilized for the production of the various medical textile products.
Extracorporeal devices category Extracorporeal devices are the artificial organs that remain outside the body while treating a patient. Extracorporeal devices are useful in hemodialysis and cardiac surgery. +Fiber or material typesExtracorporeal devicesViscose (hollow type)Artificial liverPolyurethaneArtificial heartPPLungs
Implantable materials category Implants are medical devices used to replace a missing biological structure, to sustain a damaged biological structure, or to improve an existing biological structure. In contrast to a transplant, which is biomedical tissue that has been transplanted, medical implants are man-made devices such as artificial ligaments and vascular grafts, etc. +Fiber or material typesManufacturing system employedImplantable materialsPolyester, PolytetrafluoroethyleneWeaving, KnittingCardiovascular implants such as vascular grafts and heart valvesSilicone, Polyethylene, PolyoxymethyleneOrthopedic implants such as artificial bones and jointsPolylactic acid, Polyglycolide, CollagenMonofilament or braidedBiodegradable surgical sutures Steel, Polytetrafluoroethylene, Polyester, NylonMonofilament or braidedNon-biodegradable surgical suturesSoft tissue implants such as the following: Polyester, Polyamide, Polytetrafluoroethylene, Polyethylene Chitin Poly(methyl methacrylate), Collagen, Silicon Artificial tendon Artificial skin Artificial Cornea and Contact lensPolyester, CarbonBraidingLigamentsLow-density polyethyleneNonwovenCartilage
Non-implantable materials category Non-implantable materials are used externally and may or may not contact skin. For example, bandages, plaster, orthopedic belts, pressure garments, etc. +Fiber or material typesManufacturing system employedNon-implantable materialsNylon, Cotton, and SpandexKnitting and WeavingCompression bandagesCotton, Viscose, Polyamide, and SpandexWeaving, Knitting, and NonwovenOrdinary bandages which are elastic or non-elasticCotton, Viscose, Polyurethane foam, Polypropylene, and PolyesterWeaving, NonwovenOrthopedic bandagesCotton, ViscoseKnitting, WeavingGaugesCotton, Viscose, Plastic films, Glass, Polypropylene, and PolyesterKnitting, Weaving, and NonwovenPlastersCotton, ViscoseNonwovenAbsorbent pads in wound careCotton, ChitosanWeavingAntimicrobial dressings
Hygiene and healthcare products category The term "hygiene and healthcare products" refers to a variety of materials used to maintain the hygiene, safety, and care of medical professionals and patients. Surgical drapes, gowns, uniforms, clothing, caps, wipes, masks, and hospital bed linens are all included in this category +Fiber typesManufacturing system employedHygiene and healthcare productsPolyester, PolypropyleneNonwovenProtective clothesCotton, PolyesterWeavingUniformsPolyester, Polypropylene, CottonWeaving, NonwovenMedical gownsPolyester, Viscose, GlassNonwovenMasksCottonWeavingSheets and Pillow coversPolyester, CottonWeaving, KnittingBlanketsPolyester, Superabsorbent polymerNonwovenDiapers
Human textiles Human textiles refer to textiles that utilize human materials, including bioengineered yarns made from human cells, for tissue regeneration. Textiles manufactured from human tissue-based 'yarn' can be intricately woven, knitted, or braided and have the potential to contribute to various applications, ranging from simple biocompatible sutures to complex woven tissues for surgical repairs, thereby aiding in the healing process of injuries. Human textiles offer a potential solution to mitigate the drawbacks associated with foreign agents that may induce adverse side effects.
Cell-Assembled extracellular Matrix (CAM) The Cell-Assembled Extracellular matrix (CAM) is both biologically sound and resilient, allowing for large-scale production suitable for clinical applications utilizing regular, adult human fibroblasts.
Foreign body reaction In the medical field, most permanent synthetic biomaterials are considered foreign by the innate immune system. This can lead to a foreign body reaction when implanted.
Properties Products made from medical textiles are specially engineered textile-based products used in medical applications. These products are used for prevention, care, and hygiene purposes. A combination of properties are considered while selecting the materials, which largely depends upon the particular use. The materials used in medical textile products must have the following properties: strength, softness, biocompatibility, elasticity, flexibility, nontoxicity, noncarcinogenic, non-allergenic, and air and water permeability.
Biotextiles are constructions made of textile fibers that are employed in both implantable and non-implant applications. Their performance is assessed according to their biofunctionality, biocompatibility, and biostability. For example, biostability in the presence of body fluids and cells.
Material and technologies Fibers Overview Medical devices are commonly made in whole or part from fibers. A medical device is defined as any device intended for medical purposes. It could be a machine, a reagent for use in the lab, software, an appliance, an instrument, or an implant. For medical use, fiber selection is based on certain criteria of intended use. Primarily, fibers are chosen on the basis of their biodegradability or non-biodegradability. Other than biodegradability, strength, elasticity, and absorbency are also considered.
Natural fibers Natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and viscose (a regenerated cellulosic fiber) are used in hygiene and healthcare products, as well as non-implantable materials. Polyester, nylon, polypropylene, glass, and carbon are all examples of synthetic fibers used in Medical textiles. Fibers absorbed within three months by our biological system are considered biodegradable, and fibers that require more than six months to absorb are called non-biodegradable. These fibers are categorized as below: +BiodegradableNon-biodegradableFibersCottonPolyesterViscosePolypropylenePolyamidePolytetrafluoroethylenePolyurethane
PLA and PGA fibers
Polylactic acid, also called PLA, is a biodegradable, biosorbable or bioabsorbable polymer used in producing many type of implants such as naturally dissolving stents. Polyglycolide or polyglycolic acid, also called PGA, is a biodegradable and thermoplastic polymer. PGA suture is categorized as an absorbable synthetic braided multifilament.
Other polymers +BiodegradableNon-biodegradablePolymersAlginateCollagenChitinChitosan
Recent developments The term "medical textile" refers to various products made of textile materials (fiber, yarn, or fabric) that are used in the medical environment. Although both natural and synthetic fibers are used in medical textiles, properties such as modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, and hardness are mostly fixed factors in natural fibers, and have proven to be more manageable in synthetic fibers. Recent fiber developments have a significant impact on four primary areas of medical textiles: hygiene products, implants, non-implantable medical textiles, and extracorporeal medical textiles.
Medical textiles serve as a bridge between biological sciences and engineering. The advancement of materials science and related research has resulted in the introduction of new fiber materials and manufacturing processes for the medical sector. As a result of new technologies such as 3D printing, electrospinning and melt blowing technology in textiles, medical professions now have access to a diverse choice of textile materials with varying designs and qualities.