Medical Textiles: Significance and Future Prospect in Bangladesh

Medical Textiles: Significance and Future Prospect in Bangladesh

Shohidul Islam
Department of Fabric Engineering,
Pabna Textile Engineering College, Pabna

Abstract

Medical textile materials include a large variety of fiber-based products with different fiber and textile structures. This article offers a general introduction to medical textiles and the technical features they share with other technical textile materials. The motive of this paper is to discuss textile materials that are used in medical treatments, information on imported items, and the scope of manufacturing these items in Bangladesh. At present, textile has become very popular in the medical sector. Medical textiles industry in Bangladesh holds immense potential for growth, both in the domestic and global markets.

Introduction

Medical textile is a sector of technical textiles that emphasizes fiber-based products used in healthcare applications such as prevention, care, and hygiene. The new field that has been created as a result of the combination of textile technology and medical science is known as Medical Textiles. It is also called Medi Tech or Biomedical Textile or Healthcare Textile.

The use of cloth in medicine dates back thousands of years. When cloth played an important role in wound closure. It was further developed with the advancement of surgery in 5000-3000 BC. These wound closures are made from natural materials like hemp, silk, linen strips, and cotton. Natural materials such as oil and wine lubricated were first used to ensure a clean wound closure process and reduce tissue tension. The jaws (jaws) of soldier ants were used to close wounds. Which is still used by some tribes and older tribes. They were used to make surgical clips in bowel surgery. The Roman Cornelius Celsus described the use of sutures and clips, and Alelius Galen described the use of silk and catgut in 150 AD. Indian plastic surgeon Sushruta describes suture material made from foxtail, hemp, and hair. Further advances in surgical and suture techniques were finally recorded with the development of sterilization methods around 1800. Synthetic sutures were introduced with the development of synthetic polymers and fibers. Almost 100 years later, in 2020, we again experienced a pandemic.The virus named Covid-19 has directly attacked around 199 countries killing millions of people. Doctors should wear personal protective equipment (PPE), disposal gloves, and masks to treat people infected with coronavirus. All of this equipment belongs to medical textiles.

These were the first tools to fight against viruses. After the COVID-19 pandemic has been around for 3 years, the sight of everyone wearing a mask in public areas has become common. The wide spread of the virus has encouraged people to be more mindful of their health and hygiene. Consequently, the market for medical textiles is growing as well. There are many more unknown uses of medical textiles, which we still have the opportunity to research.

Biological Applications in Medical Textile

What are biomedical textiles? Biomedical textiles is a term that comprises a variety of sub types such as:

1. N95 Mask
2. Surgical Mask
3. Artificial Kidney
4. Artificial Cornea
5. Artificial Bones
6. Artificial Blood Vessel
7. Surgical Gowns and Caps
8. Bandages
9. Gas Mask

1. N95 Mask:
N stands for “NOOIL” which means that anyone can use this mask. And 95 means that the mask doesn’t correspond to 95 degrees. This mask consists of several layers of WOOL (eg: polypropylene). This mask is mainly used for personal protection.

2. Surgical Mask:
A surgical mask is made of non-woven fabric, which can maintain filtration and air purifier. It is mainly composed of polypropylene. You can also use polypropylene or polyester.

3. Artificial Kidney:
An artificial kidney is a dialysis-based device that can artificially purify the blood. Generally, this system uses hollow membrane fibers.

4. Artificial Cornea:
This technique is used to treat blindness. The Textiles used must be flexible and have sufficient mechanical strength.

5. Artificial Bones:
A team from Deakin University in Australia stated that artificial bones are made of waste Denim used in the human body. A multi-functional renewable material is used for manufacturing artificial bones.

6. Artificial Blood Vessel:
Artificial blood vessels composed of viable tissue represent the ideal vascular graft. Textile prostheses are used where diameters of more than 6 mm are to be replaced.

7. Surgical Gowns and Caps:
A Surgical gown is a protective barrier worn by personnel during medical procedures to prevent the transmission of diseases and microbial contamination.

8. Bandages:
A strip of fabric is used especially to cover, dress, and bind up wounds. A flexible strip or band is used to cover, strengthen, or compress something.

9. Gas Mask:
A gas mask is an item of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face.

Importance of Medical Textiles

1. Patient Care and Safety
2. Surgical and Procedural Support
3. Medical Devices and Implants
4. Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Applications
5. Innovation and Advancements
6. Economic and Operational Efficiency

Conclusion

Medical textiles play a crucial role in the healthcare sector globally, and Bangladesh is no exception. Nowadays textiles are used in different sectors and for various purposes beyond imagination. The medical sector is one of them. An important and emerging part of the textile industry is the medical, hygiene, and health sector. The development is taking place due to the simultaneous expansion and improvement of technology in both the textile as well as medical sectors. The main object of this work is to study the types of medical textiles used in the medical sector, information on imported items, and the scope of manufacturing these items in Bangladesh.

References

Mazharul Islam Kiron

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.

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