Medical towel and method for manufacturing

Abstract

A dye free medical towel and a method of making thereof, comprising natural, dye free, cotton absorbent cloth material, the towel having a first reduced glare characteristic and reduced linting.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for producing a dye-free medical towel from a dye-free cotton material, comprising:
 preparing the dye-free cotton material for processing by:
 disposing the dye-free cotton material into a container and adding first water at a first temperature to the container; and 
 adding a scouring agent to the container to form a first solution, the first solution including the first water and the scouring agent, and soaking the dye-free cotton material in the first solution; 
   degreasing, after the preparing, the dye-free cotton material by:
 heating the solution to a second temperature greater than the first; 
 adding a degreasing agent to the container to form a second solution, the second solution including the first water, the scouring agent, and the degreasing agent, and soaking the dye-free cotton material in the second solution; and 
 removing the second solution; 
   forming, after the degreasing, the dye-free cotton material into a dye-free medical towel.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises, after the degreasing, rinsing the dye-free material. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius and the second temperature is about 120 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein forming the dye-free cotton material into a dye-free medical towel further includes:
 drying the dye-free cotton material; and   cutting the dye-free cotton material into a rectangular shape.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein degreasing the dye-free cotton material further includes adding a non-chlorine bleach, and wherein the first solution includes the non-chlorine bleach. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the non-chlorine bleach is a hydrogen peroxide solution. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the degreasing agent is a sodium hydroxide solution. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the dye-free medical towel has a lint release less than 700,000 particles of 0.5 micron size or greater, an absorbency rate greater than 2.0 mm/second, and a whiteness of less than or equal to 50% WI-CIE. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the dye-free medical towel has a reflectivity less than 75 percent at a wavelength of between 400 nm and 750 nm. 
     
     
         30 . A dye free medical towel obtainable by the method of  claim 21 , comprising:
 a cotton absorbent cloth, having:
 a reflectance percentage value of greater than about 25 and less than about 75, at a wavelength of between about 360 nm and about 750 nm, 
 a whiteness value of less than about 50% WI-CIE, 
 an absorbency wicking rate of greater than about 2 millimeters per second; and 
 a lint release less than 700,000 particles of 0.5 micron size or greater as measured by a Gelbo-Flex test. 
   
     
     
         31 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 30 , wherein the color of the cotton absorbent cloth is substantially pantone 400. 
     
     
         32 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 30 , wherein the cotton absorbent cloth has a reflectance percentage value of greater than about 25 and less than about 70, between about 400 nm and about 700 nm. 
     
     
         33 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 30 , wherein the cotton absorbent cloth has a weight of water per weight of fabric ratio of greater than about 3 as measured by ASTM 4772. 
     
     
         34 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 30 , wherein the absorbency wicking rate is greater than about 3 millimeters per second. 
     
     
         35 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 30 , wherein the whiteness value is less than about 35% WI-CIE. 
     
     
         36 . A dye free medical towel obtainable by the method of  claim 21 , comprising:
 a non-irritant woven cotton absorbent cloth having:
 a reflectance percentage value of greater than about 50 and less than about 70, at a wavelength of between about 400 nm and about 700 nm, 
 a whiteness value of less than about 25% WI-CIE, 
 an absorbency wicking rate of greater than about 2 millimeters per second; and 
 a lint release less than about 100,000 particles of 0.3 micron size or greater as measured by a Gelbo-Flex test. 
   
     
     
         37 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 36 , wherein the absorbency rate is greater than about 3 millimeters per second. 
     
     
         38 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 36 , wherein the non-irritant woven cotton absorbent cloth has a lint release of less than about 70,000 particles of 0.5 micron size or greater as measured by a Gelbo-Flex test. 
     
     
         39 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 36 , wherein the non-irritant woven cotton absorbent cloth includes a color value of less than about 0.4 measured in the yellow spectrum. 
     
     
         40 . The dye free medical towel of  claim 36 , wherein non-irritant woven cotton absorbent cloth has a weight of water per weight of fabric ratio of greater than about 3 as measured by ASTM 4772.