Maria Elisabete Silva

Designing surgical clothing and drapes according to the new technical standards

Hospitals will continue to be the largest consumers of disposables, because of the diverse range of procedures they provide. Favourable growth is forecast for non‐wovens. Increasing concern over contamination and nosocomial infections will boost the demand for consumable and disposable surgical gowns and drapes. But, until now neither the manufacturers nor the end users of surgical gowns and drapes could agree on standards. So, a mandatory European standard is being developed to establish basic requirements and test methods for disposable and reusable materials used for surgical gowns and drapes. Once this standard has been adopted, the continued use of cotton textiles and conventional cotton‐polyester mixed textiles will become questionable.

Influence of the sterilisation process on the tactile feeling of surgical gowns

More and more disposable goods are available in surgical rooms. Rules and standards have been proposed in order to prevent infection from patient to surgical team and vice versa. A proposed mandatory European standard prEn 13795 “Surgical drapes, gowns and clear air suits used as medical devices, for patients, clinical staff and equipment”, is being developed by the Committee of European Normalisation and specifies the basic performance requirements and test methods for single‐use and reusable materials after sterilisation process. Therefore, the performances of the surgical gowns demand a balance between barrier and comfort properties. In comfort evaluation, tactile feeling is one of the most primary and important aspects with regard to the grading of the products. Therefore, the influence of the sterilisation process on the tactile perception is important to be evaluated. Subsequently, the final aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of influence of sterilisation treatment on the tactile perception.

The influence of the sterilisation process on certain thermal properties

Surgical clothing and sheets have to meet all the requirements set in the health-care industry regarding body comfort, absorption capacity and general recognition of physiological safety and sterilisation capacity. The disposable surgical gown market is growing and the demand will increase in all product groups and market sectors, where the health care industry is the most dynamic growth area. The aim of this study was to analyse some of the thermal properties of disposable surgical gowns before and after different sterilisation methods, and therefore the influence of the sterilisation process on their thermal comfort. The apparatus used to measure heat transfer properties was the Thermo Labo device (KES FB7) which evaluates the cool/warm sensation, thermal conductivity and insulation properties of the test item. The results obtained highlight the influence of the sterilisation process on the thermal and comfort properties.

New performance and quality requirements in the field of operating room garments (non‐active medical devices)

In the area of technical textiles, the products depend mainly on advanced materials and these, on the other hand, depend on textile know‐how. Textile materials in the health‐care sector gradually have taken on more important roles. As more research has been completed, textiles have found their way into a variety of medical applications. Examines the medical and related health‐care sector, and more precisely the products used in the operating theatre and hospital ward for the hygiene, care and safety of staff and patients. These textiles are not very well‐known, but have great potential for development in the fields of application. Owing to recent advancements in medical procedures and textile engineering, the use of textile materials in the health‐care industry is growing. Subsequently, aims to contribute to the knowledge and clarification of single use materials used in the operating theatre according to the new technical standards.