8 – Fibers in medical healthcare

This chapter presents that fibers have always occupied a fundamental position in medical healthcare, by providing textiles, in the form of fibers, mono- and multi-filament yarns, woven, knitted, non-woven, and composite materials. The uses are many and varied, from the non-implantable materials, such as bandages, dressings, etc., implantable materials, such as sutures, vascular prostheses, hygiene products, such as bedding, clothing, operating room garments, wipes, etc., to the more specialized items, such as the artificial kidney. Most are disposable, but an increasing proportion of the products are reusable. The use of non-woven fiber is characterized by their ability to meet the huge variety of needs. Non-woven technology allows for continuous production with minimal intermediate stages, whereas traditional textiles may require several distinct discontinuation batch processes, for example, spinning, winding, beaming, sizing, before knitting or weaving. The process for non-woven is simple, productive, versatile, economic, and innovative. It requires only the formation of the fibrous web and then binding together of the fibers. Their versatility will surely keep the non-woven medical materials at the forefront well into the new millennium. The chapter discusses some of the developing and possible future uses fibers in medical healthcare.