After 100 years, the world is experiencing another pandemic disease caused by the COVID-19 virus in 2020. Till now almost in 199 countries, this virus has been found. Some countries are severely suffering like USA, Italy, Spain, Iran, China, the UK, etc. Commonly all affected countries are sufferings for inadequate medical safety gears. The doctors need to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Disposal gloves, Mask for the treatment of corona affected people. But unfortunately, all are in life risk due to a shortage of these pieces of equipment.
Figure: The global medical textiles market is projected to grow significantly in the coming years.
So, the pandemic also creates a scope for the Bangladesh textile and apparel industry to manufacture fabrics and garments to meet global medical textile demands. Already Bangladesh has proved that it can grab the segment.
Medical textile
Medical textile also is known as bio-medical textiles which is a mixture of textile technology and medical science. The main purpose of medical textile is to improve human health and wellness. Major functions of medical textiles are health care, hygiene, new fiber technology and artificial medical textile products. Medical textile is the fastest growing sector for its demand.
Types of fabric used in medical textile
Different types of fabrics are used in medical textiles. But mainly four types of fabrics are mostly used in medical textiles. These are-
Woven
Non-woven
Braided
Knitted
Properties of the medical textile as follows:
Medical textiles must be non-toxic and non-allergenic.
It must be compatible with the most living system.
It should be sterilized without imparting any change in physical and chemical characteristics.
If necessary, it should be versatile in their physical form like powder form, aqueous form, film, fiber, sponges, etc.
It should have enough lightness, strength, elasticity, softness, etc.
Nano-technology in medical textile
Nano-technique has acquired tremendous impulse in the last decade. Nano-fibre based products, as well as nano-coated materials, are present innovations in the field of medicine. So, in our technical poster, we have gone through the latest medical textiles, nano-based products due to the following features and a wide range of applications.
Nanofibres are very attracted due to their unique properties, high surface area to volume ratio, film thinness, nanoscale fiber diameter porosity of structure, lighter weight. Nanofibres are porous and the distribution of pore size could be of wide range, so they can be considered as engineered scaffolds with broad application in the field of tissue engineering. Some other applications like wound dressings, bone regeneration and nanofibres to be the carrier of various drugs to the specific sites, etc.
Smart medical fabric technology
Smart medical textiles revolutionize health care. Smart fabric technology has a great deal to offer patient monitoring. Sensors integrated right into the textile provide the least annoying way to monitor vitals.
The body temperature of patients can be regulated by fabrics that can detect the need for the wearer and ideal body temperature. This fabric was designed by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. It works by identifying the patient and measuring the surrounding temperature and then adjusting the temperature according to the needs of the patient. This could be particularly useful for patients in the hospital who feel cold after surgery or get too hot during operation.
Users can gain access to a lab-quality analysis by using a biometric “shirt” developed by Hexoskin. Few projects like heart rate measuring clothes, blood vessels developed from textiles and suits for increasing mobility of disabled children are being developed. By using new and smart textiles for medical applications, new opportunities are created in the health care sector.
Medi-tech product
Wound care: Wound care prevents body infections from absorbing blood from the wound.
Bandages: Bandages are used to position the level of wound care in the correct position. Woven, non-woven and knitted fabric are used to create bandages.
Human textile: Human textile is used to replace the damaged part of the human body. Another purpose of making it is that after repairing the body with artificial yarn, the body considers it an external part, but when the damaged part is filled with the yarn made from human cells, it easily absorbs the body and does not cause any internal problems.
Extracorporeal device: Extracorporeal Device is a mechanical organ. An extracorporeal device such as artificial cleansing, artificial kidney, artificial liver, etc. Modern textile technology plays an important role in the creation of an Extracorporeal Device.
Implantable material: This type of material is used to repair the body. It is used to remove damaged organs by creating artificial limbs.
Artificial ligaments: This medical device is used to attach the two ends of the bones. It is possible to create Artificial Ligament using polyester such as Man Made fibers.
Contact lenses: Contact lenses are one of the most used textile technologies in modern times. Contact Lenses change the color of the eyes and make them sweeter. It is made with water-absorbing material.
Artificial cornea: This technology is used to remove blindness. Textile materials used in this field should be flexible and have sufficient mechanical strength.
Artificial kidney: Hollow viscose, polyester is used to make it. An artificial kidney is used to remove waste from the blood.
Mechanical lung: It removes carbon dioxide from the blood and helps in transporting clean oxygen. It is used in hollow viscose to create.
Also, artificial skin, sutures vascular graft artificial joint, textile material is used in health care.
The global market of medical textile
The global medical textiles market was valued at USD 16,686.6 million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 23.3 billion at a CAGR of 4.9% by 2025, according to a new report conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Now U.S. medical textiles industry revenue is projected to grow at a rate of 5.3% over the forecast period.
Also, Germany's medical textiles market was valued for USD 1,852.1 million in 2019 and is projected to grow significantly over the forecast period. And the Chinese market is anticipated to reach USD 1,547.4 million by 2025.
Opportunity for Bangladesh in the field of medical textiles
Bangladesh is the most populous country in the world with a huge requirement for healthcare services. The opportunity in the medical textile industry is also tremendous. Consumption is increasing rapidly.
The healthcare spending from the private sector comprises over 70% of the market which is more than comparable developing countries as well as developed countries.
The Coronavirus impact has revealed the weakness and vacuum of medical safety kits all over the world. Here the Bangladeshi manufacturers can think over it and can take this as an opportunity for the long run. Regular fashion brands are canceling their orders, at the same time PPE demand growing sky high all over the world.
So, factories can immediately manufacture this demand-based PPE also can-do plan for future business.
Right now there are a few manufacturers who are supplying medical accessories to several countries.
Medical textile manufacturers in Bangladesh
Smart Group of Industries
Nasir & Sons Bangladesh
E-Baik Transport Corporation
Abiyan International
Sagar Trader's
These manufacturers of Bangladesh supplying regularly their products in many countries such as the USA, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. There are now many more factories like Snowtex, Urmi Group, Aman Group, Dekko Group, etc. are producing personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet the current local demand.
