Page 76 - November-December-2017
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                     Polish researchers develop layered                                                                                  Sensil premium


                  textile solutions for premature infants                                                                                       Nylon 6.6





                                                                                                                                     Sensil is said to be naturally softer, stronger, more
                                                                                                                                     durable, and more moisture-wicking and
                                                                                                                                     odour-resistant than other man-made fibres. Sensil
                                                                                                                                     creates fabrics with beautiful drape and hand. “Sensil
                                                                                                                                     performance yarns are enhanced to provide additional
                                                                                                                                     attributes that consumers require in today’s advanced
                                                                                                                                     fabrics,” the manufacturer explains.

                                                                                                                                     “Sensil Breeze imbues apparel with a cooling effect.
                                                                                                                                     Sensil Body Fresh protects against the odours
                                                                                                                                     microbes can cause, which means clothes don’t have
                                                                                                                                     to be laundered as often. Sensil Heat provides warmth
                                                                                                                                     on chilly days while Sensil Aquarius wicks perspiration
                                                                                                                                     to stay comfortable on warm days. There’s even Sensil
                                                                                                                                     Innergy that helps energize cells and reduce the
                                                                                                                                     appearance of cellulite.”
            A team of researchers from Poland’s Lodz University   24 weeks gestational age, a baby's total body water
            of Technology (LUT) is working to develop innovative   content is close to 80% of total body weight. This
            textile clothing for premature infants that is to protect   slowly decreases until the child is around one year of
            them against dehydration and ensure thermal       age, when total body water content is about 60% of
            stability through special layered textile systems.  total body weight,” the study says. “After birth, infants
                                                              are expected to lose approximately 5%-15% of their
            “The overall objective of the project is to develop                                                                      New textile keeps hospital
            innovative solutions for the construction of clothing   body weight, with more being lost in low birth weight
            products for prematurely born infants. These new   infants.” “The cotton knitwear that is currently used
            products should reduce dehydration due to         [to protect such infants] causes thermal discomfort
            evaporation, and, at the same time, provide thermal   because the water that is absorbed from an infant’s                     door handles germ free
            comfort,”. “Total body water content changes      body and its surrounding evaporates, and, as a
            drastically from before birth until one year of age. At   result, it reduces its body temperature,”.

                                                                                                                                   A spin out company from the University of Leeds has
                                                                                                                                   developed a self-disinfecting device known as
                   Teijin develops                         The cooling vest is said to effectively reduce body                     Surfaceskins that is said to reduce bacteria levels by
                                                           temperature and heart rate through sweat absorption,
                                                                                                                                   more than 90%, following seven years of research
                      cooling vest                         quick drying and moisture permeability. The electric                    and development.
                                                           fans pull in outside air for up to eight hours.
                                                           Conventional flame-retardant protective clothing for
                   for firefighters                        firefighters tends to trap body heat, raising the risk of               By incorporating the specially-engineered textile in a
                                                                                                                                   device designed to be used on hospital doors
                                                           heat stroke, particularly in the summer. The cooling
                                                                                                                                   instead of the traditional aluminium door plate, that
                                                           vest helps firefighters maintain performance and
                                                           energy levels while fighting fires, as well as benefit                  part of the door that people push to open it –
                                                           from high levels of comfort and flexibility,” the                       scientists aim to bolster hand hygiene.
                                                           company explains.
                                                                                                                                   Hospital doors are recognised as a key weak link in
                                                           The outermost of three fabric layers is made with                       hygiene because of the number of times people    quantity of alcohol gel onto the pad when it is
                                                           Teijin’s Teijinconex, a heat-resistant, flame-retardant                                                                  pushed, to disinfect the surface ready for the next
                                                           meta-aramid fibre. The middle and innermost layers                      touch them. It takes just one person with dirty hands   person to use the door. This low-cost device, which
                                                           are made with high-functional polyester fabrics for                     to pass through a door to put everyone else who   incorporates three separate nonwoven textiles is
                                                           sweat absorption, quick drying and moisture                             follows at risk of cross contamination. Surfaceskins   designed to be replaced after seven days or one
                                                           permeability.                                                           antibacterial door pads work by dispensing a small   thousand pushes, whichever comes sooner.

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