Combating Opioid crisis with nonwoven wipes
Synthetic opioid related deaths have increased by over 50 per cent from 2019 to 2020. Such drug usage and over dosage affect even high school children, causing a national crisis, informs Prof Seshadri Ramkumar.
FedEx recognises Synthetic Opioid Safety (SOS) kit, which has nonwoven wipe as its component.
In the past decade, synthetic opioid usage and illicit drug trafficking have become national crisis in the United States. According to United States’ CDC, synthetic opioid related deaths have increased by over 50 per cent from 2019 to 2020. Such drug usage and over dosage affect even high school children, causing a national crisis.
Fredericksburg, USA-based First Line Technology (FLT) has been at the forefront of developing products for combating opioid crisis such as Synthetic Opioid Safety kits and countermeasures systems to protect warfighters and first responders.
Recently, FedEx has selected FLT has one of its Top 100 Small Business entries in the Small Business Grant Competition for the development of Synthetic Opioid Safety (SOS) kit. The kit consists of Dahlgren decon formulation and FiberTect decontamination nonwoven wipe. FLT is the only small business entity from the State of Virginia in the United States to receive this recognition.
According to FedEx, the Top 100 companies were chosen from thousands of businesses. SOS kit entry brief is available at:
https://smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/entry/bngqz7uP?from=top100
“Being on FedEx’s Small Business Grant Contest’s Top 100 finalists is an honour. The path to commercialise products like FiberTect and Dahlgren Decon are not always easy as a small business, but with the help and recognition by organisations like FedEx it makes it worth it,” stated Amit Kapoor, President and Founder, First Line Technology.
FiberTect wipe is a patented technology based on research at Texas Tech University and lends itself to use different fibres such as cotton, synthetics and blends. The type of fibre helps with multiple functionalities such as water repellency, toxic chemical absorption, etc.
The nonwoven wipe is part of hybrid decontamination procedure, which is gaining acceptance.
“When we developed our hybrid decon solutions for first responders to combat the opioid epidemic our vision was to ensure that they had the best tools and training to keep themselves and the public safe,” added Amit Kapoor.
“We don’t solve any problem these days by working in silos. Products like SOS kit is a good example of technology commercialisation involving multidisciplinary fields such as textile science and chemistry. Such efforts will lead to positive contribution to our society by providing solutions to major problems affecting our society such as opioid crisis and pandemic scenarios,” opined Professor Brendan Kelly at Texas Tech University.
Nonwoven and different textile materials have been at the forefront of fighting global pandemic and public health crisis scenarios with the help of products such as PPEs and SOS kits.
About the author:
Dr Seshadri Ramkumar is a Professor, Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory in Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
