Embroidery in Medical Textiles

Textile structures such as medical implants are widely used to replace and support soft tissues and can act as scaffolds in tissue engineering as they have the ability to provide optimal spatial and nutritional conditions for cell maintenance. Tissue engineering textiles and surgical implants have been used in vitro on tissues such as the liver, skin, bone, cartilage and muscle, including non-woven, woven and knitted fabrics.

An example of an embroidered surgical implant.

Embroidery technology allows the creation of highly complex 3D structures that can integrate structure dependent functions in the tissue, such as pore patterns and the ability to adjust a wide range of mechanical properties to match the properties of the host tissue.

As opposed to weaving where threads are arranged at flat angles, embroidery allows rounded shapes which enables the use of embroidered stents in the body, such as the one pictured above. This is used to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms, swellings in the main wall of the aorta, that are likely to rupture and can prove fatal.

An embroidered Tissue Scaffold.

What this highlights to me is just how significant textile technology is when it has the ability to save countless numbers of lives, it's just a brilliant use of textiles that often goes unnoticed. A number of people have told me that textile design is 'boring' and 'easy' when they ask me what I'm studying, and now I have yet another example of why they are just so wrong, not to mention patronising.

References:
Anand S (2001), 'Medical Textiles '99. Proceeding of the International Conference 24 & 25 August 1999', Woodhead Publishing Limited, p 200-6.

Wintermantel E, Mayer J, Eckert KL, Lüscher P, Mathey M (1996) 'Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Using Superstructures', Biomaterials, 17 p 18-92
http://www.swicofil.com/biomedical_textiles.http://www.tex.tuiasi.ro/biblioteca/carti/CARTI/Textile/Smart%20Fibres,%20Fabrics%20and%20Clothing/014.pdf

Image sources:
http://frankly.folksy.com/2011/11/18/the-power-of-making

http://www.amycongdon.com/?_escaped_fragment_=symbiotica-biological-bespoke/c1rgv

http://www.ellisdev.co.uk/vascular.html

Knitting in Medical Textiles

Knitting tends to involves a higher number of individual fibres than other biomedical textile engineering techniques, which can create higher intricacy and performance capabilities in textile structures. 

3D printed artificial blood vessel.

Knitted fabrics are the most widely 
used within medical textiles and are used frequently for: 

-Surgical mesh, gloves, masks and gowns.

-Prosthesis ligaments and bones

-Hernia repair

-Gynecological slings and prolapse devices

-Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery mesh

-Artificial blood vessels

-Bandages/ Wound Applications

- Surgical hosiery
-Pressure Gloves

Knitting is commonly used for manufacture of bandages in tubular form.

The weft knitting machine is chiefly used for production of two classes of medical textiles:
-support bandages and elastic bandages. 

Since these garments are to be continuously worn, the seams need to be very strong whilst allowing for fluid body movement. 

The warp knitting machines is used to manufacture wound dressings, 

bandages and vascular grafts. These tubular structures can best be produced on circular warp knitting 

machines.  

Successfully developed artificial blood vessels and bi-furcated valves are highly innovative and are an indication of the suitability of knitted tissue scaffolds as a potential substitute of non-woven scaffolds for tissue engineering.

A slightly unnerving list of human body parts that can be created using textile materials and into the body:

-Kidney
-Blood Vessel
-Cornea

-Liver
-Pancreas
-Nervous system
-Planted Hair
-Skin

-Lung

-Heart
-Muscle
-Bones & Tendon

I honestly do find this whole thing really fascinating, as it seems amazing to me that we are capable of building and repairing organs that can then fuse to living human tissue and become fully functional. In fact, the more I think about it the more I can appreciate the intelligence of it all and the more it astounds me.

References:
-Ray SC (2012). 'Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology', Woodhead Publishing Limited.
-Horrocks AR and Anand SC (2000). Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge in association with The Textile Institute, Abington.
-http://www.bmsri.com/structures-overview/
-http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/pdffiles/Nonwovens-For-Medical-Textiles.pdf

Image Sources:
-http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/CMSE/Fibre-Science/MedicalTextiles.aspx
-http://thecoolgadgets.com/3d-printed-artifical-blood-vessels-two-photon-polymerization-and-3d-printing-technologies/

An Introduction to Medical Textiles.

Following on from the lecture I really wanted to learn more about the world of medical textiles, therefore I thought it would be suitable to begin with a basic introduction to medical textiles, to educate myself more than anything.

The term medical textile refers to all textiles which are used for first aid, clinical, surgical and hygienic purposes.

Textile materials have always occupied a fundamental position in the form of fibres: mono- and multi-filiament yarns, spun yarns, woven, knitted, nonwoven and composite. Recently, knitted products are most widely used in medical textiles and it's market share is much higher than medical textiles in other forms. There is quite a varied use of textiles from sutures and hygiene products such as bedding, clothing and operating gowns to highly specialised uses such as creating an artificial organ.

The four key areas of medical textile application are:
- Non- implantable materials, such as wound dressings and bandages.
-Implantable materials, such as sutures, vascular grafts, artificial ligaments.
-Extra-corporeal devices, which are artificial organs to me and you, such as the kidney, liver, lung etc.
-Health care/ hygiene products, such as beddings surgical gowns and sanitary products.

The important functions of medical textiles:
-Protection: provided by gauges, face masks, surgical gowns, gloves and bandages etc.
-Reinforcement: to strengthen and protect the human body: sutures, prostheses, artificial ligaments etc.
-Filtration: provided by the by-pass filter, dialyser, use of membranes.
-Absorption: pads, towels, napkins, cotton wool, swabs etc.
-Containment: nettings, stretchers, wheel chairs etc.
There are also other important functions of medical textiles such as creating veins, arteries and artificial skin.

Wound care management must provide the following:
- Seal the wound and prevent any additional stress or loss of energy.
- Remove any excess toxins.
- Maintain a high level of humidity.
- Provide thermal insulation.
- Act as a barrier against micro organisms
- Removability without causing harm if the dressing needs changing.

I'm aware that medical textiles does not really relate to any of the work that I will produce in my time at Chelsea, however I just find it a really interesting subject, that I previously had very little knowledge on.

References:
-Ray SC (2012). 'Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology', Woodhead Publishing Limited.
-Horrocks AR and Anand SC (2000). Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge in association with The Textile Institute, Abington.

Image Sources:
http://www.sanjayinstruments.com
http://www.sono-tek.com/medical-textilesbandages
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