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Project Details

Fabric 1

Laminated multi-layer composite
Producer/Manufacturer: Standard Textile Co., Inc
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Engineer Name 1
Richard Holbert Jr, PhD., Sara Broadaway, PhD., Syed Zaidy, PhD

Engineer Company 1
Standard Textile Co., Inc

Design Name
Jessica Clagett

Design Company
Standard Textile Co., Inc

Project Manager Name
Jessica Clagett, Ken Kaiser

Project Manager Company
Standard Textile Co., Inc

Please describe the project specifications

SURPASS™ is a groundbreaking reusable incontinence pad that rivals and often exceeds the performance currently offered by disposable or reusable alternatives. With SURPASS™, healthcare facilities can elevate patient care with a high-performance reusable incontinence pad, all while drastically reducing landfill waste, shrinking their environmental footprint, and lowering total cost

SURPASS™ uses a high-capacity absorbent multi-layer core that swiftly wicks away moisture, preventing rewet and keeping skin drier. Here’s how it works:
1. Rapid Wicking Surface: Small capillaries near the top layer quickly draw moisture away, providing a dry-to-the-touch feel for the patient.
2. High-Capacity Core: Larger capillaries in the middle layer absorb and disperse the bulk of liquid, spreading moisture evenly throughout the pad.
3. Anti-Rewet Barrier: The top sheet is engineered to prevent liquid from resurfacing under weight or pressure, keeping the surface dry and comfortable.
SURPASS™ pulls moisture away from patient, helping skin remain dry and comfortable. By minimizing moisture accumulation, SURPASS™ helps maintain a healthier microclimate, essential in preventing moisture-associated skin damage.

Disposable incontinence pads made with super absorbent polymers (SAPs) are often chosen for convenience and because they can play an important role in moisture management of the skin, which is crucial for patient well-being. However, their widespread use contributes heavily to the growing waste crisis. Our challenge was to meet the moisture management capability of an SAP disposable in a pad that can be industrially laundered 50 or more times. Engineering the fabrics to withstand the rigors of this wash process including the physical stresses and high pH required us to create our own proprietary finish and unique top sheet fabric because nothing else on the market worked.
While current market reusable underpads can be used for repositioning and do help reduce solid waste, they provide only minimal protection against rewet and are more susceptible to abrasion, leaving patients’ skin vulnerable to moisture-related issues.
SURPASS™ offers a better solution. Over its lifecycle, each pad can replace up to 60 disposable SAP pads. With SURPASS™, facilities can dramatically cut down on landfill waste and lower their environmental footprint, all while maintaining superior patient care. Its reusability not only benefits the environment but also reduces costs over time—offering a sustainable, high-performance solution for modern incontinence care.

SURPASS™ is a highly engineered composite, quilted and laminated into a single layer to reduce the potential for bunching under the patient. It measures 34" x36".
To understand the full benefit of the SURPASS™ underpad, we have compared key metrics against current market reusables and disposable pads:

1. Moisture Management: Absorbency (Time to Absorb 200ml, lower is better):
SURPASS™: 20 sec | Current Market Reusables: 26 sec | Disposables: 25 sec

2. Moisture Management: Rewet (Liquid transfer back to patient, "dry to touch" feel, lower is better):
SURPASS™: 1% | Current Market Reusables: 7% | Disposables: 2%

3. Comfort: Coefficient of Friction (using skin analog, lower is better):
SURPASS™: 0.48 | Current Market Reusables: 0.80 | Disposables: 0.32

4. Comfort: Abrasiveness (Skin analog weight loss from repeated rubs, lower is better):
SURPASS™: 36% | Current Market Reusables: 40% | Disposables: 33%

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