TECHNOLOGY NEWS: SURFACE TREATMENT
 |
Plasma-based surface treatment could be used to improve the antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility of medical textiles.
|
Plasma-based surface treatment is a mature technology in many respects, but it has not been fully exploited in medical textile applications, according to Dirk Hegemann, group manager of the plasma-modified surfaces division at Empa, Swiss Materials Science & Technology (St. Gallen, Switzerland). Researchers at the centre intend to remedy that. Applying the technology to yarn that is then woven into textiles may enhance a product’s antimicrobial, antistatic, hydrophobic, and hydrophilic properties along with its biocompatibility and lubricity. The technol- ogy also has potential for enhancing long-term patient-monitoring applications.
“Plasma coating has not yet been commercialized for the continuous coating of yarn,” says Hegemann. Empa is developing a technology to achieve this. The use of silver coatings to obtain antibacterial and electrically conductive properties is one application that has sparked the interest of researchers.
The coatings are applied one atomic layer at a time. This enables researchers to precisely control the amount of silver that is deposited on the yarn and to fine-tune the adhesive properties. By modifying the fibre and yarn surfaces at the nano level, Hegemann adds, desirable textile properties such as flexibility, mechanical strength, and touch are retained.
The silver coating also imparts conductivity to the yarn, enabling its use in textile-based electrodes. The material could be used to manufacture clothing that doubles as an ECG device for long-term patient monitoring. Textile electrodes also may be used in electrostimulation products. In fact, says Hegemann, “multifunctional fibres can lead to a host of new products.”
Furthermore, the technology’s suitability for neuroprosthetics and regeneration is being investigated in a collaborative project by the Institute for Automation at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich and Compex Médical S.A. (Ecublens, Switzerland), which manufactures muscle stimulation devices.
