Conference Speakers

Tami Mace

Ecolab Program Leader-Surgical Materials , Ecolab

Tami received her M.S. in Polymer Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2002. She has worked in the nonwovens industry developing novel materials for personal care and medical products since the early 1990’s. Her career started with Kimberly –Clark Corporation where she worked in various nonwoven technology and process development programs including cast breathable films, elastic nonwovens and fluid intake materials. She has over 40 patents in the area of nonwoven products and processes. She currently works for Ecolab in the Surgical division, leading the selection of materials and developing testing approaches for various surgical drape systems. She spends her free time traveling, gardening and attempting Crossfit workouts. 

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Wednesday 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Medical Nonwoven Developments I & Web Formation

The Specific Challenges of Surgical Draping of Both Equipment and Patients for Novel Surgical Equipment

The surgical environment is exploding with novel equipment and robots. The patient is surrounded by equipment and cords running to and fro between the surgical field and onto the dreaded OR floor. The material properties needed to maintain a sterile barrier during one of these novel procedures are very different from those properties needed to protect a surgeon or patient. This dynamic environment still requires a functional sterile draping system that can be applied easily in an aseptic manner yet still respond with the equipment movement during the procedure. Developing creative draping systems for easy use of these new and amazing surgical machines requires new materials or novel properties on the good old standard materials. 

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