Ahlstrom-Munksjö Formulates Next Generation Breathable Viral Barrier Fabric

 

Ahlstrom-Munksjö (Helsinki, Finland) a global leader in fiber-based materials, announces the launch of ViroSēl™. This innovative fabric is constructed for the most critical areas of a surgical gown designed to keep medical professionals protected and comfortable.

ViroSēl™ (pronounced Vi-ro-Seal) is Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s next generation Breathable Viral Barrier (BVB) surgical fabric that leverages our decades of experience making innovative fabrics used to keep medical professionals protected and comfortable. ViroSēl™ has a specially formulated design that provides the opportunity to create robust seam seals for highly critical areas of a surgical gown.

"We leveraged our BVB product development and manufacturing experience to create a fabric that can be reliably used in the most protective and comfortable surgical gowns on the market" says Jason Beard, product platform leader, Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö.

ViroSēl™ is a tri-laminate fabric constructed to be impervious, breathable and comfortable. The outer layer is fluid repellent and durable. The barrier layer has a monolithic film membrane making it impervious to liquids, viruses and bacteria. The chemical composition of the film itself allows moisture vapor to pass through it, keeping the surgical staff cool and dry. The darker inner layer was designed to reduce shadowing, and is soft to the touch which makes it comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

 

Surgeries like Cesarean sections, gastric and cardiac often have a substantial amount of fluids involved and are lengthy to complete. This means protection and comfort are essential for the medical professionals wearing the surgical gown. Infection control is imperative as there is risk to the patient and staff to potentially come into contact with these fluids. International industry standards are used to test and measure the barrier performance for liquids and blood-borne pathogens for materials used in protective clothing like surgical gowns. ViroSēl™ passes these stringent standards providing the impervious protection needed in the surgical environment.  

"Our initial trial customers love the comfort, color and feel of ViroSēl™. Feedback has been very positive overall and we are excited to share this innovative fabric with the market. ViroSēl™ reinforces our drive to maintain differentiation in the breathable viral barrier market" commented Lionel Bonte, VP, Medical, Ahlstrom-Munksjö.