Research Proposal
Medical and Hygiene Textiles Production
Introduction
According to research, nowadays the technical textiles are one of the faster growing sectors of the global textile industry that is moving rapidly toward the manufacture of high-added value textile structures and products such as medical textiles, protective textiles and smart textiles. Textile materials used in the medical and applied healthcare and hygiene sectors are an important and growing part of the textile industry.
During the year 2004, the number of people aged over 60 amounts to 40 percent of entire population. Aside, during the year 1980, there were only 22 percent of the Europeans belonged to such group age as the textiles represent an absolutely ideal interface between man and medical treatment facilities and it can be a one loss not to make use of the possibilities of any offers made (Hofer and Swerev, 2003).
This research proposal will be explaining and investigating on medical and hygiene textiles particularly in terms of production and with a sense of factual information as there can be ample usage and relevance of the medical and hygiene textiles into the health care functioning particularly on the medical staff or personnel of certain care areas of hospitals for example, those medical team that comprises the operating room in general. The need to create research aims, objectives and questions to amiably understand how the process of research studies and supporting materials to gather puts an ideal literature vigor and stance that it can bring balanced to what is intended to investigate upon and how it provides parallelism to qualitative and quantitative methods in utilization path. The main method is to use, collate and analyze core contents of several research articles/journals, probably 4-6 related studies as acknowledge by various authors will be okay and can serve as the direct research basis for achieving and understanding medical and hygiene textiles production into the field of health care process and ways. There is a need to know useful characteristics medical textiles market as well as trends to fully attain enough purpose and evaluate research weight through literature review organization and methods application that need causal link to the academic proof of medical and hygiene textiles emphasized in case study approach with in-depth literature support.
The research focus which can serve as one good objective for the study is ideally to be able to determine, recognize and apply certain research studies within the domain of academic journals and articles integrating a preliminary literature review that will assume reliable and valid points in support to general information, ideas or concepts by some of the proponents who has a better cup of knowledge when it comes to medical and hygiene textiles, the latter implies medical clothing and its manufacturing stance for medical hygiene realization.
The presuming aim of this can be to determine literature balance from within the medical textile market in international scenario and the category of where points of relevance to medical textiles are based on useful applications. The need to discuss the process of production of such textiles as there can be sense when knowing that, medical textiles are one steady sector of the textile market as prospects for medical textiles are desirable and better to use such as for nonwoven materials and disposable medical textiles being used into the surgical areas.
Literature Review
True, that one of the basic functions of medical clothes is to protect the medical personnel against a risk of biological infection by micro-organisms and it is a must to maintain the hygiene of such clothes like in the OR area and that medical clothes should have the whole complex of consumer and operational properties and should meet the requirements of health care standards and managing documents on the protection of work (Abreu, Silva, Schacher and Adolphe 2001; CEN 2001). ‘The core functions will allow one to consider medical clothes as the original barrier between human’s body and environment. Furthermore, clothes should rule out the possibility of an opportunity to forecast an occurrence of cross infection and if the special measures are not undertaken, these clothes can be the basic centres for infections in a hospital environment as well as rendering of better influence on occurrence and distribution of infectious diseases transmitted by contact and by air’, as one definite example imposed by some study findings (Marques and Silva, 1999; Mounter, 1999).
The one approach determine rigid requirements for designing medical clothes, choice of textiles for their manufacture, selection of package of clothes, maintenance of correct conditions for their operation and methods of cleaning. The correctly chosen medical clothes and accessories provide the effective way of protection for medical personnel and patients (Abreu, Silva, Schacher and Adolphe 2001; CEN 2001). In addition, the creation and crafting of comfortable working conditions, by having useful touch of a positive influence on the personnel. The textile materials of new generation with the given properties, being well selected, ensure rational combination of required qualities of medical clothes.
Currently, into the market of modern medical clothes, textiles used are made from materials consisting of mixtures of natural and synthetic fibres. Until now, traditional clothes from cotton fabrics are highly appreciated by the medical personnel for their comfort. However, cotton fabrics have the ability to accumulate pollution and micro-organisms from air and with their high hygroscopicity they provide a favourable medium for the duplication of micro-organisms. The big advantage of medical clothes over synthetic and mixed fabrics is in their high resistance for friction, stability of appearance and low crumpling (Feedonia Group Inc. 1996; Rigby, 1997).
Furthermore, World Market Forecast (2001), indicated as based on DRA’s research, that there were over 1.5mn tons of textile materials as being consumed within manufacturing of medical and hygiene products during the year 2000. Thus, there is predicted to increase in volume terms by 4.5 percent per annum to 2010 to reach 2.4mn tons with value, sector probably offers the greatest scope for the development of the most sophisticated and highest value textiles for niche applications (Technical Textiles and Industrial Nonwovens: World Market Forecast to 2001’, article taken from DRA Service http://www.davidrigbyassociates.com).
Technical textiles will find many different kinds of application with medical and hygiene products in the healthcare sector. The diversity of applications encountered in medical and healthcare products is quite remarkable, e.g. simple bandages, biocompatible implants and tissues, antibacterial wound treatment material, prosthetics, and intelligent textiles. Moreover, there covers wide range of applications, and the many end-uses with disparate requirements create opportunities for some good kinds of textile such as fibres, mono- and multi-filament yarns, woven, knitted, nonwoven, braiding and composite fabrics (Anand, 2003). Medical textiles embrace all those textile materials used in health and hygiene applications in both the consumer and medical markets. As such, it comprises a group of products with considerable variations in terms of product performance and unit value. Because of the nature of their application, many medical products are disposable items. Nonwovens account for a high part of the sector overall in terms of tons of fibre used (Technical Textiles International, 2003; DRA Service in 2001). Thus, another feature of the medical textile market will be the growing proportion of composite materials used in wound management products. This will mean the combination of textiles with such materials as films, foam and adhesives to form structures for the treatment of wound and healthcare products (Fischer and G. Fischer, 2003).
The increased use of textiles in composite applications will provide major growth fibre consumption in terms of volume.
Indeed, there accounts recognizing the fact that, European producers are world leaders in the market for technical/industrial textiles and nonwovens, for example industrial filters, hygiene products or in the medical sector. Although the textile sector is marked by small and medium-sized enterprises and local developments, it is important that research efforts take place in a more integrated way so as to achieve critical mass and be competitive on the global market. The European technical textile sector should continue to develop highly specialised products. This is the case as happened in medical textiles based on biomaterials, interactive and intelligent textiles provided for textile sensors and improving test methods (Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, 2003).
Among the textile materials used for manufacturing medical clothes, it is necessary to select fabrics from ultra thin polyester and polyamide fibres having complex of unique properties. They are water-repellent, but at the same time pass the outgoing moisture from the human body, thus providing comfort.
There can be discussions pertaining to medical and hygiene textiles such as the following points based from various case explanations:
There can be presence of a textile sponge for use in medical and hygienic applications there then resides a method for the production of a nonwoven, textile sponge for medicine and hygiene, having at least one absorbent fiber layer containing, in some cases, binding fibers, and at least one external layer containing water-repellent fibers, said water-repellent fiber layer having at least 80 percent synthetic heterofil filaments (Rajendran and Anand,, 2002; NWDA Northwest Textile Cluster, 2001).
Absorbent textile pads known as sponges are needed in medicine and in hygiene for use as surgical bandage and as protective or wiping material. In wound treatment, woven cotton gauze has the disadvantages that it adheres to the wound and has an unsatisfactorily low ability to absorb wound secretions. To reduce the tendency to adhere, unfolded compresses of the absorbent layer of first-aid bandages are covered with moisture-repellent woven synthetic fiber layers.
For instance, adhesion to the wound is effectively prevented by the moisture-repellent fiber overlay, which may be smoothed in some cases. Moreover, the sponge can be folded repeatedly without harm, and can easily be sealed thermally in this state to form a very bulky sponge. Due to the content of thermoplastic fibers in the outer layers, it can be welded along its margins, after a single folding in the case of two-layer configurations, to make an absorbent pad at whose sides any undesirable escape of fibers from the absorbent layer is thus reliably prevented.
The process of production of the sponge of the invention consists first in the laying of at least two fiber layers one on the other, one of which contains the known absorbent fibers and the other moisture-repellent thermoplastic heterofil filaments. For the outer moisture-repellent layer or layers, at least 80% (Fisher, 2008) of heterofil filaments are used. The fiber sandwich is then exposed to thin water jets of such low energy that no substantial fiber entanglement takes place, but only a hydraulic perforation. For the achievement of high rate of production and thereby economical manufacture, fiber slivers are usually laid down with a longitudinal orientation. The very low transverse strength which this entails can, if necessary, be increased simply by laying down each layer at right angles to the layer beneath it as especially for surgical sponges for the operating room where great resistance to tearing is required (Fisher, 2008).
Production of hygiene and medical textiles is on the increase, as is the variety of applications in this important sector. Geoff Fisher, then surveys recent developments in products, markets and technologies and during 2005, hygiene and medical textiles are projected to be at US around 12 percent of the global technical textiles market and true that when good production increase, the applications of medical textiles continue to expand into areas such as the following:
- textile structures are to be used in tissue engineering
- smart fibres loaded with drugs are being developed for the treatment of wounds and ulcers
- wearable products will open up new avenues in health monitoring
Meanwhile, falling birth rates, death rates have also declined due to continued improvements in food, sanitation, hygiene and medicine. While Western demand for baby diapers has stabilized, older consumers will increasingly spend more of their disposable income on personal care articles. In developing countries, demand for medical textiles, and especially for disposable absorbent products, is also expected to rise significantly as better result of fast-growing, increasingly urbanized, young population and the uptake of disposable bed sheets and surgical drapes, gowns and caps is also increasing and these are now widely used in hospital wards.
The Monitoring
Sophisticated medical textiles are developing into inter-disciplinary, high-technology products. In future, people will be able to monitor bodily functions and keep track of their personal health with the assistance of advanced electronics such as smart bandages, computers and the Internet (Technical Textiles International, Intelligent textiles for medical and monitoring applications, 2001 pages I I – 14). Wearable body-monitoring products are now on the market. These include armbands and body garments that provide the means for measuring vital parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, and skin and body temperature. Data is downloaded wirelessly to a personal computer or other device for further analysis.
Research Questions
How will the textile production can be advantage to medical field of areas like OR when it comes to standards of medical and hygiene ways? What will be the effect of characteristics and trends of its underlying market? Will demand for disposable absorbent products continue to rise in care settings? In what way? Will environmental issues affect the use of medical and hygiene products as for example, recognizing concerns over infection prevention in the operating room increase demand for reusable surgical clothes/textiles? What effect will intelligent textiles have on the medical and hygiene sectors?
Expected Outcome and Schedule
Event
February 09
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Problem Identification
Literature Search
Review of Lessons
Data Collection
Prepare Report Draft
Data Analysis
Finalize Report
Submit
Event
February 09
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Problem Identification
Literature Search
Review of Lessons
Data Collection
Prepare Report Draft
Data Analysis
Finalize Report
Submit
Event
February 09
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Problem Identification
Literature Search
Review of Lessons
Data Collection
Prepare Report Draft
Data Analysis
Finalize Report
Submit
Planned Methodology
Research design awareness and understanding from formation of in-depth case content analysis from such academic journals and articles such as those linked through Emerald insight and other reliable databases. The encounter of organized examples is to be applied such as Example 1, Example 2 and so on and so forth. Thus, survey interviews maybe used to determine the level of norms and standards by the medical personnel particular, surgical team regarding medical and hygiene textiles and how it fits to the modern usage and function in today’s health care setting.
Significance of the Study
The study can be another addition to the existing information and studies regarding textiles production emphasizing medical and hygiene advantage. The researcher aims to present a thorough literature that will be able to inform and educate medical team, authorities and some parties involved for making the study a good reference for medical students for example. The study will particularly gives in-depth information about textile production and market centering on medical and hygiene pointers as there may facilitates more efficient research paradigm for health care value and application that safety should at firsts and nothing more despite health issues and pressures of today’s fierce environment.
References
Abreu, M.J., Silva, M.E., Schacher, L., Adolphe, D. (2001), “New developments and innovations in the field of OR garments”, paper presented at the 2001 International Textile Congress, Terrassa
CEN (2001), “prEN 13795: Surgical drapes, gowns and clean-air suits, used as medical devices, for patients, clinical staff and equipment – Part 1: General requirements for manufacturers, processors and products”, CEN/TC 205/WG 14
Feedonia Group Inc. (1996), “Medical plastics and non-wovens”, Medical Device Technology, No.January/February, pp.38-40
Fisher, Geoff “Medical and hygiene textiles-continuing in good health“. Technical Textiles International : TTI. . FindArticles.com. 25 Dec. 2008
Höfer, D and Swerev, D. ‘The Future of Medical Textiles: High-tech For the Well-being of the Patient’, Journal of Textiles and Apparel, Technology and Management, 2003
Marques, M.J., Silva, M.E. (1999), “New materials for medical and surgical applications (non-active medical devices)”, paper presented at the Materiais 99 Conference, Guimarães, 21-23 June
Mounter, S. (1999), “Enforcing medical device regulations for medical textiles”, paper presented at the Index 99 Congress-Medical Session, Geneva, 27-30 April
‘Opportunities for healthcare and medical textiles growth’, Technical Textiles International, 2003
‘Technical Textiles and Industrial Nonwovens: World Market Forecast to 2001’, article taken from DRA Service http://www.davidrigbyassociates.com
A. Fischer, G. Fischer, ’Composite materials in healthcare and wound management’ Technical Textiles International, Vol. 12, 2003.
‘The future of the textiles and clothing sector in the enlarged European Union’, Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, 200
S. Rajendran and S.C. Anand, ‘Development in Medical Textiles’, Textile Progress, 2002, pp.10-13.
‘NWDA Northwest Textile Cluster, Mapping Project’, DRA, 2001.
Rigby, D. (1997), “The world technical textile industry and its markets: prospects to 2005″, Techtextil, .
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