India embarks on textile research with cleanroom applications
SITRA aims to incorporate anti-microbial compounds in medical textiles
India is embarking on specialised technical textile research with applications in cleanrooms and healthcare.
The research is to be conducted at the Centre of Excellence for Medical Textiles at the South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), an autonomous organisation funded by the Indian government and the textile industry.
SITRA is based at Coimbatore, a major hub of the Indian textile industry.
“We will try to incorporate anti-microbial compounds in medical textiles to prevent cross infections,” Dr Prakash Vasudevan, director of SITRA, told Cleanroom Technology.
SITRA will study the relative advantages of nano finishes over conventional finishing chemicals in terms of air permeability, water vapour transmission and wickability. It aims to identify appropriate materials for providing anti-bacterial and blood-repellent characteristics for wovens.
There is growing demand in Indian hospitals and laboratory cleanrooms for improved protection against blood and liquid borne pathogens, especially viruses such as Hepatitis B.
SITRA estimates, for example, that 90% of India's operating theatres use surgical gowns made of woven products that have no functional finishes and are washed and sterilised before every use.
Dr Vasudevan said that other related industries are interested in the technologies.
The UK’s University of Bolton is training Indian scientists for SITRA, which is also negotiating to set up collaborative research with other European educational and research institutions.
