The increasing human life expectancy, especially in the West, drives the need for innovative means to preserve the vitality of the body well beyond the age of retirement. On the other hand, labor is increasingly expensive. Accidents and illness therefore cause not only personal suffering, but also absenteeism, which is economically important. The concept “Wellbeing” has thus a labor context with a large component of productivity, since improved worker health enables increased worker output. In general, as a result of the continual societal and technological development, the status of good individual body function is increasing in the western world. The goal of the research in the Department is relevant on one hand for the healthy person, to maintain his or her quality of life, health, and productivity, and on the other hand for the person with health problems, to support the healing and/or rehabilitation process.
The thematic focus extends from complete systems which can be employed on and about the body, to materials which can be used inside the body. Core activities are Clothing Physiology, which is the investigation of the interactions between textiles and the human body. This includes phenomena like heat and moisture transport in the clothing systems considered, as well as their friction and skin sensitivity aspects. These themes entail a variation in focus from macroscopic systems perspectives to microscopic materials properties. Closely connected to this area is that of Protection from External Influences. Here the emphasis is on safeguarding the body from heat and flame, effects of the weather, and mechanical risks. The higher the priority on personal protection of a clothing system, the more the comfort/wellbeing and the productivity of the person tend to suffer. The unification of these contrary objectives in an optimal solution is the aim of many projects in the Department. Specially developed manikins facilitate the investigation and understanding of the relevant phenomena under realistic conditions. An example of the results of such work is a variable insulation developed and patented at EMPA, which is presently being prepared for introduction to the market by “outdoor”-jacket and bed manufacturers. Together with the Swiss Army, a new concept for winter ready equipment was developed. The resulting systems were given a positive evaluation in actual use by troops, and will soon be employed on a wider scale. New materials are identified which could be exploited in systems to protect against heat and flame in, e.g., firefighter protective clothing, and form the basis for corresponding development projects. The prevention and reduction of injury due to accidents is being pursued, for example, in a project on hip-protectors, which reduces the risk of injury for older persons who fall.
Many of these research and development results are based on textile related materials. The development of Functional Textiles and Textile Surfaces is therefore another focal area of the Department, whether it concern plasma technology or wet chemical methods. For this work a highly developed infrastructure, built in-house or via collaborative efforts, is available. For instance, the plasma coating facility for textile fibers and filaments is unique in Switzerland and neighboring countries. This competence is being augmented via a newly started project for the researching and development of new material combinations for chemical fibers. A corresponding laboratory scale production of bicomponent fibers has been initiated.
Yet another research focal area is concerned with Medical Materials and Tissues. The goal is on one hand the development of optimized implant materials for bone and nerve implants. On the other hand scaffolds are defined in vitro among others for the engineering of tissues. Material surfaces are defined to achieve an optimal cell proliferation and differentiation. The basis for this is a good understanding of the interaction between biological cells and extracellular biological matrices and/or non biological materials. Besides simple in vitro biocompatibility tests, the most modern molecular-biological and microscopic tools are being employed, e.g., on-line monitoring of cell migration and the activity of particular genes. To be able to differentiate between general and cell-specific phenomena, we carry out studies using a variety of cell types. Application-oriented projects are being carried out in the areas of wound healing support and implant surfaces.
New biodegradable implants and scaffolds are developed and produced based on own research on tailor made Biopolymers of the type polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Besides their use in production of medical materials, they are envisioned as possible materials for other applications, e.g. carrier of antifouling agents. The research covers the isolation of targeted productive microorganisms, the determination of optimal production conditions, and the chemical modification of PHA’s. All of the above require a measurement and analysis technology which can support the research projects at a high level, and which is constantly being improved or, in many cases, invented.
The departement covers the following activities:
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