ORLANDO, Fla. – Vestagen Technical Textiles, Inc. today launched specially designed scrubs for operating room (OR) staff made with its Vestex® active barrier textile technology. In addition to being embedded with Vestex’s mainstay antimicrobial and fluid repellent properties, the OR scrub line is made with tightly woven, 100 percent polyester to limit lint shedding and wicking WarpDry™ technology to ensure breathability and wearer comfort through the longest procedures. Vestagen is unveiling the new scrubs this week at the 2015 Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Surgical Conference & Expo in Denver.  

“It may come as no surprise to anyone who works in the OR, but research from the International Safety Center documents OR and recovery rooms account for the second highest rate of splash and splatter exposures hospital-wide[1]. We believe more needs to be done to protect healthcare workers and patients from unanticipated exposures in every area of the hospital, including addressing attire worn by OR staff leading up to, and after, donning personal protective equipment (PPE),” states Uncas “Ben” B. Favret III, president and CEO of Vestagen. “Our Vestex technology provides all staff an extra line of protection and an added layer of confidence and comfort during all phases of patient care.”

Recently, Vestex became the only healthcare worker attire to earn an exclusive endorsement from the American Hospital Association (AHA), following an extensive due diligence process that assessed Vestex’s ability to protect healthcare workers and reduce the bacteria on clothing that contribute to the risk of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).

Evidence-based research documenting the effectiveness and safety of Vestex includes a study performed in an intensive care unit that showed a 99.99 percent reduction of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on Vestex uniforms compared to traditional non-protective uniforms, both at the beginning and end of the work shift.

Vestagen’s Vestex material is the first healthcare worker attire in the industry to offer the combination of fluid repellency, antimicrobial properties and breathability. The fluid repellency technology keeps body fluids and other contaminants from being retained on the fabric, so uniforms remain dry and stain-free. The fabric is engineered with quaternary ammonium (quat) antimicrobial protection. A quat-based antimicrobial was selected after extensive research to identify the best antimicrobial solution for medical textiles. While more challenging to engineer into the fabric, this class of antimicrobials does not experience bacterial resistance and has a long history of safe use in healthcare applications. The wicking properties help pull moisture from the inside out, providing the wearer comfort through lengthy shifts.

The new OR scrubs join a full line of protective healthcare worker lab coats and scrubs under the myGuardian™ brand. Vestagen also offers an innovative patient apparel line called myComfort™ that combines the technical Vestex protective properties with design features that also fully protect patient dignity. All apparel is developed with Vestagen’s proprietary Vestex fabric and available at vestexprotects.com.

For more information on the OR scrubs and Vestex technology, visit Vestagen in booth #1446 at AORN or online at vestagen.com.

About Vestagen

At Vestagen Technical Textiles, our mission is to protect people with innovative technical textile technologies that are scientifically-proven. Vestagen’s proprietary Vestex® active barrier protective fabric is the first to combine antimicrobial, liquid repellent and breathability properties to protect wearers from exposure to potentially harmful contaminants in any environment. The privately-held, venture-backed company has technologies that can serve the healthcare, food service and athletic markets, among others. For more information, visit vestagen.com.

About Vestex

Developed by Vestagen, Vestex® is the original, active barrier protective fabric technology that combines antimicrobial, liquid repellent and breathability properties. Healthcare lab coats, scrubs and patient gowns made with Vestex fabric are clinically-proven to protect workers and patients from dangerous contaminants. Comfortable, durable and affordable, products made of Vestex carry a “V” logo and the tagline “Vestex Protects.” Vestex fabrics are utilized in the myGuardian™ and myComfort™ lines manufactured and sold directly by Vestagen, Vestagen’s retail partners and select distributors. Vestex fabric is also available for purchase to be used in garment production by approved licensees. For a list of retailers and distributors, visit Vestagen.com/vestex-customers-distributors.