Company Germany
Abstract
The different finishing methods and methods for producing medical textiles represent an increasing market. Specially on
the field of transdermal systems and on the field of the so called smart clothing’s as well as nanotechnologies but also in
the technical areas like laminates for operation covers there are several variation of coated products indispensably. The
other aspect on the coating market is characterized by development of special coating materials like dispersion systems
and nanomaterials or on the other side new hotmelt systems with content on medicals. The main target is to achieve
additional properties which can be realized be coating. The presentation will show new trends in research and
development of coating technologies and on the other side coating products under the aspect of medical textiles and
advanced technologies for new innovative products.
Coating products for medical application
The use of textile products for medical application is rapidly increasing. Standard products for coating on the field of
medical application are TDS’s (TransDermale systems), standard self adhesive plaster, wound dressing and compresses,
plaster- / bandage materials, collagen- / siliconised tissues, operation textiles (clothing and covers) and gelatine mintstrips
and gelatine stripes with active ingredient too.
Available and demanded properties are: hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, alcohol repellancy, water density, medical
application, nano porosity, conductivity
The field of application and use are manifold. In parts can be named with hospitals (bandages, clothing, covers for tables
and beds i.e), medical products (gelantine strips, transdermal systems, plastics i.e.), biotechnology (analysis, culture
apparatures i.e.), and cosmetic industry (pads i.e.). The TD system is adhering to skin and delivers the drug through the
intact skin into the body for systematic action. The drug dosage release is controllable over a long period of time (up to
one week and more) and the active agent is resorpt directly by the blood without passing liver or the alimentary canal,
therefor allowing a much lower dosage of the drug than in other applications such as tablets.
Products for smart textiles can be named with ‘Interactive textiles’ – materials, which can react to human and
environmental conditions: phase-change materials (thermo-regulating systems), shape memory materials, change of
colour in case of emergency, reaction by change of temperature, pH-value and electro active influences, micro
encapsulation of specific agents (p.E. absorption of dangerous materials), transdermal systems – coating of textiles with
active substances and medicals, production of layers from gel with encapsulation of additional substances (freshmintstrips
u.a.) ➞ dissolution by floating of active substances.
Resulting from the high demands on the coating of textiles for medical and hygienic application supplier of coating and
laminating lines have to react with: creation of functional coating layers; application of thin medical layers; application of
inorganic layers by use of sol-gel-application; application of coating materials to reach special properties; application of
thin layers with a very high accuracy; production quality control; cleanliness; accurate record keeping functions; process
documentation change control; batch traceability; quality assurance programs
Conclusion
The constant growing market of medical products and its versatility determinates the requirements. The market
determinate the tendency of the future. Therefore the machine manufacturer has to meet the criterion of versatile and
flexible machine equipment, modular construction, selection of different coating systems, various lamination processes
and pre-treatments of substrates, like corona, plasma, UV-treatment.
