The Perfect Combination of Comfort and SafetyAhlstrom TenderGuard™ Medical Fabric

The Perfect Combination of Safety and ComfortSafety and comfort are key to medical apparel. The right surgical gown protects medical personnel from operating room liquids that can lead to infection. A comfortable gown makes surgeons, nurses and clinicians feel at ease and lets them focus on what is important during an operation.

Ahlstrom's answer to this need is TenderGuard™. It is a high-performance soft SMS fabric designed to be an excellent combination of safety and comfort. Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ is designed to provide the same level of protection as regular SMS fabric but with superior comfort. It is as comfortable as traditional Spunlace fabric but with higher protection and lower costs.

• A high-performance, cost-effective soft SMS fabric suitable for medical apparel such as gowns and drapes.

• Provides the protection of regular AR/AS treated SMS with added comfort.

• Provides softness and comfort of Spunlace but with a higher barrier, at lower basis weights and lower costs.

• Its high repellency protects against low surface tension liquidssuchasblood,bodyfluidsandalcohol

• Low lint leads to lower infection risk.

• Comes in 35, 43 and 50 gsm weights.

• Made in compliance with AAMI PB70 and EN 13795 standards.

DrapeabilityAhlstrom TenderGuard™ is one the most drapeable fabrics in its class. How a fabric conforms to our body is a key element to comfort.

TouchAhlstrom TenderGuard™ has a very pleasant feel, its construction and composition make it very silky and smooth to the touch.

LightnessAhlstrom TenderGuard™ lower basis weights provide superior protection adding to overall comfort level.

TenderGuard™ In a NutshellSpecial spunbond fibers

Special spunbond fibers

3 layers of ultrafinemeltblown fibers

Designed To Be Comfortable

The fabric is very, very nice to touch. There's something nice about touching the TenderGuard™ gown that I don't find in the traditional ones.

Dr. Juan F. Martínez-Canca, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Malaga

Product datasheet

Typical values

B/G13A435 B/G13A443 B/G13A450

Physical properties AAMI-PB70 / Method / Units

Basis weight / ASTM D 3776 / g/m2 35 43 50

Grab Tensile MD / ASTM D 5034 /g 7000 8200 9500

Grab Tensile CD / ASTM D 5034 /g 5000 6000 7000

Grab Elongation MD / ASTM D 5034 / % 70 70 70

Grab Elongation CD / ASTM D 5034 / % 80 80 80

Trapezoid Tear MD / ASTM D 5733 / g 1900 2300 2700

Trapezoid Tear CD / ASTM D 5733 / g 2700 3400 4000

Hydrohead / AATCC 127 / cm 50 55 60

Alcohol Repellency (IPA) / WSP 80.8 / rating 9 9 9

Static Decay (+/-) / WSP 40.2 / sec 0.05/0.05 0.05/0.05 0.05/0.05

Physical properties – EN 13795:2011 / Method / Units

Basis weight / ASTM D 3776 / g/m2 35 45 50

Res. Microbial penetration – Dry / EN ISO 22612 / CFU TBD 0 *

Res. Microbial penetration – Wet / EN ISO 22610 / IB TBD 4.6 *

Cleanliness - microbial / EN ISO 11737-1/ EN 1174-2 / CFU /100cm2 TBD 80 *

Cleanliness - particulate / EN ISO 9073-10 / IPM TBD 1.7 *

Linting / EN ISO 9073-10 / Log10 (lint count) TBD 1.9 *

Resistance to liquid - Hydrohead / EN 20811 / cm 50 55 60

Bursting Strength – Dry / EN ISO 13938-1 / kPa 150 190 210

Bursting Strength – Wet / EN ISO 13938-1 / kPa 150 190 210

Tensile Dry – MD / EN 29073-3 / N 60 75 90

Tensile Dry – CD / EN 29073-3 / N 30 40 50

Tensile Wet – MD / EN 29073-3 / N 60 75 90

Tensile Wet – CD / EN 29073-3 / N 30 40 50

SurfaceResistivity/WSP40.1/Ω/square 1010 1010 1010

Other properties / Method / Units

MD Handle-o-meter / WSP 90.3 / g 10 16 20

CD Handle-o-meter / WSP 90.3 / g 5 8 10

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DurabilityDue to its composition, Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ fabric withstands converting, handling, sterilization and usage without compromising its safety. Best in class for tensile, tear and burst strenght.

Key Benefits

Our global production platform allows us to manufacture products near our customers. This leads to shorter delivery distances, lower fuel consumption and thus smaller exhaust gas emissions.Byactinglocally,wecanhaveaglobalinfluence,whileleavingamuchsmallerenvironmental footprint behind.

AhlstromTenderGuard™isthefirstproductinmedicalfabricfieldthatismanufactured withthenew,moresustainableC6-basedfluorochemicalsurfacetreatmentinsteadof the traditional C8 surface treatment.

Smaller Environmental Footprint

Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ balances safety, softness and comfort. It is a versatile fabric that can be used for almost any medical application. Our in-depth knowledge of medical industryandthehealthcarefieldhelpsusunderstandourclients’needsandgoalsbetter. We partner with leading businesses around the world to help them stay ahead.

State of the Art Product

Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ is designed to be a cost-effective protective solution. It provides better performance with lower costs than traditional Spunlace medical fabric.

We provide a product that allows effective sterilization by the most common sterilization methods including steam or ethylene oxide.

Cost-Efficiency

Service & Support

Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ feels comfortable, not sticky -- it's got pretty good strength here. It is actually better compared to the one I'm currently using.

Dr. David Richardson, M.D., Glaucoma & Cataract Surgeon, Los Angeles

The first thing I notice about this gown is that it is pretty lightweight –– significantly lighter than our normal gowns.

Dr. Aryeh Schulman, DPM, Podiatric Surgeon, New York

SafetyBetter ProtectionAhlstrom TenderGuard™ offers a high level of protection, high barrier, superior strength and repellency to blood and other low surface tension liquids such as alcohol. Its barrier properties are superior to those of traditional Spunlace.

Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ passes EN 13795 tests for stan-dard performance and less critical area of high perfor-mance for 35 gsm and above, and AAMI level 3 for 43 gsm and above.

Low Lint During an operation, lint is a potential hazard for thepatientbecauseitfloatsaroundservingasa carrier for bacteria and potentially leading to an infection.

The composite technology of soft SMS has virtu-ally no lint, therefore Ahlstrom TenderGuard™ offers lower risk in propagating infection.

© Ahlstrom Corporation 2013

DISCLAIMER: The information supplied in this document is for guidance only and should not be construed as a warranty. All implied warranties are expressly disclaimed, including without limitation anywarrantyofmerchantabilityorfitnessforuse.Allusersofthematerialareresponsibleforensuringthatissuitablefortheirneeds,environmentandenduse.Alldataissubjecttochangeas Ahlstrom deems appropriate.

Contact officesAhlstrom CorporationAlvar Aallon katu 3 CP.O. Box 329FI-00101 HelsinkiFinland

Contact: Your Ahlstrom Sales Manager | E-mail: ahlstrom.medical@ahlstrom.comLearn more: www.ahlstrom.com/tenderguard

Ahlstrom is a high performance fiber-based materials company, partnering with leading businesses around the world to help them stay ahead. Our products are used in a large variety of everyday applications, such as filters, medical gowns and drapes, diagnostics, wallcoverings, flooring and food packaging. We have a leading market position in the businesses in which we operate.