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TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume
3, Issue 2, Fall 2003 “The New World of Medical Textiles” |
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Preparation
and Investigation of Antibacterial Tanya
Abel, JaimeLee I. Cohen, Jasmine Escalera, Robert Engel,
Maya Filshtinskaya, Russell Fincher, Alice Melkonianc and
Karin
Melkonian ABSTRACT Surfaces bearing protein units (wool, silk) have been modified in a two step process to incorporate at the free side-chain hydroxyl group functionalities (lipophilic with polycationic units) that bear antibacterial activity. The approach has involved tosylation of the hydroxyl groups followed by displacement with a tertiary amine bearing cationic and lipophilic components. The effectiveness of these modified surfaces for antibacterial action against a series of Gram + and Gram - bacteria is reported. Structural factors maximizing the activity against all species tested have been studied and appropriate surfaces have been generated. Preparative procedures along with methods of investigation of the antimicrobial activity are included along with a discussion of mode of activity. KEYWORDS: antibacterial, surfaces, antimicrobial |
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The Potential
for Improving Medical Textiles with Alan
E. Tonelli
Cyclodextrins (CDs), 1,4 -a-linked cyclic starches containing 6 (a-CD), 7 (ß-CD), and 8 (?-CD) glucose units, are water soluble molecular bracelets, with hydrophobic interiors and hydrophilic exteriors. They are widely known for their ability to serve as hosts in the formation of both soluble and solid crystalline inclusion complexes (ICs) with a large variety of non-covalently included guest molecules. Recently we have demonstrated that a wide range of high molecular weight polymers, as well as small-molecule guests may be included in the host CD channels and cavities of their CD-ICs. These CD-IC crystals melt at high temperatures (~300º C) and effectively screen their included guests from environmental influences. For example, crystalline CD-ICs may even be formed with polymer and small-molecule guests that are liquids in their pure bulk states. In polymer-CD-ICs the CD bracelets pack to form parallel stacks with narrow continuous channels (~0.5-1.0 nm in diameter), where the included polymer guests reside in highly extended conformations and are segregated from neighboring included polymer chains. Coalescence of guest polymers from their CD-ICs, which can be accomplished with a solvent for CD that is a non-solvent for the guest polymer or by treatment with an amylase enzyme, results in their consolidation into bulk samples with morphologies that are uniquely different from those normally obtained by consolidation from their disorder-ed solutions and melts. As a consequence, we have found their crystallinities, miscibilities with other polymers and small-molecules, and the phase separation of their block copolymers can be controlled by coalescence from their CD-IC crystals. Here we offer an assessment of the potential for using polymer materials processed with CD-ICs as a means to improve medical textiles, including applications such as the controlled delivery of drugs and genes and for fabricating anti-bacterial sutures, wound dressings, and implants. KEYWORDS:
anti-bacterial sutures, wound dressings, implants |
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Analysis for Testing and Evaluation of the Barrier Effect of
Surgical Gowns Dilibaier Aibibu, Beata Lehmann, Peter Offermann Dresden University of Technology, Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology D-01062 Dresden ABSTRACT Clothing is
used for protection against particle loaded liquids in many working
environments. An important field is the operating
theatre, where surgical gowns need to serve as barriers between
the infection source and clinical personnel as well as providing
satisfactory wearing comfort. The micro-organisms, like bacteria
and viruses, which are responsible for the transmission of disease
are of various sizes and geometries. Comfort is important for the
healthcare providers who often have to wear their surgical gown
for several hours while doing strenuous work under hot lamps.
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| The Relationship of Fabric
Properties and Bacterial Filtration Efficiency for Selected Surgical Face Masks Karen K. Leonas, Ph.D. and Cindy R. Jones ABSTRACT Surgical face masks are an important component of surgical apparel. The masks are expected to perform as barriers and provide increased protection to the patients and health care workers. In this study, the Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of six commercially available surgical facemask's was determined for two microorganisms. Fabric characteristics (weight, thickness, pore size, and resistance to synthetic blood strike through) thought to influence the barrier effectiveness were measured and the relationship between these characteristics and BFE was examined. Two challenge microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were evaluated in this study. For five of the six masks evaluated, the BFE against the challenge microorganism S. aureus was higher than when the challenge microorganism was E. coli. The mask with the lowest mean pore size and lowest maximum pore size had the highest BFE for both microorganisms evaluated, indicating that a relationship exists between pore size and BFE. KEYWORDS:
surgical face masks, bacterial filtration efficiency, S. aureus,
E. coli |
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| DESIGNING CARBON-POLYESTER
BRAIDS FOR LIGAMENTS
Prasad Potluri*, William D Cooke, Alberto Lora Lamia and Edurdo
Corral Ortega
Ligament prostheses are highly load-bearing structures that are subjected to both quasi-static and impact loading. They are expected to have a long service life without undergoing excessive creep. In addition, in vivo trials are very expensive and take a very long time. In view of this, numerical simulation techniques were developed in the present work to simulate the structural response of the ligaments. Non-linear load-deformation behaviour of a braided ligament was predicted based on the stress-strain relationships of constituent yarns of carbon and polyester. Tensile and transverse stresses were computed in order to establish failure criteria. A cyclic fatigue test scheme that maintains a desired load-amplitude is described. This test scheme does not need expensive servo-hydraulics and hence can be used to test a large number of samples simultaneously to expedite a product development cycle. KEYWORDS:
ligaments, anterior cruciate ligament, braid, carbon fiber, polyester |
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TRENDS IN BIOTEXTILES – THE
CHALLENGE OF TISSUE ENGINEERING
Ruwan D. Sumanasinghe1 and Martin W. King1,2 ABSTRACT So you think that the Bionic Woman and the Six Million Dollar Man were simply science fiction stories? Think again! Rapid advances in the biological sciences and nanotechnology are becoming fused together to create the field of tissue engineering which is developing biological substitutes for the repair and regeneration of tissues and organs. This paper presents an overview of the latest concepts used in the field of tissue engineering and highlights those aspects of this multidisciplinary endeavor where polymer chemistry, fiber science and textile technology and engineering can make a significant contribution in the future design and development of novel biotextile scaffolds. KEYWORDS:
biotextiles, biological sciences, nanotechnology, tissue engineering,
scaffolds,
resorbable polymers, cell culture, bioreactor,
in vivo, in vitro, cell signalling, gene therapy, nanofabrication |
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Medical Textiles and Skin Equivalents by
D. Höfer, M. Swerev ABSTRACT In recent years the cooperation between physicians, surgeons, microbiologists, physiologists and textile scientists has produced a multitude of innovative applications for textiles, especially in the medical field. The results are promising textile-based solutions for the health service, so called medical textiles. This article tries to cover some future aspects of medical textiles as well as how to improve the performance of these upcoming fabrics. KEYWORDS:
innovative applications, textile-based health services |
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The Future of Medical Textiles: High-tech for the Well-being of the Patient by
D. Höfer, M. Swerev ABSTRACT The cooperation of physicians, surgeons, microbiologists, physiologists and textile scientists at the Hohenstein Institutes has produced, over recent years, a multitude of innovative applications for textiles. Since June 2001, the Competence Centre on Medical Textiles, headed by Dr. Dirk Höfer, has addressed issues in this promising field of textile-based solutions for the health service, thus taking even more advantage of the synergetic effects possible at the Hohenstein Institutes. The background to this research work is the increasing life expectancy of the European population as well as the challenges resulting from this development. In order to achieve practical solutions in a limited time frame, the medical sector will have to cope with the problems arising from the introduction of new technologies. KEYWORDS: innovative applications, textile health services |
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