Wound care product made from bulked filament tow

Abstract

A wound care product is a nonwoven fabric made of filaments bulked from a tow and fixed into a 3-dimensional structure.

1 . A wound care product comprising;
 a nonwoven fabric made of filaments bulked from a tow and being fixed into a 3-dimensional structure, wherein said nonwoven fabric excludes nonwoven fabrics made by spunbond processes.   
   
   
       2 . The wound care product of  claim 1  wherein said nonwoven fabric having a basis weight in the range of 50-300 g/m 2 . 
   
   
       3 . The wound care product of  claim 1  wherein said nonwoven fabric having a thickness in the range of 2 mm-5 cm. 
   
   
       4 . The wound care product of  claim 1  wherein said filaments being a thermoplastic material. 
   
   
       5 . The wound care product of  claim 4  wherein said thermoplastic material being acrylics, cellulosics, polyamides, polyolefins, polyesters, co-polymers thereof, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The wound care product of  claim 5  wherein said thermoplastic material being cellulose acetate. 
   
   
       7 . The wound care product of  claim 1  wherein said filaments comprising two or more differing filaments. 
   
   
       8 . The wound care product of  claim 1  further comprising a binder. 
   
   
       9 . The wound care product of  claim 8  wherein said binder comprising 4-20% by weight of said fabric. 
   
   
       10 . The wound care product of  claim 8  wherein said binder being selected from the group consisting of glycerol derivatives, cyclohexanone, benzl alcohol, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The wound care product of  claim 10  wherein glycerol derivatives include glyceryl triacetate (triacetin), triethylglycerol diacetate, and glycol monoethyl ether acetate. 
   
   
       12 . The wound care product of  claim 1  further comprising point bonds. 
   
   
       13 . The wound care product of  claim 12  wherein said point bonds being selected from the group of thermal bonds, ultrasonic bonds, pressure bonds, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The wound care product of  claim 1  wherein said fabric not including any superabsorbent particles incorporated therein. 
   
   
       15 . A method of making a wound care product comprising the steps of:
 bulking a filament tow into a nonwoven fabric, and fixing the filaments into a 3-dimensional structure.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said nonwoven fabric having a basis weight in the range of 50-300 g/m 2 . 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein bulking further comprising opening the tow with an air jet. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein fixing the filaments further comprising applying a binder to the nonwoven. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein fixing the filaments further comprising bonding the filaments of the nonwoven with an external energy source. 
   
   
       20 . An article of manufacture comprising;
 a nonwoven fabric made of filaments bulked from a tow and being fixed into a 3-dimensional structure, wherein said nonwoven fabric excludes nonwoven fabrics made by spunbond processes.   
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  wherein said nonwoven fabric having a basis weight in the range of 50-300 g/m 2 . 
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1  wherein said nonwoven fabric having a thickness in the range of 2 mm-5 cm. 
   
   
       23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1  wherein said filaments being a thermoplastic material. 
   
   
       24 . The article of manufacture of  claim 23  wherein said thermoplastic material being acrylics, cellulosics, polyamides, polyolefins, polyesters, co-polymers thereof, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       25 . The article of manufacture of  claim 24  wherein said thermoplastic material being cellulose acetate. 
   
   
       26 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  wherein said filaments comprising two or more differing filaments. 
   
   
       27 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  further comprising a binder. 
   
   
       28 . The article of manufacture of  claim 27  wherein said binder comprising 4-20% by weight of said fabric. 
   
   
       29 . The article of manufacture of  claim 27  wherein said binder being selected from the group consisting of glycerol derivatives, cyclohexanone, benzl alcohol, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       30 . The article of manufacture of  claim 29  wherein glycerol derivatives include glyceryl triacetate (triacetin), triethyiglycerol diacetate, and glycol monoethyl ether acetate. 
   
   
       31 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  further comprising point bonds. 
   
   
       32 . The article of manufacture of  claim 31  wherein said point bonds being selected from the group of thermal bonds, ultrasonic bonds, pressure bonds, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       33 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  wherein said fabric not including any superabsorbent particles incorporated therein.