1 - Textile structures for medical applications

Abstract

The applications of textile contain a broad spectrum that ranges from apparel to technical textiles. Medical applications of textiles come under the umbrage of technical textiles. The applications of textile structures for medical purposes serve as a confluence of life sciences and technical discipline. The technical aspect involves the engineering of textile with proper chemistry and process control, while the knowledge in the field of medicine, microbiology, and related aspects are essential to make a textile structure suitable for medical end use. The textile structures suitable for medical application may be woven, knitted, braided, or nonwoven. The polymers and fibers to be used in medical utilities should have properties of non-toxicity, non-allergic, sterility, etc. in addition to the conventional property requirements. The scope of textile in medical end use ranges from sutures to implantable components, with their dimensions varying from 2D to 3D. Thus, the medical applications of textiles encompass the realm of single thread to complex composite structures. However, issues relating to wearability and ease of use of such products should be managed, in order to be accepted by the medical community. Developments in this field are underway that would help to monitor health issues and give a timely signal for appropriate action. Here, requirements of textile properties in the field of medical applications have been discussed. Moreover, this chapter focuses on various medical applications of textile structures especially in the field of drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and health monitoring.