Use of textile materials in the health market

Ae textile is a key player in healthcare technologies. This technical market has become a major diversification factor for textile manufacturers. Textile material properties such as porosity, mechanical strength, suppleness and flexibility, as well as the wide choice of materials (polymers, composites), shapes (fibers, yarns, woven, knitted, braided, non-woven, etc.) and functionalities (surface treatments, coating, compounding, etc.) have made it a material of choice for meeting the expectations of clinicians and patients alike. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of textiles used in healthcare.

To do this, we'll start with a "market" overview of the use of technical textiles in the medical sector. The three main areas of use are care and therapy devices, diagnostic and monitoring devices, and protective and hygiene devices. We will then look at the technologies used in the various healthcare applications. Today, the entire textile value chain is involved in the development of a medical device. From fiber to surface treatment, every textile manufacturer is likely to have an interest. We'll see that each textile technology has a specific application in the medical field, for example knitting in orthotics or weaving in vascular implants. Finally, after this overview, we'll conclude with some perspectives and trends for the use of textile materials in healthcare.