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(c) Fraunhofer ICT
06.01.2023

Fraunhofer CPM develop programmable material for ergonomic lying position

Many people across the world are bedridden – be it due to illness, an accident or old age. Because those affected often cannot move or turn over by themselves, they often end up with very painful bedsores. In the future, it should be possible to avoid bedsores with the help of materials that can be programmed to entirely adapt their form and mechanical properties. For example, the body support of mattresses made from programmable materials can be adjusted in any given area at the push of a button. Furthermore, the support layer is formed in such a way that strong pressure on one point can be distributed across a wider area. Areas of the bed where pressure is placed are automatically made softer and more elastic. Caregivers can also adjust the ergonomic lying position to best fit their patient.

Many people across the world are bedridden – be it due to illness, an accident or old age. Because those affected often cannot move or turn over by themselves, they often end up with very painful bedsores. In the future, it should be possible to avoid bedsores with the help of materials that can be programmed to entirely adapt their form and mechanical properties. For example, the body support of mattresses made from programmable materials can be adjusted in any given area at the push of a button. Furthermore, the support layer is formed in such a way that strong pressure on one point can be distributed across a wider area. Areas of the bed where pressure is placed are automatically made softer and more elastic. Caregivers can also adjust the ergonomic lying position to best fit their patient.

Materials and microstructuring
Materials for applications requiring specific changes to stiffness or shape are being developed by researchers from Fraunhofer CPM, which is formed of six core institutes with the aim of designing and producing programmable materials. So, how can we program materials? “Essentially, there are two key areas where adjustments can be made: the base material – thermoplastic polymers in the case of mattresses and metallic alloys for other applications, including shape memory alloys – and, more specifically, the microstructure,” explains Dr. Heiko Andrä, spokesperson on the topic at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, one of the Fraunhofer CPM core institutes. “The microstructure of these metamaterials is made up of unit cells that consist of structural elements such as small beams and thin shells.” While the size of each unit cell and its structural elements in conventional cellular materials, like foams, vary randomly, the cells in the programmable materials are also variable – but can be precisely defined, i.e., programmed. This programming can be made, for example, in such a way that pressure on a particular position will result in specific changes at other regions of the mattress, i.e., increase the size of the contact surface and provide optimal support to certain areas of the body.

Materials can also react to temperature or humidity
The change in shape that the material should exhibit and the stimuli to which it reacts - mechanical stress, heat, moisture or even an electric or magnetic field - can be determined by the choice of material and its microstructure.

The journey to application
A single piece of material can take the place of entire systems of sensors, regulators and actuators. The goal of Fraunhofer CPM is to reduce the complexity of systems by integrating their functionalities into the material and reducing material diversity. We always have industrial products in mind when developing the programmable materials. As such, we take mass production processes and material fatigue into account, among other things,” says Franziska Wenz, deputy spokesperson on the topic at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, another core institute of Fraunhofer CPM. The initial pilot projects with industry partners are also already underway. The research team expects that initially, programmable materials will act as replacements for components in existing systems or be used in special applications such as medical mattresses, comfortable chairs, variable damping shoe soles and protective clothing. “Gradually, the proportion of programmable materials used will increase,” says Andrä. Ultimately, they can be used everywhere – from medicine and sporting goods to soft robotics and even space research.

Source:

Fraunhofer ITWM

(c) Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited
22.11.2022

Indorama Ventures’ Deja™ brand named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has been named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award at the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2022. The award was for IVL’s DejaTM Carbon Neutral pellets, a carbon-neutral virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, helping to reduce environmental impact.

The Deja™ brand covers carbon neutral virgin and recycled PET resins and a range of recycled PET (rPET) products, including flakes, resins, fibers, and yarns. It provides IVL’s global customers with a range of high-performance applications, including packaging, lifestyle, automotive, apparel, and medical equipment. The solutions help environmentally conscious companies meet their sustainability goals.

IVL has set ambitious 2025 and 2030 targets, which shall be met through its six-pronged decarbonization strategy, including energy transition, improving operational efficiency, circular feedstock, and future technologies. The company also has a goal to recycle 100 billion PET bottles annually by 2030.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has been named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award at the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2022. The award was for IVL’s DejaTM Carbon Neutral pellets, a carbon-neutral virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, helping to reduce environmental impact.

The Deja™ brand covers carbon neutral virgin and recycled PET resins and a range of recycled PET (rPET) products, including flakes, resins, fibers, and yarns. It provides IVL’s global customers with a range of high-performance applications, including packaging, lifestyle, automotive, apparel, and medical equipment. The solutions help environmentally conscious companies meet their sustainability goals.

IVL has set ambitious 2025 and 2030 targets, which shall be met through its six-pronged decarbonization strategy, including energy transition, improving operational efficiency, circular feedstock, and future technologies. The company also has a goal to recycle 100 billion PET bottles annually by 2030.

Chemical Week Sustainability Awards recognize the industry's best efforts in addressing financial, operational, and strategic challenges by focusing on ESG and sustainable product development. The awards were assessed by S&P Global, the world's leading credit rating agency, and a panel of experts from various companies across the chemical industry's value chain.

(c) Hologenix, LLC
18.11.2022

Hologenix® celebrates 20-year anniversary

Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT®, began 20 years ago with the idea of improving the quality of people's lives and health with an emphasis on non-invasive, natural, holistic healing. Co-founder and CEO Seth Casden became fascinated with the effect infrared has on the body and worked with a dedicated team to develop and market CELLIANT® infrared technology and thus materials science innovator Hologenix came to be.

CELLIANT, a proprietary blend of IR-generating bioceramics that are ethically sourced, is a unique combination of nature and performance. CELLIANT captures and converts body heat into infrared energy for increased local circulation and cellular oxygenation, resulting in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep. It is a key ingredient in textiles, spanning both performance and fashion apparel, sleep and lounge wear, bedding, upholstery, uniforms and medical supplies.

Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT®, began 20 years ago with the idea of improving the quality of people's lives and health with an emphasis on non-invasive, natural, holistic healing. Co-founder and CEO Seth Casden became fascinated with the effect infrared has on the body and worked with a dedicated team to develop and market CELLIANT® infrared technology and thus materials science innovator Hologenix came to be.

CELLIANT, a proprietary blend of IR-generating bioceramics that are ethically sourced, is a unique combination of nature and performance. CELLIANT captures and converts body heat into infrared energy for increased local circulation and cellular oxygenation, resulting in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep. It is a key ingredient in textiles, spanning both performance and fashion apparel, sleep and lounge wear, bedding, upholstery, uniforms and medical supplies.

The first partnership Hologenix secured was with the Ireland-based fiber company Wellman International Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Indorama Ventures and a pioneer in recycling technologies. Hologenix still works with them today, a tribute to the company’s ability to form long-term partnerships with like-minded organizations, and their joint project of pure white CELLIANT rPET fiber was shortlisted for a prestigious Drapers Sustainable Fashion Award earlier in the year.

On the brand side, many of the first brands to incorporate CELLIANT were in the sportwear industry, including Adidas, Reebok, Saucony, Eastern Mountain Sports, Sierra Designs sleeping bags and Superfeet insoles.

In 20 years, Hologenix has achieved many scientific milestones, and CELLIANT has been and continues to be rigorously tested by a Science Advisory Board composed of experts in photobiology, nanotechnology, sleep medicine, and diabetes and wound care. The Science Advisory Board has overseen nine peer-reviewed published studies that demonstrate CELLIANT’s effectiveness and the benefits of infrared energy.

Looking ahead, Hologenix is continuing to research applications for CELLIANT in the agriculture industry and wound healing and diabetes. Expansion into the FemTech market with both product applications and scientific research about the benefits of infrared for women’s health issues is also on the horizon.

Source:

Hologenix, LLC / Sarah P. Fletcher Communications

(c) Hologenix, LLC
15.11.2022

Medline and Hologenix launch new orthopedic infrared products

Medline, a medical product distributor and manufacturer, together with Hologenix® launched a new line of CURAD® Performance Series® orthopedic products powered by CELLIANT® infrared technology.

CELLIANT, the flagship innovation of Hologenix, is a proprietary blend of natural minerals that allows textiles to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local blood flow and cellular oxygenation. This has been clinically demonstrated to support recovery from physical activity and fatigue, increase endurance and stamina, and boost overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.  

Trusted by athletes, CURAD is the Official Medical Supplier of the IRONMAN® U.S. Series. The new orthopedic products powered by CELLIANT infrared technology are the latest additions to the CURAD Performance Series collection and including different infrared supports designed for the ankle, knee, back, shoulder, as well as multipurpose use.

Medline, a medical product distributor and manufacturer, together with Hologenix® launched a new line of CURAD® Performance Series® orthopedic products powered by CELLIANT® infrared technology.

CELLIANT, the flagship innovation of Hologenix, is a proprietary blend of natural minerals that allows textiles to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local blood flow and cellular oxygenation. This has been clinically demonstrated to support recovery from physical activity and fatigue, increase endurance and stamina, and boost overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.  

Trusted by athletes, CURAD is the Official Medical Supplier of the IRONMAN® U.S. Series. The new orthopedic products powered by CELLIANT infrared technology are the latest additions to the CURAD Performance Series collection and including different infrared supports designed for the ankle, knee, back, shoulder, as well as multipurpose use.

“This new CURAD Performance Series offering represents a major expansion of CELLIANT infrared (IR) bio-responsive textiles into the sports medicine field,” said Seth Casden, Hologenix Co-Founder and CEO. “We are honored to partner with Medline and look forward to future introductions.”

In addition to the inclusion of CELLIANT infrared technology, Medline has engineered the elastic supports to provide targeted compression for enhanced local circulation that helps reduce swelling, with a contoured fit that won’t slip or shift during normal activities with silicone grips that keep the product in place.

The removable hot/cold therapy supports provide adjustable compression and a gel compress that can be cooled or heated to further reduce swelling and discomfort.

Source:

Hologenix, LLC /  Sarah Fletcher Communication

(c) Hohenstein
27.01.2022

Hohenstein tests and certifies FFP respiratory masks

The textile service provider Hohenstein has successfully extended its accreditations as a testing laboratory and certification body to include FFP (Filtering Face Pieces) respiratory masks in accordance with DIN EN 149, thus completing its portfolio in the textile mask sector. The necessary functional and safety tests on community masks, medical masks and FFP respiratory masks contribute to consumer safety. In addition, Hohenstein has not only been a member of the German Mask Association since September 2021, which pools the expertise of all mask manufacturers and suppliers in Germany, but also supports the Quality Working Group with its expertise in the field of textile protective clothing.

The textile service provider Hohenstein has successfully extended its accreditations as a testing laboratory and certification body to include FFP (Filtering Face Pieces) respiratory masks in accordance with DIN EN 149, thus completing its portfolio in the textile mask sector. The necessary functional and safety tests on community masks, medical masks and FFP respiratory masks contribute to consumer safety. In addition, Hohenstein has not only been a member of the German Mask Association since September 2021, which pools the expertise of all mask manufacturers and suppliers in Germany, but also supports the Quality Working Group with its expertise in the field of textile protective clothing.

Filtering Face Pieces are primarily used for the self-protection of the wearer and are intended to protect from harmful aerosols, particles and droplets. There are different protection levels for FFP respiratory masks (FFP 1-3), depending on how well they retain liquid and solid particles. In occupational safety, they are part of personal protective equipment (PPE) and fall under category III. Their protective function is specified throughout Europe by the DIN EN 149:2009-08 standard, which requires laboratory tests and practical performance tests with test persons. The Hohenstein testing laboratory carries out reliable proof of the safety of FFP respiratory masks in several test steps:

  • Through visual inspection, the Hohenstein experts assess the correct labelling, the comprehensibility of the enclosed instructions for using the masks, as well as the functionality and packaging.   
  • Laboratory tests can determine, among other things, breathing resistance, filter medium transmittance and inward leakage. The practical performance of FFP respiratory masks is assessed through realistic tests with test persons.
  • Test persons can also be employed to assess other parameters such as skin tolerance, field of vision or headgear comfort.
  • Optional tests, such as testing FFP respiratory masks for harmful substances, complete the safety verification.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a particularly large number of FFP respiratory masks with doubtful and even false labelling have been in circulation, so reliable and neutral testing and certification of these products is essential. Hohenstein, with its many years of extensive experience in the testing and certification of personal protective equipment, thus offers the ideal service for customers who value testing quality "Made in Germany".

As a testing laboratory for medical devices, Hohenstein also offers testing of medical face masks for their bacterial filtering performance, differential pressure as an indicator of breathing activity, microbiological purity and cytotoxicity, among others. Medical face masks fall under the Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 and fulfil the requirements according to EN 14683. The testing service provider Hohenstein has already taken a big step towards safety and functionality with the introduction of its quality label for Tested Community Masks in June 2020 and also tests according to the first European Guideline for Everyday Masks, the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) 17553:2020.

Source:

Hohenstein

03.12.2020

JEC Summit Sports & Health - Connect 8-10th December

Starting on December 8, professionals from the whole composites value chain across the globe will be able to meet online, network, and build long-lasting relationships thanks to the JEC Summit Sport & Health. The goal of this event is to allow decision-makers to learn about the current challenges and opportunities of the sports and medical fields, this thanks to the three-day program integrating keynote speeches, industry sessions, workshops, startups, and business meetings.

 

Please read attached document for more information about the program.

Starting on December 8, professionals from the whole composites value chain across the globe will be able to meet online, network, and build long-lasting relationships thanks to the JEC Summit Sport & Health. The goal of this event is to allow decision-makers to learn about the current challenges and opportunities of the sports and medical fields, this thanks to the three-day program integrating keynote speeches, industry sessions, workshops, startups, and business meetings.

 

Please read attached document for more information about the program.