medical textiles medical textiles medical textiles are various fiber-based materials intended for medical purposes. medical textile is a sector of technical textiles that focuses on 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. health workers in ppe kits 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.: 136 additionally, the covid-19 pandemic generated higher demand for certain medical textile applications , and there were shortages worldwide. even china, the world's largest manufacturer of such applications, has struggled to keep up with demand. history achilles bandaging patroclus. tondo of an attic red-figure kylix, ca. 500 bc, from vulci. copper engraving of doctor schnabel (i.e., dr. beak), a plague doctor in seventeenth-century rome, circa 1656 natural fibers have been used in medical applications since ancient times.: 1, 2 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. 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). ppe protects medical professionals from illness, infections . 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 products category medical textile products extracorporeal devices artificial organs such as lung, liver, and kidney, etc. implantable materials vascular grafts, sutures, artificial joints, and ligaments.: 148 non-implantable materials dressing, bandages, and plaster, etc. hygiene and healthcare products clothing, 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 types extracorporeal devices viscose (hollow type) artificial liver polyurethane artificial heart pp lungs 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.: 148 fiber or material types manufacturing system employed implantable materials: 149 polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene weaving, knitting cardiovascular implants such as vascular grafts and heart valves silicone, polyethylene, polyoxymethylene orthopedic implants such as artificial bones and joints polylactic acid, polyglycolide, collagen monofilament or braided biodegradable surgical sutures steel, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, nylon monofilament or braided non-biodegradable surgical sutures soft tissue implants such as the following: polyester, polyamide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene chitin poly(methyl methacrylate), collagen, silicon artificial tendon artificial skin artificial cornea and contact lens polyester, carbon braiding ligaments low-density polyethylene nonwoven cartilage 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.: 147, 148 fiber or material types manufacturing system employed non-implantable materials: 141 to 148 nylon, cotton, and spandex knitting and weaving compression bandages cotton, viscose, polyamide, and spandex weaving, knitting, and nonwoven ordinary bandages which are elastic or non-elastic cotton, viscose, polyurethane foam, polypropylene, and polyester weaving, nonwoven orthopedic bandages cotton, viscose knitting, weaving gauges cotton, viscose, plastic films, glass, polypropylene, and polyester knitting, weaving, and nonwoven plasters cotton, viscose nonwoven absorbent pads in wound care cotton, chitosan weaving antimicrobial dressings: 145–151 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.: 157 surgical drapes, gowns, uniforms, clothing, caps, wipes, masks, and hospital bed linens are all included in this category fiber types manufacturing system employed hygiene and healthcare products polyester, polypropylene nonwoven protective clothes cotton, polyester weaving uniforms polyester, polypropylene, cotton weaving, nonwoven medical gowns polyester, viscose, glass nonwoven masks cotton weaving sheets and pillow covers polyester, cotton weaving, knitting blankets polyester, superabsorbent polymer nonwoven diapers 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.: 136, 137 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 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.: 136 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:: 136, 137 biodegradable non-biodegradable fibers cotton polyester viscose polypropylene polyamide polytetrafluoroethylene polyurethane pla and pga fibers sutures made from polyglycolic acid. these sutures are adsorbable and are degraded by the body over time. polylactic acid, also called pla, is a biodegradable, biosorbable or bioabsorbable polymer used in producing many type of implants such as naturally dissolving stents.: 140 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 biodegradable non-biodegradable polymers alginate collagen chitin chitosan 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.: 2 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.: xxxiii 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. melt blowing is a well-established technology for fabricating micro- and nanofibers, in which a polymer melt is extruded via small nozzles surrounded by a high-speed blowing gas. melt-blown microfibers typically have a fiber diameter of 2–4 μm, but can be as small as 0.3–0.6 μm or as large as 15–20 μm. melt blowing technology helps in producing filtering products such as n95 masks, and female hygiene products. medical textiles use tubular fabrics with carefully chosen materials that are biocompatible, nonallergic, and nontoxic. for example, dyneema, ptfe, polyester, and teflon are used for implants. the material type varies depending on the implant area; for example, polytetrafluoroethylene is preferred for stent implants due to its non-stick properties, while polyolefin is used for mesh implants. vectran, a manufactured fiber from liquid-crystal polymer, is used in producing medical devices, for example, implants and certain surgical devices. intelligent textiles can be used for disease management as well as remote monitoring.: 373 intelligent textiles can monitor heart rate and blood pressure, which are critical components of medical diagnosis, and controlling them considerably reduces the incidence of serious health disorders. movement patterns and electroencephalograms are used to diagnose neurological illnesses and to guide treatment decisions.: 375 phase-change materials are helpful in medical textiles because they can be utilized to reheat hypothermia patients softly and precisely. additionally, the pcm can be incorporated therapeutically into elastic wraps or orthopedic joint supports. it makes it easy to provide heat or cold therapy to joints or muscles while wearing a bandage.: 54, 55 materials with shape-memory polymers that have the capabilities of temperature adaptive moisture management can improve the thermo-physiological comfort of patients. nonwoven fabrics with two or more fibers layers are widely used in a variety of applications, including tissue engineering scaffolds, wipes, wound dressings, and barrier materials. microfluidic spinning technology is used for fabricating many type of fibers. due to its ease of manipulation, high efficiency, controllability, and environmentally friendly chemical process, microfluidic systems have been identified as an appropriate microreactor platform for the production of anisotropic fibers. applications medical textiles cover a vast area of application that includes wound care, disease management, preventive clothing, bandages, hygiene (hospital linen), etc. medical textiles are useful in first aid, treating a wound or keeping a wound or illness in the right condition during medical treatment, they also helps in protecting the healthcare workers from infection and infectious diseases. wound care knitting, weaving, braiding, crocheting, composite materials, and non-woven technologies are all different fabric manufacturing systems used in contemporary wound care. research subjects in medical textiles include materials and products with significantly superior attributes produced using advanced technology and novel methodologies. new medical textiles are an emerging field with significant growth in wound treatment products. these are all important characteristics of wound care fibers and dressings. they are non-toxic, non-allergic, absorbent, hemostatic, biocompatible, breathable, and non-toxic. they also have good mechanical properties. chitosan, alginate, collagen, branan ferulate, and carbon fiber-based goods offer numerous advantages over conventional materials. materials used in wound care also include foams, hydrogels, films, hydrocolloids, and matrix (tissue engineering). tissue engineering textile technologies are now being considered for biofabrication. the physical and chemical properties of fibers, the size of the pores, and the strength of the fabric all play a role in how textile technologies can be used in tissue engineering. fibrous structures can be made and shaped with textile technology to meet the needs of a wide range