3 - Use of knitted spacer fabrics for hygiene applications

Abstract

The healthcare sector is under constant financial pressure due to the ageing population. Medical textiles have been identified as a growth area, with the incontinence market predicted to see substantial growth. The incidence of incontinence is a growing burden on the healthcare sector, so improved forms of intervention are required. Knitted spacer fabrics have created much interest in the textile industry, offering unique properties and being ideal for use next to the skin. Being washable and thus reusable, spacer fabrics are viable alternatives to disposable products in the medical sector, at a time when there is great emphasis on sustainability and the environmental impact of textile products. Focusing on incontinence products requiring bulk liquid absorption, the use of weft-knitted spacer fabrics is discussed. To understand how liquid moves through a spacer fabric, a new test method is presented offering scope as a tool to aid the design and development of functional spacer fabrics for hygiene applications.