Back in 1996, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) was approached by inventor Tony Pike to measure the properties of his unique low-friction fabric.

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The initial data and feedback that NPL produced gave Tony the confidence he needed to continue his research and set up a company called APA Parafricta, which now provides the NHS with a wide range of products that offer unique benefits in skin protection and healing.

Initially, inspiration struck Tony Pike when he was driving home one evening and came across a road accident. While witnessing paramedics trying to move an injured motorcyclist without adding to his injuries, he began to think about the benefits of a flexible stretcher. This initial thought eventually led to the development of his unique low-friction fabric.

NPL undertook a number of measurements on the fabric, including the measurement of static and dynamic friction, plus the stiction (static friction) exhibited by the new material. The resulting data assured Tony that he now had the fabric properties he needed and that it would be worthwhile to continue to develop his products.

In hospitals, clothing and bedding made from the unique low-friction fabric are used to protect patients' skin when there is a risk of damage to highly sensitive areas that may result in bedsores, otherwise known as pressure ulcers. Bedsores are a serious problem in both hospital and community care and can prove fatal if they allow infection to enter the patient's body.

The novel material that Parafricta^® uses is more effective than traditional materials, as it has an ultra-low coefficient of friction, close to that of ice, an absence of stiction and a tensile strength close to that of steel. The fabric provides an environment in which wound dressings can function effectively by keeping the dressing in place when subjected to friction. This is important, as the wounds have to be covered to prevent infection and to allow the high-tech dressings to do their job in healing the wound.

In 2010, a study by the Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust and NHS Innovations found that Parafricta^® could save the Trust £420,000 per year by preventing the occurrence of bedsores in at-risk patients. Glenn Smith, one of the report authors (Journal of Wound Care, December 2010) and a leading Tissue Viability Nurse stated: "Evaluation of the findings indicated that the products provided a clinical benefit to patients, as well as a cost effective solution for the hospital."

Tony Pike, discussing his invention and development of Parafricta^®, said:

"NPL's measurement expertise made an essential contribution to the development of products that have already reduced the suffering and improved the lives of numerous patients."

Find out more about Parafricta^®

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