The Use of Smart Textiles in the Healthcare Space: Towards an Improvement of the User-Patient Experience

This article explores the role of smart textiles in transforming healthcare environments into spaces that prioritize patient well-being. We will examine the advantages of smart textiles in healthcare settings, such as the real-time monitoring of vital signs through connected clothing. Additionally, we will introduce metadesign as a design approach that considers the interactions between users, healthcare environments, and technologies to create fulfilling experiences. By combining the advanced features of smart textiles with a patient-centered metadesign approach, it becomes possible to create care spaces that cater to patient needs. The objective of this article is to present the integration of metadesign in the design of smart textiles as a process aimed at enhancing the quality of the patient user experience. In this process, we will emphasize the collaborative approach and embrace technological innovation to harness the potential for ongoing improvement and provide users with high-quality experiences. Lastly, we will underscore the significance of adopting a multidimensional approach to evaluate the impact of smart textiles on the patient user experience.

Shaoxing Yixing(YETCO):Leader in natural linen textiles

Shaoxing Yixing Textiles Co.,Ltd(also called YETCO),since its establishment in 1998,has been the leading company in the field of linen and linen blended fabrics as well as all kinds of embroidery fabrics.The company not only focuses on product development and production,but also actively expands its international market,selling its exquisite products to Europe,America,Southeast Asia and other places.With excellent business reputation,quality service,novel patterns and high-quality products,Shaoxing Yixing Textiles has won wide recognization from customers all over the world.

Tomorrow's Textiles: 2024 Fabric trends to know

Looking ahead to 2024,the textile industry is poised for exciting developments as sustainable innovation,diverse color palettes,and a fusion of luxury and comfort take center stage.In this article,we delve into the upcoming fabric trends,offering a roadmap for navigating the evolving fabric landscape.From eco-conscious materials to global design influences,we explore the trends that will shape creative projects with style and responsibility.

The Advancements of Medical Textiles:A Patent Perspective

The healthcare sector is advancing in many aspects,including smart devices,surgical robots,AR/VR consultation,etc.Medical textiles are one such aspect where we have observed tremendous growth in innovation.Before the pandemic,the CAGR of patent filing in medical textiles was~12.5%.Postpandemic,it increased to 42.6%.From the patent publishing data,we saw that the US,Japan,India,and Germany are the top four countries in which innovations in medical textiles are on the rise.The extent of the growth is due to the constant improvements and innovations in both textile technology and medical materials.

Innovations in hometech textiles:Enhancing comfort,sustainability,and functionality

The hometech textiles market encompasses a wide range of textile products designed to enhance comfort,functionality,and sustainability within residential and commercial environments.These textiles integrate innovative technologies,materials,and design elements to offer performance-driven solutions for various applications such as home furnishings,bedding,upholstery,window treatments,and floor coverings,as per report by Persistence Market Research.Hometech textiles combine aesthetics with functionality,providing benefits such as moisture management,temperature regulation,antimicrobial properties,and sound absorption.The market caters to consumer preferences for stylish,eco-friendly,and technologically advanced textiles that enhance living spaces and promote well-being.

Recent Advances and Challenges Toward Application of Fibers and Textiles in Integrated Photovoltaic Energy Storage Devices

Flexible microelectronic devices have seen an increasing trend toward development of miniaturized,portable,and integrated devices as wearable electronics which have the requirement for being light weight,small in dimension,and suppleness.Traditional three-dimensional(3D)and two-dimensional(2D)electronics gadgets fail to effectively comply with these necessities owing to their stiffness and large weights.Investigations have come up with a new family of one-dimensional(1D)flexible and fiber-based electronic devices(FBEDs)comprising power storage,energy-scavenging,implantable sensing,and flexible displays gadgets.However,development and manufacturing are still a challenge owing to their small radius,flexibility,low weight,weave ability and integration in textile electronics.This paper will provide a detailed review on the importance of substrates in electronic devices,intrinsic property requirements,fabrication classification and applications in energy harvesting,energy storage and other flexible electronic devices.Fiber-and textile-based electronic devices for bulk/scalable fabrications,encapsulation,and testing are reviewed and presented future research ideas to enhance the commercialization of these fiber-based electronics devices.

In vitro study on the transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria from textiles to pig skin

BACKGROUND The survival of microorganisms on textiles and specifically on healthcare profes-sionals’(HCP)attire has been demonstrated in several studies.The ability of microorganisms to adhere and remain on textiles for up to hours or days raises questions as to their possible role in transmission from textile to skin via HCP to patients.AIM To evaluate the presence,survival and transmission of different multidrug-resistant bacteria(MDRB)from HCP attire onto skin.METHODS Three MDRB[methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA);vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium(VRE);carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae,(CRKP)]were inoculated on textiles from scrubs(60%cotton-40%polyester)and white coat(100%cotton)at concentrations of 108 colony-forming units(CFU),105 CFU,and 103 CFU per mL.The inoculation of swatches was divided in time intervals of 1 min,5 min,15 min,30 min,1 h,2 h,3 h,4 h,5 h,and 6 h.At the end of each period,textiles were imprinted onto pig skins and each skin square was inverted onto three different selective chromogenic media.Growth from the pig skin squares was recorded for the 3 MDRB at the three above concentrations,for the whole length of the 6-h experiment.RESULTS MRSA was recovered from pig skins at all concentrations for the whole duration of the 6-h study.VRE was recovered from the concentration of 108 CFU/mL for 6 h and from 105 CFU/mL for up to 3 h,while showing no growth at 103 CFU/mL.CRKP was recovered from 108 CFU/mL for 6 h,up to 30 min from 105 CFU/mL and for 1 min from the concentration of 103 CFU/mL.CONCLUSION Evidence from the current study shows that MRSA can persist on textiles and transmit to skin for 6 h even at low concentrations.The fact that all MDRB can be sustained and transferred to skin even at lower concentrations,supports that textiles are implicated as vectors of bacterial spread.

A personalized electronic textile for ultrasensitive pressure sensing enabled by biocompatible MXene/ PEDOT:PSS composite

Flexible,breathable,and highly sensitive pressure sensors have increasingly become a focal point of interest due to their pivotal role in healthcare monitoring,advanced electronic skin applications,and disease diagnosis.However,traditional methods,involving elastomer film-based substrates or encapsulation techniques,often fall short due to mechanical mismatches,discomfort,lack of breathability,and limitations in sensing abilities.Consequently,there is a pressing need,yet it remains a significant challenge to create pressure sensors that are not only highly breathable,flexible,and comfortable but also sensitive,durable,and biocompatible.Herein,we present a biocompatible and breathable fabric-based pressure sensor,using nonwoven fabrics as both the sensing electrode(coated with MXene/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate[PEDOT:PSS])and the interdigitated electrode(printed with MXene pattern)via a scalable spray-coating and screen-coating technique.The resultant device exhibits commendable air permeability,biocompatibility,and pressure sensing performance,including a remarkable sensitivity(754.5 kPa^(−1)),rapid response/recovery time(180/110 ms),and robust cycling stability.Furthermore,the integration of PEDOT:PSS plays a crucial role in protecting the MXene nanosheets from oxidation,significantly enhancing the device's long-term durability.These outstanding features make this sensor highly suitable for applications in fullrange human activities detection and disease diagnosis.Our study underscores the promising future of flexible pressure sensors in the realm of intelligent wearable electronics,setting a new benchmark for the industry.

Air Fiber Washer, the first industrial air system designed to reduce microfiber shedding in textiles

Air Fiber Washer extracts up to 60% of microfibers during garment manufacturing by using dynamic airflow in combination with microfiltration to capture microfibers.Each industrial Air Fiber Washer machine will allow for the collection of up to 325 kg of microfibers per year for potential repurposing.This technology will be shared throughout the industry without any as part of both companies'commitment to mitigate the release of microfibers.

Jingwei textile machinery: Make textiles more creative

Since its establishment in 1951,Jingwei Intelligent Textile Machinery Co.,Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as Jingwei Textile Machinery)focuses on the research and development,production and sales of textile machinery,whose products cover spinning,weaving,twisting,chemical fiber machinery and special parts of spinning machine.It is the only provider of complete solutions for the whole process of spinning in China.The intelligent spinning system and digital twisting system of the whole process of cotton spinning have reached the world-class level.

US textiles & apparel imports dropped 13% to $ 17.5 bn in Jan-Feb

US imports of textiles and apparel have continued to de­crease in value terms,falling by 13.01 per cent to$17.554 billion in the first two months of 2023,compared to$20.179 billion during the same period in 2022.China is still the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the United States,accounting for 24%of the market,followed by Vietnam,accounting for 14.97%.

Can waste textiles be completely transformed into fibres?

The advancement and novel technologies in materials science have been steadily growing toward adopting ethical practices.To reduce the stress on the environment the producers integrate novel materials to extend traditional functionality.They develop modern fibers that are eco-friendly,light,resilient,mechanically flexible,and easy to process.Moreover,novel fabrics are acquiring unique properties such as sensory capabilities,electrical conductivity,and data transmission.Cloths with characteristics such as hydrophobic cotton,plant-based textiles,antimicrobial fabrics,and shape memory polymers show versatility in textile innovations.Overall,these textile innovations provide sustainable alternatives,which are commercially viable and suitable for large-scale production.

Co_(3)S_(4)-pyrolysis lotus fiber flexible textile as a hybrid electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

Electrocatalytic overall water splitting(OWS),a pivotal approach in addressing the global energy crisis,aims to produce hydrogen and oxygen.However,most of the catalysts in powder form are adhesively bounding to the electrodes,resulting in catalyst detachment by bubble generation and other uncertain interference,and eventually reducing the OWS performance.To surmount this challenge,we synthesized a hybrid material of Co_(3)S_(4)-pyrolysis lotus fiber(labeled as Co_(3)S_(4)-p LF)textile by hydrothermal and hightemperature pyrolysis processes for electrocatalytic OWS.Owing to the natural LF textile exposing the uniformly distributed functional groups(AOH,ANH_(2),etc.)to anchor Co_(3)S_(4)nanoparticles with hierarchical porous structure and outstanding hydrophily,the hybrid Co_(3)S_(4)-p LF catalyst shows low overpotentials at 10 m A cm^(-2)(η_(10,HER)=100 m Vη_(10,OER)=240 mV)alongside prolonged operational stability during electrocatalytic reactions.Theoretical calculations reveal that the electron transfer from p LF to Co_(3)S_(4)in the hybrid Co_(3)S_(4)-p LF is beneficial to the electrocatalytic process.This work will shed light on the development of nature-inspired carbon-based materials in hybrid electrocatalysts for OWS.

Biocatalytic enhancement of laccase immobilized on ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles and its application for degradation of textile dyes

Efficient and convenient treatment of industrial dyeing wastewater is of great significance to guarantee human and animal health.This work presented the enhanced catalytic activity at pH 3.0 of laccase immobilized on amino-functionalized ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles(ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase)and its application for the degradation of textile dyes.Due to the existence of a large number of oxygen vacancies on the surface of the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) nanoparticles,negative ions accumulated on the magnetic carriers,which resulted in a harsh optimal pH value of the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase.Laccase activity assays revealed that the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase possessed superior pH and thermal stabilities,excellent reusability,and noticeable organic solvent tolerance.Meanwhile,the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) laccase presented efficient and sustainable degradation of high concentrations of textile dyes.The initial decoloration efficiencies of malachite green(MG),brilliant green(BG),azophloxine,crystal violet(CV),reactive blue 19(RB19),and procion red MX-5B were approximately 99.1%,95.0%,93.3%,87.4%,86.1%,and 85.3%,respectively.After 10 consecutive reuses,the degradation rates of the textile dyes still maintained about 98.2%,92.5%,83.2%,81.5%,79.8%and 65.9%,respectively.The excellent dye degradation properties indicate that the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)-laccase has a technical application in high concentrations of dyestuff treatment.

The world's major textile powers: Special advantages and a new chapter in trade

Several countries have become notable production powers in the global textile market due to their unique advantages and strengths.In 2023,these countries not only occupied a leading position in terms of textile production scale,but also showed their unique charm in terms of technological innovation,market layout and foreign trade strategy.By thoroughly understanding the characteristics and advantages of the textile industry in these countries,as well as their performance in foreign trade,we can better grasp the development trends and opportunities of the global textile market.We look forward to these countries continuing to play a leading role in the global textile market and writing a new brilliant chapter.

Asian textile sizing chemicals market:Growth drivers,technological innovations and future opportunities

The Asia Textile Sizing Chemicals Market serves as a crucial component of the region's textile industry,supporting the production of high-quality fabrics for diverse applications.Textile sizing chemicals play a pivotal role in enhancing the performance,appearance,and durability of yarns and fabrics during the weaving process.With Asia being a key hub for textile manufacturing,the market for sizing chemicals experiences robust growth driven by increasing demand for textiles in both domestic and international markets.

Surge in bioplastic textile market expected

The global market for bioplastic textiles,valued at US$l,046 million in 2022,is projected to expand by15.5%CAGR,reaching$3,827 million by 2032.This substantial growth is primarily driven by the escalating demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable goods in response to growing consumer awareness and governmental regulations aimed at reducing plastic consumption and waste.

Rainbow of Natural Dyes on Textiles Using Plants Extracts: Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Processes

Indians have been considered as forerunners in the art of natural dyeing. Although indigenous knowledge system has been practiced over the years in the past, the use of natural dyes has diminished over generations due to lack of documentation and precise knowledge of the extracting and dyeing techniques. As a result, natural dyes are not commercially successful. Presently, all environmentally unfriendly synthetic compounds are used for dyeing textile materials. They are non-biodegradable, carcinogenic and generate water pollution as well as waste disposal problems. Natural dyes provide a reasonable solution to these problems. Thus, it is imperative to develop technology for extraction of natural dyes and for their application on textile materials. In this study, attempt has been made to extract natural dyes from a variety of plants sources (such as rhizomes of turmeric, Curcuma longa;fruits of harda, Terminalia chebula;petals of safflower, Carthamus tinctorius;roots of barberry, Berberis lycium etc.) using specific techniques. These dyes were tested for their dyeing potential on different textile materials (cotton, silk and wool). Dyeing was done using three different dyeing techniques (pre-, simultaneous- and post-mordanting) wherein different mordants such as alum, copper sulphate and ferrous sulphate etc., were used to fix dye on to the textile material. A rainbow of natural dyes was obtained with varied shades of each colour. Shade cards were prepared for each dye and the colour obtained varied depending on the type of the mordant applied and the mordanting technique used.

Ultrastable and High-Performance Silk Energy Harvesting Textiles

Energy harvesting textiles(EHTs)have attracted much attention in wearable electronics and the internet-of-things for real-time mechanical energy harvesting associated with human activities.However,to satisfy practical application requirements,especially the demand for long-term use,it is challenging to construct an energy harvesting textile with elegant trade-off between mechanical and triboelectric performance.In this study,an energy harvesting textile was constructed using natural silk inspired hierarchical structural designs combined with rational material screening;this design strategy provides multiscale opportunities to optimize the mechanical and triboelectric performance of the final textile system.The resulting EHTs with traditional advantages of textiles showed good mechanical properties(tensile strength of 237±13 MPa and toughness of 4.5±0.4 MJ m−3 for single yarns),high power output(3.5 mW m−2),and excellent structural stability(99%conductivity maintained after 2.3 million multi-type cyclic deformations without severe change in appearance),exhibiting broad application prospects in integrated intelligent clothing,energy harvesting,and human-interactive interfaces.

Influence of Structures on the Mechanical Properties of PET Biotextiles

Occurrence of vascular diseases is increasing and leads to rising demand for the STENT-GRAFT( SG). To ensure the SG function properly,the materials should have low blood permeability and good mechanical properties. So far, there have been few systematic studies on the relationship between textile structures and mechanical properties of the bio-textiles used in the SG. In this study, six types of biomedical PET fabrics with different yarn structures and fabric structures were designed and fabricated. All the SG materials could meet the requirement of thickness,except the sample of 30 d × 20 d with 2 /2 twill construction,which was thicker than 0. 12 mm. Bursting strength and water permeability( WP) of the six samples were also tested. Through the comparison of comprehensive performance,the PET fabric 30 d × 20 d /12 f with2 /2 twill construction with both good resistances to permeability and bursting strength, might have good prospect in applications of vascular engineering.