Hydroactive nonwovens
Innovative solutions for advanced wound care
Hydroactive nonwovens for moist wound management
Chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers or pressure sores, heal better when the wound is kept in a moist environment. Based on many years of groundbreaking research in the field of highly absorbent fibers, Freudenberg Performance Materials has developed innovative, hydroactive materials for these applications. Examples include nonwovens made from hydrogelling and superabsorbent fibers that offer excellent absorption and retention characteristics for wound exudate.
Key Features
- High absorption: maintains an optimal moist environment
- Dimensional stability, even when wet: retains structure and integrity throughout use
- Increases absorption and retention in multilayer dressings
- Biocompatible fibers: do not interfere with the healing process or irritate the skin
Key Benefits
- Supports the wound healing process
- Improved quality of life for the patient, enhancing overall well-being
- Reduced treatment costs because dressings require less frequent changes and fewer clinical visits are needed
- Enables customized solutions for individual requirements using various fibers, e.g. chitosan or other specialized polymers
Expert voice
“Our application know-how and technology expertise allow us to develop innovative materials that improve the efficiency of care and thus create value in Healthcare.“
Nils Dorn, Sales Manager, Healthcare Europe
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Long-standing expertise in advanced wound care
People suffering from diabetes or obesity in particular need to understand that their conditions can lead to additional negative side-effects. For example, wound healing is very poor. Wounds that do not heal in normal progression or within a predictable timeframe are considered to be chronic. Even the body itself lacks the ability to heal chronic wounds without appropriate medical treatment.
These wounds are not only a physical burden for the patient, they also represent a significant financial challenge for health insurance companies and hospitals. Meanwhile, an entire industry is dedicated to addressing the topic of wound care – not only to support health insurance companies and doctors, but also to help patients to return to a normal, unrestricted life. In this context, the focus is on supporting the healing of chronic wounds, which are estimated to account for 12 percent of all wounds.
Chronic wounds can cover large areas and often exude a significant amount of fluid. Research studies have shown that wounds heal better and faster in a moist environment. For this reason, it is crucial for the healing process to remove exudate from the wound while maintaining moisture. Wound dressings therefore need to be highly absorbent, non-adherent to the wound, and easy to remove.
Innovative solutions based on hydroactive fibers
Over the past two decades, Freudenberg Performance Materials (FPM) has developed gelling and superabsorbent layers for wound dressings. While gelling wound dressings are not new, the materials developed by FPM offer significant additional advantages for both clinicians and patients. Hydroactive fibers form a gel when absorbing wound exudate. The material can absorb up to 25 times its own weight in fluid, draws the exudate into the core of the dressing, and activates the healing process. The homogeneous surface of the material increases absorbency and reduces the frequency of dressing changes.
