Biomedical subjects

Uli Osterwalder

Publications and source records attributed to Uli Osterwalder.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Novel emerging sunscreen technologies.

Because of increases in the number of skin cancers diagnosed annually, adverse effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays are being recognized, and major public education programs have been undertaken concerning photoprotection, including the use of sunscreen. In daily life, UV exposure is unavoidable; therefore sunscreen should be used regularly. Development in sunscreen manufacturing has grown tremendously in the last decade. Sunscreen active ingredients now are incorporated into cosmetics products to minimize photoaging changes. With the advances in technologies, many new UV filters have been developed recently. These have improved efficacy and safety. This article reviews these new filters, along with regulatory issues in the United States.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

PubMed2006

Garments as solar ultraviolet radiation screening materials.

Although wearing clothing to protect one's skin from the harmful rays of the sun is not new practice, this practice is of recent increasing interest. This article discusses 1) three types of protection (sunburn, precancerous skin lesion development, and photoaging) that can be realized by covering the skin with fabric, 2) the process by which some garments come to be labeled with information about ultraviolet radiation protection advantage, 3) the meaning of the information provided on product labels, 4) practical guidelines that can be used to decide which summertime garments having no stated sun protection information are the best for wearing out-of-doors, and 5) the pros and cons of using fabric and sunscreen lotions for sun protection.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Ultraviolet protection factors for clothing: an intercomparison of measurement systems.

In recent years the need to standardize measurement protocols for quantifying the degree of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protection provided by clothing has led to the introduction of a number of standards around the world. To date, these standards have specified spectral measurements of UVR transmission by clothing and fabrics. Development of a standard test method has become an important part of the testing process, and this article presents results from an intercomparison involving 10 independent testing laboratories and 11 different UVR transmission measurement instruments. In addition to comparing the measured ultraviolet protection factors (UPF), this intercomparison also incorporates detailed scan results from all 10 laboratories and highlights differences in performance of the various instruments in different wavelength regions. Careful examination of these differences can indicate where changes to the systems could be made to allow improvements both in equipment performance and in agreement of the final results. The variability in the measurements of UPF in this study suggest that the protection categories in standards may need to be broadened.

Clothing↗

PubMed2002

Improving UV protection by clothing--recent developments.

The assessment of UV transmittance of clothing and the determination of the UV protection factor (UPF) are now well established and the influencing factors such as type of fiber, color, and fabric construction are known. Quick and reliable instruments to measure UV transmittance are crucial. Besides expensive scientific laboratory instruments, a low-cost UV meter is now available for this purpose. The questions arise as to what can be done about a given garment and whether there are ways to improve textiles by the consumer. The many opportunities to improve UV protection of clothing along the textile chain of manufacturing are discussed. The latest possibility for improving the UV-protective properties of clothing is now available at the fabric care stage in every household. A UV absorber can be brought into contact with a fabric during the wash or rinse cycle of a laundry operation. The high UV transmittance of 30% of a thin, bleached cotton swatch in the dry state (UPF 3), can be reduced tenfold to about 3% (UPF >30) in ten washes cycles. This is more than the effect achieved by dyestuffs. The detergent should contain about 0.1-0.3% of the special UV absorber. The same effect can be achieved as early as after one wash cycle with a higher concentration provided by a special laundry additive. Yet another form of application is via rinse cycle fabric conditioner. To make these new types of improvement of fabrics visible the Skin Cancer Foundation now provides the possibility for laundry products to qualify for the "Seal of Recommendation".

Laundering↗