ABSTRACT
K. Amutha and R. Priyanka Department of Textiles and Apparel Design, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
E-mail: ammusuman@rediffmail.com
5.1 Introduction Medical textile is an important product category within technical textiles. It is one of the most important, continuously expanding and growing field in technical textiles. The hygiene products have immense market potential. The medical textile industry has diversified with new products and innovative designs. Depending upon the nature of the application, many textile products are disposable. The textile materials are very important in all aspects of medicine, surgery, hygiene and all the range and extent of application to which these are used is a reflection of their enormous versatility. Asthma is one of the common lungs problem which affect both adult and children. Nebulisation is one of the
asthma treatments which deliver the medicine to patient by using face mask. A nebuliser changes liquid medicine into a fine mist to let the patient breathe it into the airways. In the nebuliser treatment, patient feels skin irritation with the plastic face mask. It is also considered unhygienic. The present study aims at studying the patients’ difficulties regarding the plastic nebuliser face mask and based on their opinion, design and develop a fabric face mask. In order to impart additional stiffness to the face mask starch finish was given. Tapioca starch was chosen since it imparts more stiffness and adheres well to cotton fabric. The starch finish on the fabric face mask gives it the shape and appearance similar to molding type face mask. Dip and dry method was selected to give starch finishing on designed fabric face mask. Usually, particles present in the starch have gum substance which makes the yarns tight over the surface of the fabric and not allow the air to pass through freely. This aids in full uptake of medicine which is in mist form.
