The hospital isn’t always the safest place; being around other sick people just breeds more sickness. Because as many as 10 per cent of patients pick up some kind of infection while they’re admitted, Spanish researchers have developed a textile that can kill bacteria and could be used in bed sheets and gowns.
Researchers created these fully sterile fabrics by using enzymes to adhere antimicrobial particles within textiles. They applied a little ultrasonic radiation to secure the bacteria warriors inside the sheets, making them effective for up to 70 wash cycles. These fabrics are important because many diseases hanging around a hospital are undetectable, and the infection fighting materials keep those away. You don’t want to be in the hospital to begin with; anything that keeps you from having to stay any longer than you have to is OK by us. [Phys.org via The Verge]
Image: Shutterstock/Alexander Raths