Health

One focus is the development of novel biomaterials based on polymers, which are also combined with ceramic materials depending on requirements. The starting materials are processed into resorbable or biostable implants and into carrier materials for cell colonization in regenerative medicine. DITF developments in these areas support the paradigm shift towards personalized medicine: Therapeutic products and procedures are designed in such a way that they can be tailored to the very individual needs of patients. In addition to textile technologies and thermoplastic processing through injection molding and extrusion, the focus is also on additive manufacturing processes.

Sensory and actuator medical products and drug delivery systems are just as much a part of the development portfolio as the entire range of classic medical textiles, from wound dressings and hospital textiles to compression textiles. Therapy support systems are also being made more flexible so that they can be adapted to individual patients or patient groups in line with the trend towards personalized medicine.

The DITF maintain research and development partnerships with medical technology companies, university hospitals and research institutes worldwide. The in-house interdisciplinary team includes scientists from medical, process and textile engineering, biology and chemistry.

Topics:

• Medical fibers and nonwovens
• Antibacterial and antiviral finishes
• Therapeutic textile products
• Drug delivery systems
• Theranostic systems
• Additive processes for individualized medicine
• Textile-based sensors and actuators, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI)
• Clinical and ambulatory health monitoring
• Personal protective equipment