Spacer fabric-based exuding wound dressing – Part I: Structural design, fabrication and property evaluation of spacer fabrics

Exuding wound dressing is used to help wound healing. Currently, commercial dressings for heavily exuding wounds still have some drawbacks, such as poor integrity, poor air permeability, low water vapor transmission, and the need for a secondary dressing on the top. To overcome these drawbacks, a new type of wound dressing based on the three-layer spacer fabric structure is proposed in this study. The study includes two parts. The first part focuses on the design, fabrication, and property evaluation of spacer fabrics that can be used for wound dressing. Twelve different types of spacer fabrics were first fabricated. Then, different properties, including wettability, absorbency, permeability, and thermal insulation, were tested and evaluated. A statistical analysis was also conducted to evaluate the effects of structural and yarn parameters on the properties of the spacer fabrics. Based on the testing results, two suitable spacer fabrics were finally selected as the basis for wound dressing material. It is expected that this study could promote the application of spacer fabrics in the medical area.