medical textiles

Medical textiles are one of the most rapidly expanding sectors in the technical textile market, according to reports, and hosiery products with medical industry applications are among a long list of textile products being consumed in that market.
by BRENT CHILDERS , Editor
A paper released last summer by the Institute of World Economy and Textile Marketing, textile materials used in the medical and applied healthcare and hygiene sectors are an important and growing part of the textile industry. According to Technical Textiles and Industrial Nonwovens:World Market Forecast to 2010 published by David Rigby Associates, it is forecast that the world market for technical textiles and industrial nonwovens will increase 3.8 percent per year from 2005 to 2010 with a volume value of $126 billion. The study suggested the market for medical textiles is being driven by a number of factors, including: Population growth rates, particularly among developing global regions; Changes in demographics, including a cited statistic that in 2004 people age 60 or over represented 40 percent of the entire population; Changes in living standards; Attitude to health risks, particularly health worker risk to bloodborne pathogens. Ongoing enhancement of product performance, driven by innovation within materials industries. Technical textiles will nd many different kinds of application with medical and hygiene products in the health care sector and those applications are diverse, the study concludes. The diversity of applications encountered in medical and healthcare products is quite remarkable, e.g. simple bandages, biocompatible implants and tissues, antibacterial wound treatment material, prosthetics and intelligent textiles, the study concludes. Each of these categories covers a broad range of applications, and the many end-uses with their disparate requirements create opportunities for all kinds of textile such as fibers, mono- and multifilament yarns, woven, braiding and composite fabrics. Compression therapy hosiery accounts for a signicant portion of North Carolinas medical textiles segment and it appears poised to take advantage of the predicted growth. North Carolina hosiery manufacturers, according to industry executives, provide the majority of compression therapy hosiery to the
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U.S. market. Companies manufacturing compression therapy hosiery at North Carolina facilities include Carolon, Elastic Therapy Inc., BSN-Jobst, Therarm and Medi.

These articial arteries are being tested by Carolinas Medical Center at the N.C. Center for Applied Textile Technology.

The compression hosiery market has its own set of criteria for its success over the previous several years. As the market for compression hosiery changed, so have the products themselves and that has changed the publics attitude of the stockings.While there used to be a negative stigma if you had to wear compression stockings when medical-grade products were the customers only option there now are more options. Most manufacturers offer a variety of styles, colors and compressions and products specically designed for men. Manufacturers also offer preventive products, which means the compression is set below 20 millimeters of mercury pressure. That makes the target audience almost limitless, exper ts say, since practically anyone who sits or stands for the majority of the day might benefit from wearing some form of compresLEGWEAR TRENDS AND FASHIONS

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sion hosiery. One source described Asheboro-based Elastic Therapy Inc. as a leader in marketing compression hosiery far beyond the medical setting. Still, the market for medical-grade products is large and includes patients with vascular or lymphatic disease, varicosis or thrombosis; burn patients; maternity patients; patients following sclerotherapy; and those who have had heart, organ transplant and cosmetic surgery. Larry Reid, president of Carolon, headquartered in Rural Hall, N.C, has been involved in the design, manufacture and sales of anti-embolism stockings, medical vascular hosiery, hot and cold therapy and compression products for 20 years. Reid said compression therapy is a specialty market and the stringent medical controls and regulations on the products make it even more specialized. Its not a commodity market Reid points out, stating the compression therapy market deals more in terms of pairs not dozens. Domestic manufacturers of compression hosiery arent under the same type pressures from imports as those competing in commodity markets. But Reid says the compression therapy market presents its own challenges as most hospitals today are operated by controlling groups. If I want to sell to a hospital just down the road I may have to go to Chicago, he said. And as the number of those controlling groups have grown smaller, he notes the business obviously becomes more competitive. Dick Green, human resource manager of BSN-Jobst in Charlotte, N.C., said the Germany-based company employs 400 people in North Carolina in the production of compression hosiery, diabetic socks, medical industry garments and other medical textile related products. Compression therapy hosiery accounts for

the majority of BSN-Jobsts North Carolina manufacturing operation. Recognized within the industry as the leading producer of compression therapy hosiery, the company also has a cut-andsew operation in North Carolina that produces medical industry garments, including a line of garments that can be customized to t individual patients.The company at one time also produced some seamless medical apparel but that operation has been shifted back to Germany where the company had already been manufacturing seamless garments. Greene said the variables involved in the compression characteristics of its hosiery products also require specialized training and that BSN-Jobst has utilized the Hosiery Technology Centers employee training programs. In Ellerbee, N.C.,Therarm a Kansasbased Knit-Rite company employs 45 people at its facility.The facility produces compression therapy hosiery. Jimmy Ray, plant manager at the Ellerbee facility, said agrees with projections that show continued growth in the medical textiles market. He says Therarm is poised to take advantage of that growth a leading provider of compression hosiery. While compression therapy hosiery is the dominant player in North Carolinas hosieryrelated medical textiles, most of the major compression hosiery providers also produce diabetic socks.Therarm produces a line of seamless diabetic socks using Shima Seiki atbed knitting machines. In addition, several sock manufacturers also are poised to take advantage of the growth in medical industry related markets. Malcolm Martin, president of Century Hosiery in Denton, N.C., said his primary line of soled cotton slipper socks are sold to both to hospital groups and also does private label business for distributors.

Martin said the cotton makeup of Centurys slippers are one aspect of his companys success as many hospital patients indicate they prefer the comfort afforded by the cotton and purchasers nd the product more economical to products comprised of polyester and nylon. Martin said the company, which also produces diabetic socks and currently employs 70 people, is expecting continued growth this year. Martins mention of the marketing asset of the material that goes in his products touches on another aspect of medical textiles and one of the drive components of its predicted growth. As yarn and ber producers continue to harness the innovation coming out of their testing facilities, its opening up new avenues of opportunity for medical hosiery products and a host of other markets as well. Wellman, the largest domestic polyester staple producer, last year announced a joint venture that resulted in Holober, promoted as the worlds rst body-responsive textile ber. It is said to work with the body to build strength, increase energy and accelerate muscle recovery. After ten years in development, its market launch last November was sounded as a significant step forward in clothing. Holofiber Enterprises holds a 75-percent stake in Holofiber manufacturer Hologenix, with Wellman owning the remainder. It works by transforming ambient light energy into energy with a different wavelength that the body can use. Energy emitted from the body is also transformed, and both are then reabsorbed, improving circulation and oxygen levels. Bob Usher, director of research and development at Wellman, said he is excited about the possibilities of the new product, which underwent physician supervised testing as CONTD page 18

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medical textiles

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well as a battery of other performance tests. Were really very excited about the product, Usher said.We have a great deal of testimonial information suggesting it works and it works well. Knit-Rite has an entire family of silver products constructed with X-STATIC - The Silver Fiber from Noble Fiber Technologies. Products ranging from prosthetic socks and diabetic socks, to torso interfaces and knee sleeves, now offer silvers antimicrobial and therapeutic characteristics. Yarn and fiber titan Invista this year introduced it COOLMAX FreshFX, an antimicrobial silver ion application for across-the-board hosiery products, including medical hosiery. John Hague, an Invistas hosiery marketing representative, said Invistas COOLMAX FreshFX is a cost-effective way for manu-

facturers to get freshness into legwear. He said the company is also working with microencapsulation technology applications for its yarn and ber for hosiery products that release moisturizing agents. Dyna-Yarn, based in North Carolina, also supplies the medical hosiery trade. Daryl Garner, sales representatives for Dyna-Yarn, sees it as a integral facet of the overall industry. The medical hosiery business is a vital part of the legwear community and an integral part of our business, he said. As Dyna-Yarn and other yarn and ber producers, as well as dyestuff and chemical suppliers, continue their quests for innovative applications, the development of new end-uses for medical textiles appears likely to keep the markets predictions on target.

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