Thermo-comfort medical textiles for patients

Human comfort is defined as a neutral state, and being free from pain. Thermal comfort is an integral part of overall human comfort. It can be described as the optimum thermal state of the body created by the balance between the heat production and heat loss. Textiles play an important role for thermal comfort because they are the transfer route for heat and moisture exchange between the body and the environment. Thermal comfort is especially important for medical textiles worn by patients and health care professionals. The concept of thermal comfort is explained, and the human body heat balance and heat exchange mechanisms are presented. Textile materials used for medical textiles are reviewed. Testing methods and standards for the evaluation of thermal comfort are presented. Future trends in the area of thermo-comfort medical textiles are outlined.