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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Groups redesign therapy garments
A Sunlight Social Welfare Foundation worker fits a therapeutic compression garment on a burns patient in Taipei on Wednesday last week. Photo courtesy of the Sunlight Social Welfare Foundation
By Tang Wei-cheng and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Sunlight Social Welfare Foundation on Wednesday revealed new therapeutic compression garments for burns patients that have superior cooling qualities and breathability in hot weather.
The “high-performance cooling pressure garment” is the result of the foundation’s collaboration with Gwo Jyh Wrap Knitting Industry, Da Ai Technology and other partners, foundation chairwoman Ma Hai-hsia （馬海霞） said.
Nearly 400 survivors of the Formosa Fun Coast （八仙海岸） water park explosion in 2015 sustained burns. The increased demand for compression garments resulted in greater interest from the textile sector to improve their designs, she said.
Prolonged use of pressurized garments in hot temperatures is often painful for burns patients, she said, adding that maintaining comfort and pressure is a balancing act for designers.
Comfort is crucial because people with serious burns often need to wear compression garments for two years or more, she said.
The garment also needs to exert the correct pressure to prevent excessive scarring and other negative side effects, she added.
The new design exerts the appropriate level of pressure and is breathable, an event spokesperson said.
The research and development took about 18 months and was divided between participating organizations, the spokesperson said.
The Taiwan Textile Research Institute and the Taiwan Garment Industry Association donated 3D scanners that were used to measure people for the garments.
The Sunlight Foundation and Da Ai Technology conducted clinical trials, the spokesperson said.
Clinical trial volunteers, including survivors of the Formosa Fun Coast incident, said the garments were significantly more comfortable and rates of folliculitis, an infection associated with pressure garment therapy, were reduced, the spokesperson said.
“Wearing compression garments in summer feels like wearing sweat gear. The cooling compression garment feels like a cool breeze on my skin,” a clinical trial participant said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
