MEDICAL NONWOVEN DISPOSABLES MARKET ANALYSIS

Healthcare workers are exposed to infected liquid droplets and aerosols that possess the risk of transmitting diseases such as hospital acquired infections (HSIs) and surgical site infections (SSIs). To avoid susceptibility of such contamination, healthcare workers use surgical face masks, gloves, gowns, caps, and shoe covers, which are produced by fabric foaming technology such as woven, non-woven and knitted. Non-woven surgical fabrics have been adopted by most hospitals, as they are disposable in nature. Such materials have been developed due to advancements in technology over the recent past.  Non-woven fabric forming technology is less costly than woven and knitted technology. The materials used for non-woven sheets include polypropylene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polystyrene. The filtration process of non-woven fabrics has various advantages over woven and knitted fabrics such as  its higher bacterial filtration efficiency, higher air permeability, no yarn slippage, lesser contamination risk , and lower manufacturing cost.

Global Medical Non-woven Disposables Market Taxonomy

By product – On the basis of product type, the medical nonwoven disposables market is segmented into:

• Surgical product
• Wound dressings
• Incontinence product

Non-woven disposable products offers opportunities for favorable growth of the medical non-woven disposables market. Over the past decades, demand for polymeric nanofibers has tremendously increased, owing to its very large surface area to volume ratio. This exceptional property is suitable for application in medical textile products such as drug delivery systems, surgical face masks, and wound dressing.

Demand for technology offering high absorbent capacity and antimicrobial properties to help reduce chances of cross-contamination, is increasing in the manufacturing of non-woven fabrics. Microencapsulation technology offers immense opportunities to improve properties of medical textile. Suspension of microcapsule is formulated in the development of non-woven textile with prolonged antimicrobial activity.  The textile is then impregnated with microcapsules that are pressure-sensitive, which release the active ingredient upon pressure.

Momentive performance material, in 2011, launched NuWet 550 Hydrophilic silicone finish for non-woven medical disposables, it gives a long-lasting hydrophilic finish to non-woven fabrics such as diapers, surgical wipes. Silicone finish is employed in the medical industry help minimize the migration of water to unwanted areas during surgical processes.

Increasing prevalence of hospital acquired infections and improving hygienic habits among people to favor growth of the medical non-woven disposables market

Increasing prevalence of hospital acquired infections is one of the major factors driving growth of the medical non-woven disposables market. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014, around 722,000 people contracted HAIs in acute care hospitals and around 75,000 patients suffering from HAIs died during hospitalization in the U.S. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2016, reported that from around 87337 patients admitted in the ICU for over two days, around 6995 patients were recorded with at least one HAI. Furthermore, CDC and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) have collaborated since July 2010, to ensure funding for basic elements of HAI program infrastructure at the federal, state, and local levels. Growing geriatric population has increased the demand for medical non-woven disposables, in turn, boosting growth of the market. Growing awareness regarding improved hygienic habits among the populace and introduction of new products in the incontinence segment are expected to fuel grow of the medical non-woven disposables market in the near future. High demand for surgical products in developed countries, has fueled growth of the incontinence and surgical product segments, in turn creating immense opportunities for growth of the global medical non-woven disposables market.

Major key players operating in the medical nonwoven disposables market include Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Medline Industries, Inc., Paul Hartmann AG, Mölnlycke Health Care, Ahlstrom Corporation, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Medtronic, Inc., Svenska Cellulosa, Freudenberg & Co. KG, Aktiebolaget SCA, and Domtar Corporation.