In the area of technical textiles, the products depend mainly on advanced materials and these, on the other hand, depend on textile know‐how. Textile materials in the health‐care sector gradually have taken on more important roles. As more research has been completed, textiles have found their way into a variety of medical applications. Examines the medical and related health‐care sector, and more precisely the products used in the operating theatre and hospital ward for the hygiene, care and safety of staff and patients. These textiles are not very well‐known, but have great potential for development in the fields of application. Owing to recent advancements in medical procedures and textile engineering, the use of textile materials in the health‐care industry is growing. Subsequently, aims to contribute to the knowledge and clarification of single use materials used in the operating theatre according to the new technical standards.

Hospitals will continue to be the largest consumers of disposables, because of the diverse range of procedures they provide. Favourable growth is forecast for non‐wovens. Increasing concern over contamination and nosocomial infections will boost the demand for consumable and disposable surgical gowns and drapes. But, until now neither the manufacturers nor the end users of surgical gowns and drapes could agree on standards. So, a mandatory European standard is being developed to establish basic requirements and test methods for disposable and reusable materials used for surgical gowns and drapes. Once this standard has been adopted, the continued use of cotton textiles and conventional cotton‐polyester mixed textiles will become questionable.