Tribological investigation of a functional medical textile with lubricating drug-delivery finishing

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2013.01.055Get rights and content

Abstract

Textile-based drug delivery systems have a high potential for innovative medical and gerontechnological applications. In this study, the tribological behaviour and lubrication properties of a novel textile with drug delivery function/finishing was investigated by means of friction experiments that simulated cyclic dynamic contacts with skin under dry and wet conditions. The textile drug delivery system is based on a loadable biopolymer dressing on a polyester (PES) woven fabric. The fabrics were finished with low (LC) and highly cross-linked (HC) polysaccharide dressings and investigated in the unloaded condition as well as loaded with phytotherapeutic substances. The mechanical resistance and possible abrasion of the functional coatings on the textile substrate were assessed by friction measurements and scanning electron microscopical analyses.

Under dry contact conditions, all investigated fabrics (PES substrate alone and textiles with loaded and unloaded dressings) showed generally low friction coefficients (0.20–0.26). Under wet conditions, the measured friction coefficients were typically higher (0.34–0.51) by a factor of 1.5–2. In the wet condition, both loaded drug delivery textiles exhibited 7–29% lower friction (0.34–0.41) than the PES fabric with unloaded dressings (0.42–0.51), indicating pronounced lubrication effects. The lubrication effects as well as the abrasion resistance of the studied textiles with drug delivery function depended on the degree of dilution of the phytotherapeutic substances.

Lubricating formulations of textile-based drug delivery systems which reduce friction against the skin might be promising candidates for advanced medical textile finishes in connection with skin care and wound (decubitus ulcer) prevention.

Highlights

► The tribological behaviour and mechanical resistance of a novel medical textile with drug delivery function is presented. ► Friction experiments that simulated cyclic dynamic contacts with skin under dry and wet conditions provided insights in the friction and lubrication behaviour of drug delivery fabrics. ► Loaded with phytotherapeutic substances, the drug delivery fabrics considerably reduced friction under wet conditions. ► The lubrication effects depended on the degree of dilution of the phytotherapeutic substances.

Introduction

Demographic changes and medical advances have led to an increased life expectancy and ageing populace [1]. In the course of this development, medical textiles [2], [3] and related healthcare products such as wound dressings, compression hosieries, bed linen, bandages, surgical drapes or sutures attracted an increasing number of research studies and became an emerging market [4]. Depending on the application, tensile strength, flexibility, as well as resistance to permeation by liquids or penetration by particles, are important requirements for medical textiles [5]. In addition, fabric handle (e.g. softness, wearing comfort, smoothness, stretchiness [6]), as well as economic factors (e.g. availability, prices, re-usability) are essential criteria for the use of textiles in healthcare.

Wollina et al. [5] have reviewed the potential of functional medical textiles regarding tissue engineering applications, wound healing, and the prevention of chronic wounds such as decubitus ulcers. For example, low friction textiles are important in connection with skin diseases and skin injuries (mechanical irritations, abrasions, blisters, decubitus ulcers) when cyclic friction contacts between human skin and textiles occur over prolonged time [7], [8], [9], [10]. In addition to optimising the textile structure and material properties with respect to pressure relief and distribution, friction and water transport/buffering properties [2], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], coatings [14], [24] or functional dressings [25] were used as chemical approach to design tailored, multifunctional medical textiles.

In particular, drug delivery systems on the basis of novel dressings (also referred to as finishes or coatings) or fibres offer new applications for functional medical textiles [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31]. For example, people with swallowing problems like children or patients suffering from dementia, could receive their drug therapy by wearing patches or clothes that carry drugs [27]. In a textile-based drug delivery system, host molecules (e.g. cyclodextrins) are encapsulated in the fabric and serve as a complex-building agent. This reservoir can be filled with guest molecules (drugs), such as ethereal oils or ibuprofen being released in a controlled way and iteratively re-loaded [29], [32], [33]. A detailed overview on the fundamental mechanisms of drug release (e.g. diffusion and kinetics), as well as on the characteristics and application of drug release systems has been given by Nierstrasz [27]. Tanner and Marks [4] have recently summarised technical, biological and medical considerations of relevance to transdermal drug delivery systems (e.g. application sites and dosing).

One important requirement for textiles with drug delivery function is sufficient long-term stability of the textile substrate and the dressing to ensure abrasion resistance during use and maintenance of the desired functionality such as constant loading capacity and drug release to the skin at a defined rate over a certain period of time [27], [34], [35], [36].

This paper reports on the tribological characterisation of a novel textile with loadable dressing for skin lubrication and wound prevention. The objective was to apply a new drug delivery finishing [37] on a medical fabric and to study (skin) lubrication effects induced by the release of phytotherapeutic substances from the fabric dressing. Different versions of the textile drug delivery system were investigated in friction experiments, using an appropriate skin model in combination with an objective test method simulating clinically relevant mechanical contact conditions [7], [38]. First results on the friction behaviour, lubrication effects and mechanical stability of the drug delivery finishing are discussed.

Section snippets

Fabric samples and finishings

A polyester (PES) fabric with a modified twill weave construction (Fig. 1) served as a substrate for the investigated drug delivery finishings. The PES fabrics were coated with a low (LC) and highly cross-linked (HC) biopolymer (polysaccharide) network [37]; the dressing studied here was the first generation of the newly-patented multifunctional iload® technology. The thickness of the coatings was not measured, but estimated to be smaller than 10 μm. Both finishes were impregnated with

Friction of fabrics with LC dressings under dry conditions

The unloaded drug delivery dressing slightly reduced the friction of the textile substrate (Fig. 3). The mean friction coefficients of the PES substrate and the samples with unloaded dressings were between 0.22 and 0.25. A clear lubrication effect and lower friction was observed for textiles loaded with a 1:8 dilution of the phytotherapeutic substances, having an initial COF of 0.22 and a final COF of 0.20. In contrast, the fabrics loaded with a higher concentration of phytotherapeutics (1:2

Conclusions

A new textile-based drug delivery system, loaded with phytotherapeutic substances, showed lubrication effects in tribological experiments which simulated contact conditions that are clinically relevant for the skin of supine persons. In particular, loaded drug delivery fabrics considerably reduced friction under wet conditions. The lubrication effects depended on the degree of dilution of the phytotherapeutic substances. Loading of textile drug delivery systems with skin-compatible lipids and

Conflict of interest

The authors state no conflict of interests.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Mr. Beat Müller for performing SEM analyses and Ms. Angelika Lenz for friction measurements. This research was funded by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI project # 7862.2). Thanks are also due to V.R. Meyer for critically proof-reading this article.

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    Present address: Materials Technology, Philips Research, High Tech Campus 4, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

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