Compression fatigue behaviour of a biomimetic 3D textile structure for pressure ulcers prevention

The objective of the present research study is the development of a multifunctional textile structure to prevent the appearance of pressure ulcers. The concept of the overall structure was inspired by plant structures morphology, resulting in a 3D patchwork knitted fabric, specially designed according to the necessities of body segments, for a mattress overlay. To simulate the pressure that causes the occurrence of bedsores, compression tests were performed allowing the analysis of strain/stress behaviour, energy absorption and thickness variation under load. The results show the suitable behaviour of the textile structure developed to prevent pressure ulcers.
The authors acknowledge the funding from Compete 2020 – Program Portugal2020 under the grant SENSEBED – 10422.