The Hohenstein Institute has set up a new center for textile public health as part of its group of companies in Boennigheim, Germany.
The Hohenstein Health Center will concentrate specifically on medical textiles; i.e., apparel, textile products or processes which affect human health. Prof. Dirk Höfer is leading the new center as Medical Director and Managing Director of Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG.
The use of textile products in disease prevention and in maintaining and restoring human health in everyday life – and also for medical, caring and hygiene purposes – has increased greatly in scope and diversity. Consequently, many of the users and other people involved in healthcare do not have the necessary clear, up-to-date and scientifically-based information about the benefits, risks, applications and areas of use of these textiles.
Medical textiles in the healthcare sector have been a growth market worldwide for decades, also benefitting small- and medium-sized companies producing interesting products, but the framework conditions are going to become much more difficult in future: The changes that will be introduced by the EU Directive on Medical Devices (MDR), which comes into effect in 2017, will present new challenges for all textile companies operating in the medical textile sector. For example, there will be higher specifications for clinical evaluation.
It is against this background that the Hohenstein Health Center will in the future be developing and supporting medical expertise on textile products affecting human health, both those that are either already on the market and those due to be launched.
It will also be establishing links with the various players in the healthcare sector who deal with this kind of textiles, and sharing expertise and new findings within the textile industry and among doctors and consumers. The Hohenstein Health Center will offer specialist medical expertise to support efficient product development, from the initial research concept through to product launch on the market. The main purpose of the new center will be to support the use of textiles to promote, protect and restore good health.