MEDICAL TEXTILES - INCUBATION CENTRE

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR MEDICAL TEXTILES

(Promoted by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India)

SITRA
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MEDICAL TEXTILES - INCUBATION CENTRE

SITRA, an acronym for The South India Textile Research Association, is an autonomous scientific research organisation established in
1956 with its foundation stone laid by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 25th December 1955. SITRA is sponsored by the
industry and supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. SITRA's sprawling campus houses its well-equipped textile testing &
calibration laboratories, pilot mills, library etc. Its biological, physical and chemical laboratories are accredited by NABL in accordance with
the standard ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. SITRA is one of the best
equipped textile research organisations in the world and its members are spread over all the corners of the country as well as to some foreign
nations as well.

Centre of Excellence – Medical Textiles

Based on the exemplary performance of SITRA in medical textile, a Centre of Excellence ( CoE ) for medical textiles was established at SITRA's
premises under Mini Mission I of Technology Mission on Technical Textiles ( TMTT ), promoted by the office of the Textile Commissioner,
Ministry of Textiles ( MoT), Government of India.

SITRA is the only government authorised Centre of Excellence for Medical Textiles and its well established laboratories provide complete
testing services for PPEs. The various services offered by the CoE-Meditech to the range of industries / educational institutions / individuals
are listed below:

Ø Testing and evaluations (Physical, Microbiology, Bio-Technology, Polymer, Food & Analytical laboratories)
Ø Standard formulations (Bureau of Indian Standards - BIS and International bodies)
Ø Incubation services, prototype developments and facilities for indigenous development of all medical textile products
Ø Pilot scale productions ( Medical, Technical textile products )
Ø Trainings, internships, seminars, technical consultancies, information resources and detailed project reports (DPR)
Ø Testing instruments, product machinery, process and technology developments
Ø Research & development and contract researches
Ø Testing and compliance / performance evaluation of medical textile products

Focus Incubation Centre:

SITRA's Incubation Centre offers an environment for startups to develop by providing services such as product development, prototype
development and technical consultancy in technical textiles particularly in medical textiles. The Incubation set up provides opportunities for
startups to commence commercial production in their own brand for entering into the market and also providing them a platform to
transform their dreams into viable businesses.

SITRA has the following machinery to develop some of the medical textile products:

v Disposable Surgical Facemask Machine:

A surgical face mask is an important medical device used to protect both surgical patients and
operating room personnel from the transfer of bacteria in liquid droplet’s microorganisms, body
fluids and particulate materials from aerosols. Three to four layers of mask can be made by this
machine which is fully automatic where bonding of layers is through ultrasonic welding process.

Types of surgical facemask can be produced: 1. Ear loop type facemask 2. Tie type facemask
Production capacity:
· Tie-on sealing machine - 40 pcs./min · Elastic ear loop sealing machine - 30 pcs./min

v Cotton Wool Roll Machine:

Cotton wool rolls are used for cleaning and swabbing of wounds, body cleaning in hospitals, nursing
homes, dispensaries (for first aid) etc. Because of its property of high fluid absorbency, these jumbo
rolls are compressed and rolled into suitable weight & sizes based on the requirements.
Production capacity – 18 rolls of 100 g/min.
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MEDICAL TEXTILES - INCUBATION CENTRE

v Wet Wipes and Alcohol Swabs Machine:

Wet wipe / Alcohol swab is a small moistened piece of cloth that often comes folded and individually
wrapped for convenience. Wipes includes wet wipes, alcohol swabs, chlorhexidine wipes, cleaning &
disinfecting wipes, leather/glass cleaning wipes etc. can be produced.

Production rate : 60 to 160 pcs /min

· Single wipe pack size - 8 x 6 cm, Tissue size – 10 x 20 cm
· Single swab pack size - 5 x 5 cm, Tissue size – 5 x 3 cm

v Sanitary Napkin Machine:

Sanitary napkin is basically used to absorb and retain the body fluids during
menstruation. It consists of many layers and all layers have to be designed in such a way
to make the product efficient in absorption, retention and comfort.

Ultra-thin to regular sanitary pads can be produced

Product types: Regular type napkin with open and folded packing.
Production rate is 300 pieces per minute

v Spunlace Non-Woven Plant

Spunlace or Hydro entanglement is a web bonding technology which uses fine high
pressure water jet to cause entanglement of polyester/viscose fibers into a nonwoven
fabric of required composition and GSM. SITRA has developed many wound dressings
using spunlace nonwoven fabrics. The fabrics are also used in operation theatre apparels,
wound dressings, gauze dressing, wet wipes, baby wipes, sanitary napkin etc.

v Orthopedic Products, Non-Woven Disposable/Reusable Garment Products manufacturing facilities

Development of woven/nonwoven fabric products, hospital apparels & garments such as doctor's gown,
patients gown, OT drapes, pillow covers, bed spreads, cleaning cloths etc.

SITRA has the following machinery to produce the above mentioned products
· Chain stitching machine · Button attachment machine
· Heavy Duty Sewing machine · Ultrasonic sewing machine
· Over-lock Stitching machine · Ultrasonic Spot Welding
· Fabric Cutting machine · ETO Sterilization unit

v Coating and Lamination Machine

Coating and laminating are textile finishing processes designed to add or improve a function to a
material with specific properties. All kind of water based chemicals can be used for coating on the
fabric. Knife on roll coating technique is used and operating width is 50 cm. It has an infrared drying
and curing chamber with temperature up to 180˚ C. Anti-microbial, water repellent, flame retardant
and other functional finishes can be imparted
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MEDICAL TEXTILES - INCUBATION CENTRE

v Karl Mayer - Warp Knitting Machine

Warp knitting machine can produce a wide variety of fabric constructions with large working
widths. Compound lapping movements are responsible for the production of warp knitted fabric.
Used for manufacture of heart patches, heart value, hernia mesh, compression flat bandages

v Narrow Fabric Weaving Machine

Narrow fabrics are woven on special narrow fabric looms, using the basic principle of warp filling interlacing. SITRA has
developed crepe bandages and polyester woven bifurcated vascular prosthesis which can be used as replacement material
for vascular diseases. A narrow shuttle loom has been modified, which is suitable for weaving straight as well as bifurcated
vascular grafts.

v Compression Knitting Machine

Compression stockings are specialized hosiery designed to prevent the occurrence and guard against further progression of venous disorders
such as edema, phlebitis and thrombosis by applying pressure. The machine can be used for manufacture of compression stockings, panty-
hose, antiembolism stockings, knee braces and ankle protectors

v 3 Dimensional Cartesian Braiding Machine

A basic Cartesian braiding machine is to make braided products by processing four distinct Cartesian motions of
groups of yarns termed rows and columns. Applications: Braided Sutures
v Sulzer Projectile Weaving Machine

In this projectile weaving machine, the weft insertion is carried out by small clamp projectiles, which number depends on the weaving width
and which with their grippers take out the weft yarn from big cross-wound bobbins and insert it into the shed in the same direction.
Applications: hospital linens, bed spreads, pillow covers etc.

v Electrospinnning

Electrospinning is a technique that utilizes electric force alone to drive the spinning process and to produce polymer fibres from a solution.
When the intensity of the electric field overcomes the surface tension of the polymer solution or melt, a charged jet is ejected and travels to a
grounded target, generating fibres typically in the form of nonwoven mat.
Applications: wound dressings, tissue scaffolds, drug deliver dressings, environmental engineering products, etc.

For more details, please contact:

Mr. R. Indrajith, Head – Business Development, SITRA
Address: 13 / 37, Avinashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post,
Coimbatore, Tamilnadu – 641014, India
Phone: 0422-4215343, 8883890300, 9791847170
Email: bdm@sitra.org.in, bdmsupport@sitra.org.in
Website: www.sitra.org.in