FABRIC KNOWLEDGE FOR

MERCHANDISERS
MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT
ON

MEDITECH TEXTILES

SUBMITTED TO:
ANKITA MAM
(ASSISTANT PROFFESSOR)

SUBMITTED BY:
AASHNA,ARUSHI,SUJATA
MFM-1
Technical Textiles

Technical textiles are technical materials manufactured mainly for their

technical performance and functional properties.
In 2007, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh announced the Technology Mission on Technical
Textiles under the XI Five Year Plan. The mission has been established to address the major
constraints for improving production and consumption of technical textiles.

Classification of Technical Textiles

According to the end use,technical textiles can be divided into different
categories

Agrotech
Buildtech
Clothtech
Geotech
Hometech
Indutech
Meditech
Mobiltech
Oecotech
Protech
Sporttech
Packtech

Meditech
These are medical textiles, also known as medtex. Meditech products include textile materials used
in hygiene, health and personal care as well as surgical applications. The Meditech products are
available in woven, knitted and non-woven forms based on the area of application. Their use is
based on a number of typical basic textile properties like softness and lightness, flexibility,
absorption, filtering etc. Increasingly, synthetic fiber is being used in the production of these
products.
The technical textile products covered under Meditech are as given below: Baby diapers
Incontinence diapers
Sanitary napkin
Surgical sutures
Disposables
Surgical dressing
Contact lens
Artificial implants

Utility: Meditech products will prevent hospital acquired infection, cross-infection, and provide
savings in overall healthcare costs due to reduced cross-infections. Improved Meditech products
will provide comfort and quicker healing.

FIBERS USED
For the production of nonwovens for the medical and sanitary domain and for products in the
personal and health care and the cosmetic area, mainly 3 fibres types are used: cotton, rayon and
wood pulp, cotton linters.
COTTON
Cotton is the purest form of cellulose that can be found in nature and excels the physical and
chemical homogeneity of any other vegetable fibre. Cotton is a highly absorbent fibre and therefore
suited very well for absorption of body fluids such as urine, blood and other fluids. It is used for
bandages and would dressings, absorbent pads, tampons, sponges, swabs. Cotton also offers the
positive property of being a naturally breathing fibre. i.e. it largely prevents the passage of fluids
and water vapor pass. With this property cotton is also predestined for surgical gowns and drapes.
Wet state, cotton has a higher strength favorable for health care applications requiring skin contact.

VISCOSE
Viscose consists of cellulose like cotton.Considering the constantly growing environmental
awareness, the possible decomposition of nonwovens gains more and more importance which also
promotes the use of rayon. The product advantages are similar to those of cotton: skin tolerance,
physiological safety, decomposable, good moisture absorbency and simple finished. For cotton
products mostly blends of viscose and cotton are processed, for the production of tampons, but also
100% viscose fibres. viscose is of great importance. It is certainly the essential property of wiping
cloths to absorb fluids and accumulate them, i.e. absorption and retaining capacity. Depending on
the field of application, Medical and hospital wipes, wet wipes. Refreshing tissues, household wipes
and industrial wipes. In many cases blends with polyester or polypropylene are used
to obtain certain characteristics.
WOOD PULP
Wood pulp consists of cellulose fibres made from wood. This is the most frequently used fibre
worldwide. The main use of pulp is found in the production of absorbent disposables such as
diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence diapers. Another application is wiping cloths for the medical

domain and industry, in particular for the graphic industry where also the absorbing property is
desired. Another application is the consumer domain with the use of table cloths, napkins, tissue etc,
and the hospital domain with surgical drapes, bed sheets, and surgical gowns. Often blends with
synthetics used for the latter application.
COTTON LINTERS
Cotton linters can become an alternative for the disposables market. Considering the cost, cotton can
certainly not replace pulp, but cotton could make a contribution in the future. When producing
nonwovens from fibres, which are placed on belt while distributed in the air flow, also bicomponent
fibres in short staple form could be used besides wood pulp and cotton linters.

MEDICAL TEXTILE PRODUCTS

IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL TEXTILES:

The materials are used in effecting repair to the body whether it is wound closure (sutures) or
replacements Surgery like vascular grafts, artificial ligaments, etc). There are of many shapes and
sizes, for duplications as found in human body. Filament texturised yarns used nowadays, which are
coated to prevent leakage of blood while tissue, is forming on the inner walls.
Carbon fibre is a popular material for tissue repair.
Suspensory and reinforcing surgical meshes are used in plastic surgery for repairing defects
of the abdominal wall. Surgical treatments of hermia in Urology etc
Hydrophobic sanavel felt dressings are high porosity textiles made from man- made fibres
designed for treatment of bums and different dermatological defects.

Sutures

Heart valve

vascular grafts

contact lens

NON IMPLANTABLE MATERIALS:

These materials are used for external applications on the body and may or may contact with skin.
They are made form co-polymer of two amino acids. They are employed as covering, absorbent,
protective and supports for injured or diseased part. They are different types.

Absorbent pad

plaster

Bandages

Gauzes

HEALTH CARE TEXTILES:

An important area of the textiles is the health care and hygiene sector among other medical
applications. The range of products available for health care and hygiene is vast, but they are
typically
used either in the operation theatre or in the hospital wards for hygiene, care and safety of the staff
and patients.

Surgical cap,gown and masks

Baby diapers

Requirements of textile products for medical applications

Biocompatible
Good resistance to acids, alkalis and micro-organisms
Good dimensional stability
Elasticity
Free from contamination and impurities
Absorption /repellency
Air permeability

COE: Meditech (SITRA)

With support from the Ministry of Textiles, South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) has
established Centre of Excellence in Medical Textiles in the field of Technical Textiles. The COE is a
one-stop shop for addressing the issues and concerns of medical textile fraternity. The COE has
facilities for Research and Development, testing, incubation, training and a well-endowed
information resource centre for the usage of the Industry stakeholders .The first phase of the COE
implementation also saw involvement from the AC College of Technology, Chennai.

South India Textile Research Association (SITRA)

SITRA was established in the year 1956 by the textile industry with support from the Ministry of
Textiles, Government of India. SITRA is governed by Council of Administration consisting of
members from the textile industry, representatives from Ministry of Textiles, Government of India,

representatives from Government of Tamil Nadu, scientists from reputed institutions and Directors
of other Textile Research Associations. The total membership of SITRA now stands at about 280,
covering about 330 units. This includes 11 mills from 8 foreig ncountries namely Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Iran, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Indonesia. SITRA's services are also
utilized by about 77 small units under the technical service card holder's category. Further SITRA
offers services through 7 power loom service centers, one textile service center, 4 CAD centers, one
jute promotion center and one sample collection center.

POTENTIAL FOR TECHNICAL TEXTILES IN INDIA

In India, technical textiles is emerging as an important industry which has high growth
potential both in domestic market and exports.
Technical textiles industry in India can achieve a compound annual growth rate of 11% and
market size of Rs.70,151 crore by 2012-13.Given the rising disposable incomes in India, the
use of these items is bound to increase in coming years.
India has the potential to attract large scale investments in technical textiles, in raw materials
(fibres), intermediates (yarns, fabrics) and finished products.
Indias meditech segment is expected to grow at a rate of 20% to US$ 1,039 Million by 201617, as per estimates of the Working Group on Textiles and Jute Industry, Ministry of Textiles,
Government of India.
Segmentation of technical textiles in India

Opportunities and challenges ahead

Opportunities

Consumtion is increasing rapidly.

Private hospital chains are growing.
Doctor/patient awareness for hygiene is increasing.
Medical tourism.

Challenges China has become very strong in most of hygiene and health care
products.
There are very few BIS standards in place leading to substandard quality
products being used.
Export benefits like DD/DEPB not notified for many products.

Conclusion
Textiles are very important in all aspects of medicine and surgery.
Advances in non-wovens have resulted in a new breed of medical textiles.
It is predicted that the non-woven materials will continue to have greater impact in this sector
because of large number of characteristics and performance criteria required from these
materials.