Technical textiles are one of the faster growing sectors of the global textile industry. The world textile industry is moving rapidly toward the manufacture of high-added value textile structures and products such as medical textiles, protective textiles and smart textiles. Textile materials used in the medical and applied healthcare and hygiene sectors are an important and growing part of the textile industry.
In 2004, the number of people aged over 60 amounts to 40% of the entire population. In 1980, only 22% of the Europeans belonged to this group age. Textiles represent an absolutely ideal interface between man and medical treatment facilities, and it would be a loss not to make use of the possibilities they offer.
Technical textiles will find many different kinds of application with medical and hygiene products in the healthcare sector. The diversity of applications encountered in medical and healthcare products is quite remarkable, e.g. simple bandages, bio-compatible implants and tissues, antibacterial wound treatment material, prosthetic, and intelligent textiles. Each of these categories covers a broad range of applications, and the many end-uses with their disparate requirements create opportunities for all kinds of textile such as fibers, mono- and multi-filament yarns, woven, knitted, non-woven, braiding and composite fabrics.
