What is Biomedical Textile?
Biomedical textiles are a branch of technical textiles designed specifically for medical and biological applications. Besides, biomedical textiles are fibrous material used in various applications in healthcare and related sectors. One of the important categories of these is implantable materials comprising sutures, vascular prostheses, artificial joints etc.
Fig: Biomedical textiles
Biomedical textiles are fibrous structures designed for use in specific biological environments, where their performance depends on biocompatibility with cells and biological tissue or fluids. Biomedical textiles are textile products and constructions, for medical and biological applications. It is related to medical textile. They are used for first aid, clinical or hygienic purposes. These types of textiles are manufactured from a wide range of processes. Extruded polymers can be further processed or used as filaments or tapes in dental floss and toothbrushes. Braided textiles are used for sutures and to replace damaged tendons and ligaments. Woven and knitted materials are used extensively in bandages, vascular grafts and hernia meshes. A specialized area of medical textiles is the extrusion of hollow fiber membranes used in extracorporeal devices. Non-wovens are primarily made from synthetic fibers and uses include wound dressings, hygiene products and protective clothing.
The design of a biomedical textile is driven by its end function. The main factors include:
a) Biodegradable Textiles:
The textile needs to fulfill the purpose for which it was designed, for example swabs require an absorbent textile, and sutures may require a biodegradable textile, while hospital bedding should be comfortable and durable.
b) Biocompatibility:
This refers to the reaction of the textile with blood and tissue in the body. An implantable device has more potential for reaction than an external device and is, therefore, subject to tighter regulations. For example an artificial ligament is permanent and is able to react with blood cells and the surrounding tissue, compared to an external bandage that is temporary and only contacts the outer skin tissue.
c) Cost:
This will depend on the raw materials, manufacturing process and product end-use; surgeons’ gowns and swabs should have a low production cost while vascular grafts and artificial skin will have a relatively high production cost.
d) Product approval:
Each country has its own regulations and standards for medical textiles. However the European Union has introduced Community Legislation to govern medical devices. The three directives are: Active Implantable Medical Devices, Medical Devices Directive and In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices.
Products of Biomedical Textiles:
Biomedical textiles are essential in modern healthcare, serving diverse applications such as surgical sutures, wound dressings, and implants. Biomedical textiles are textile products and constructions, for medical and biological applications. They are used for first aid, clinical or hygienic purposes. Biomedical textile products begin with raw materials (polymers) which have been specifically constructed and treated for medical application. Common applications of biomaterials include orthopedic hip and knee replacements, intra-ocular lens, dental implants, heart valves, contact lenses, vascular grafts, blood bags, catheters, surgical gowns and drapes, sutures, drug delivery devices, adhesion prevention, wound dressings, membranes, tendon, and ligaments, etc. Most biomedical materials used in the development or manufacturing process are found in braided, knitted, woven, or non-woven forms, and have a variety of dimensional characteristics, shapes, and methods of attachment to the finished device.
Application of Biomedical Textiles:
Biomedical textiles play a critical role in various medical applications, providing both functional and therapeutic benefits. Biomedical textile structures are used as functional components of a device in applications such as heart valves, endovascular grafts, soft tissue repair products, loadsharing scaffolds, and neurovascular stents. Since the 1960s, biomedical textiles have been used in cardiovascular medical devices, such as vascular grafts and heart valve sewing cuffs. However, the current wave of innovation is looking far beyond traditional materials and textile structures to enhance capabilities and performance in the repair of damaged or diseased cardiovascular tissue. In fact, the advent of new fabrics and geometries with greater variability of properties and performance characteristics, including the combination of resorbable and nonresorbable polymers, has enabled design developments previously unimagined.
Some uses are given below:
Protective and healthcare textiles: Surgeons’ wear, operating drapes and staff uniforms, etc.
External devices: Wound dressings, bandages, pressure garments, prosthetic socks, etc.
Implantable materials: Sutures, vascular grafts, artificial ligaments, etc.
Hygiene products: Incontinence pads, nappies, tampons, sanitary towels, etc.
Extracorporeal devices: Artificial liver, artificial kidney, artificial lung, etc.
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
