Originally Published EMDM
September 2004
Industry News
New Fabrics Comfort and Protect Healthcare WorkersCorinne Litchfield
By combining softness and barrier properties in a new line of fabrics, Polymer Group Inc. (PGI; Cuijk, Netherlands) aims to provide healthcare workers more comfort on the job as well as high levels of protection. “MediSoft fabrics provide the high barrier protection of spun-melt materials combined with softness, drapability, and breathability,” says CEO James L. Schaeffer.
Concerns surrounding the potential of cross-infection have propelled the medical industry to develop fabrics with improved fluid barriers. This can be achieved by means of the spun-melt process, but garments made with these fabrics tend to be stiff and uncomfortable. “MediSoft fabrics give PGI the ability to offer the comfort and convenience of spun-lace fabrics with the protection and cost advantages of spun-melt technology,” adds Schaeffer.
The company used two tests to evaluate fabric softness: handle-o-meter testing to measure the fabric’s drapability, and the coefficient of friction to measure its softness. Results of this testing showed that the MediSoft fabrics exhibited a 50% increase in drapability and a 40% increase in softness over standard spun-melt fabrics used in medical applications. In other tests, the fabrics were also found to exceed the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards for Level III garments of 50 cm in hydroheads, a measurement of barrier properties.
For more information, contact Polymer Group Inc., P.O. Box 15, 5430 AA, Cuijk, Netherlands; phone: +31 485 398295; Internet:
www.polymergroupinc.com.
Copyright ©2004 European Medical Device Manufacturer
