Enhancing Dental Applications: A Novel Approach for Incorporating Bioactive Substances into Textile Threads

In the realm of surgical and dental applications, hyaluronic acid (HA) braided threads show significant therapeutic potential due to their incorporation of pharmaceutical active ingredients. This study primarily focuses on resolving the crucial challenge of devising a deposition method that can ensure both precision and uniformity in the content of the active ingredient Octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT) within each segment of the threads. Our objective in this study was to develop a continuous deposition method for OCT onto a braided thread composed of 24 hyaluronic acid-based fibers, aiming for a specific OCT content of 0.125 µg/mm, while maintaining a maximum allowable deviation of ±15% in OCT content. The motivation behind designing this novel method stemmed from the necessity of employing a volatile solvent for the active agent. Conventional wetting methods proved unsuitable due to fluctuations in the solution's concentration during deposition, and alternative methods known to us demanded intricate technical implementations. The newly introduced method offers distinct advantages, including its online processing speed, scalability potential, and cost-efficiency of the active agent solution. Additionally, it minimizes the impact on the natural polymer thread, preserving energy by obviating the need for complete thread saturation. Our research and precise apparatus development resulted in achieving the desired thread properties, with an OCT content of (1.51 ± 0.09) µg per 12 mm thread piece. These findings not only validate the suitability of this innovative method for depositing active agents but also extend its potential applicability beyond dental care.