Nonwovens have played a huge role in the worldwide fight against COVID-19. Everyone has heard much about the importance of face masks and disinfecting wipes today. Many, however, may not be aware of the fact that the use of nonwovens for medical purposes goes all the way back to WWII. At that time, nonwovens supplied the tremendous need for easily deployed medical products. As the technologies gradually improved, nonwovens proved to be superior to conventional fabrics in terms of disposability, adaptability, effectiveness, and cost.
Problems with cross-contamination and infections in hospitals have demonstrated that the re-use of masks and gowns is unacceptable. Nonwovens not only make it possible to dispose of potentially contaminated items, they also provide effective barriers against bacteria and reduce air-borne contamination.
Other reasons why nonwoven fabrics are ideally suited for the medical industry include their ability to:
- mitigate medical risks with increased prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria, blood-borne diseases, viral threats, polluted indoor/outdoor air, and more
- be tailored to changing specifications
- meet increasing demands for environmentally-responsible/friendly disposable products
With lives at stake, medical nonwoven technology is subject to intense monitoring. This level of scrutiny has raised the bar on quality and is providing opportunities for new uses, day by day. Medical nonwovens have virtually unlimited applications for healthcare products, including: surgical gowns, masks, bedding, dressings, surgical drapes, implantables like sutures, orthopedic & tissue structures, and more.
A few of the properties of nonwovens that make them ideal for medical applications include:
- Porosity
- Fabric weight
- Thickness
- Sterilization capacity/ease-of
- Limitless manufacturing customization
- Cost-effectiveness
Nonwoven have a proven reputation for conforming to the special needs/demands of medical settings, thanks to the following characteristics:
- Unsurpassed effectiveness/efficiency
- High performance (vapor transmission, air permeability, comfort, feel, etc.)
- Effective barrier-providing capacity
- Excellent user protection (high tearing & abrasion resistance, etc.)
- Good cross-contamination control
- Superior wound-caring (absorbent pads, drug-delivery devices, bandages, etc.)
- Well-documented usage in ICUs, labs, operating rooms, etc.
As medical nonwovens become increasingly important in surgery and medicine, the need for reliable, high quality suppliers is becoming more critical. Medical product manufacturers will find a solid, dependable supply chain partner in WPT Nonwovens. We are proud to be a U.S. manufacturer, and are ready to meet your medical nonwovens needs.