Background

“Smart Textiles” is a new and emerging field; defined as textiles that can respond to the environment or stimuli. Applied sciences are today, looking at smart textiles integration in:

• textile chemistry

• fibre technology

• material sciences

• structural mechanics

• micro and organic chemistry

• nanotechnology.

With clear uses in healthcare, military, and other high-risk segments, smart textiles offer an enhanced opportunity.

Medlab’s role was to develop a proof of concept textile that administered life-saving medicines for military and civilian life.

The Study

Using the NanoCelle® technology, in vitro work was undertaken to adapt antibiotics to textiles under the premise of smart administration of the selected drug.

Ampicillin was selected.

Once Ampicillin was in the NanoCelle® environment, it was infused into cotton gauze. Several development batches were produced, with a 2% solution with real-time 20-day stability, at room temperature in the NanoCelle® environment used as the primary sample for infusing the textiles.

Lactobacillus Lactis was selected as the gram positive bacterium. MRS broth and agars were used.

Standard sterile cotton gauzes (7.5 cm x 7.5 cm) were taken in cell culture dishes and around 8 mL of ampicillin NanoCelle® solution was added. Five preparations of loaded gauze were made. The gauze was kept at room temperature for overnight. Then they were taken out of the solutions and kept in labeled, sterilized, separate cell culture dishes.

The Results

1. After 1 week of preparation the first of a series of antimicrobial efficacy testing was conducted. sterilized plain cotton gauze was used as the control. Clear zones of inhibition were observed around all ampicillin-loaded gauzes.

2. On repeated testing several weeks later, similar results were observed.