a success BOLTON Institute -- no stranger to attracting foreign funding for its hi-tech research facilities -- has just completed a two-year medical textiles programme for a leading Japanese company.

The work was for Tokyo-based Alcare Ltd in the Faculty of Technology (Textiles).

The research team developed highly absorbent and non-sticky dressings for wounds, as well as orthopaedic casting products and knee support braces.

The team, led by Prof Subhash Anand and Dr S Rajendran, has pioneered major advances in wound dressings.

The Institute is also at the forefront in developing cast cloths for orthopaedic casting and support material for knee support braces.

The techniques are cheap and do not need new machinery and fibres.

"The research has yielded two potential patents for products which could have widespread applications throughout the medical world," said Prof Anand.

"Our successful partnership with Alcare in Japan has led to their current programme of developing the products on a commercial basis."