1 / 33

Laundering and Restoration of Reusable Surgical Barrier Textiles

Laundering and Restoration of Reusable Surgical Barrier Textiles. Steven J. Tinker Director, Research & Development Gurtler Industries, Inc. Reusable Surgical Textiles. Barrier Surgical Gowns and Drapes - Fluid Resistant Textiles Protect health care workers from blood and bodily fluids

jadon
Download Presentation

Laundering and Restoration of Reusable Surgical Barrier Textiles

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Laundering and Restoration of Reusable Surgical Barrier Textiles Steven J. Tinker Director, Research & Development Gurtler Industries, Inc.

  2. Reusable Surgical Textiles • Barrier Surgical Gowns and Drapes - Fluid Resistant Textiles • Protect health care workers from blood and bodily fluids • Provide comfort and allow for sterilization • Several degrees of protection available

  3. Fabric Technology • Muslin • Traditional reusable OR fabric • Poly/Cotton Blend • Repellent finishes • Polyester Microfiber Technology • Continuous filament threads • Tightly woven • Repellent finishes

  4. Reusable Surgical Textiles • Muslin

  5. Reusable Surgical Textiles • Cotton/polyester blends

  6. Reusable Surgical Textiles • 100% polyester ‘microfiber’

  7. Reusable Surgical Textiles • Laminated fabrics – Gore-Tex®

  8. Reusable Surgical Textiles

  9. Microfiber Technology • Continuous filaments vs. staple fibers • Significantly lower linting potential

  10. Fluid Repellent Finishes • Polyester is “naturally” hydrophobic • But highly oleophilic • Fluoropolymers • Water and oil repellent • Mill applied, cured

  11. Environmental Issues • Reusable Surgical Textiles can reduce medical waste significantly • One garment can replace 150-200 disposable gowns • Considerable medical waste incineration or landfill impact • Significant cost savings can be achieved

  12. Environmental Issues • AHA & EPA agreement: Hospitals for a Healthy Environment • Goals: Reduce the overall volume of hospital waste (both regulated and non-regulated waste) by • 33 percent by 2005 and • 50 percent by 2010 • See www.h2e.org

  13. Regulatory Issues • Surgical gowns, drapes wraps and towels are “Class II Medical Devices” as defined by FDA • Commercial laundries that reprocess surgical textiles may need to register with FDA • Reporting Requirements – • Strike-through • Complaint handling

  14. Standard Laundry Process • Time • 30-45 minutes • Temperature • 160-180°F • Mechanical Action • Rated Capacity of Washer • Chemical Action • pH 11.0-11.5 • Surface Active Agents

  15. Reusable Care Concerns • Low absorptivity • Laminated fabrics: Impervious to fluid transmission • Barriers reduce chemical transmission through fabric • Reduced soil removal efficacy

  16. Reusable Care Concerns • Polyester - affinity to oily soils • Recommended temperature between 140-160°F • Use nonionic detergents – more difficult to rinse

  17. Reusable Care Concerns • Rinsing of detergent is key to barrier performance • Any residual detergent will affect barrier performance negatively • Must add extra rinsing time and steps • No fabric softeners or anti-static agents can be used

  18. Reusable Care Concerns • Polyester - Alkaline hydrolysis potential • Reduce the amount of alkali, reduce pH to <10.5 • Keep temperature <180°F

  19. Soil Characteristics • Blood Soils • Low temperature flushes to reduce “setting” • Enzyme detergent in prewash zone of tunnels

  20. Soil Characteristics • Oily Soils – Body Oils or Mineral Oils • Polyester has a high affinity for these soils • High surfactant detergents with oily soil emulsification properties • Cloud point of detergent 100-120°F • High phosphate detergents work better • Solvent-based detergent additives can help

  21. Soil Characteristics • Tape Residue • Use special tape with water/alkali soluble adhesive • Very difficult – if the wrong tape is used • Solvent detergent re-washes, high temperature reclaim process

  22. Reusable Care Concerns • Fluoropolymer finishes: Can be removed with harsh laundering processes • Reduce alkali • Avoid use of oxalic acid • Avoid some harsh solvents

  23. Barrier Fabric Process • Increased Time • 45-60 minutes • Reduced Temperature • 140-160°F • Increase Mechanical Action • 65-75% of rated capacity • Change Chemical Ratios • More detergent, less alkali

  24. Drying Process • Achieve “bone-dry” state • Dry at 170-200°F • Maintain maximum temperature for 3-5 minutes • Cool-down to 100°F

  25. Reusable Protection • Suter test - Hydrostatic resistance • AATCC 127-1985 • Oil and water repellency tests • AATCC 118-1992 • Resistance of Protective Clothing Materials to penetration by blood or bloodborne pathogens • ASTM F1670-95 • ASTM F2671-95

  26. Repellency Performance • Oil Repellency is a major issue in surgical protective barrier materials • Suter test doesn’t reflect oil repellency performance • Oil stains can cause concern with health care personnel

  27. Barrier Rejuvenation • Modified fluoropolymers can be added in the final rinse cycle • Use rate of 2-6 oz/cwt • Cost of 2-4 cents per garment • Good drying is critical • “Maintenance” application of polymer can extend life beyond 150-200 uses

  28. Reference • ANSI/AAMI ST65:2000 – Processing of reusable surgical textiles for use in health care facilities • ANSI/AAMI PB70:2003 – Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes in health care facilities.

  29. Additional Sources • ARTA - American Reusable Textile Association • www.arta1.com • TRSA – Textile Rental Services Association • www.trsa.org

  30. Laundering and Restoration of Reusable Surgical Barrier Textiles Steven J. Tinker sjtinker@gurtler.com

More Related