Medical Textiles from Natural Resources

Book excerpt: Medical Textiles from Natural Resources provides systematic and comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals, production methods, processing techniques, characterization techniques, properties and applications of medical textile materials from natural resources. Medical textiles offer a variety of technical and functional properties valued in medical and healthcare sectors, often relating to hygiene. As medical textile products remain in close contact with the human body, the fibre must have characteristics such as biological compatibility, biological degradability, permeability and nontoxicity. Only materials from natural renewable sources have such characteristics. This book provides the latest information on a wide range of medical applications, from single suture and wound dressings, to implants and tissue scaffolds. It also offers a systematic review of the manufacture, properties and applications of technical textiles for medical use. Explains the latest technologies related to fibre extraction from natural sources, chemical treatments, weave constructions, fabric finishes and coatings. Describes innovative applications of nanomaterials in the treatment of textile fabric and the utilization of carbohydrate polymers in the preparation of nanoparticles deposited in nonwoven fabrics. Helps product designers to find appropriate materials from natural resources with the characteristics of biodegradability, renewability, biocompatibility and nontoxicity.