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Wilson College of Textiles 
Biomedical Textile Research Group

Martin King

MK

Bio

Martin King is regarded as an international specialist in the area of biotextiles, implantable devices, biomaterials and medical textiles. He joined the Department of Textiles and Apparel, Technology and Management in September 2000, following over 30 years of experience working in industry, education and the government sector in Canada and Europe.

As one of the first graduates in Polymer Technology from Manchester University, U.K., Martin King was hired by Canadian Industries Limited (I.C.I. Fibres Division) and later by Celanese Canada Limited, Montreal, Canada, to work as a product development engineer on nylon and polyester fibers and yarns at its Millhaven plant in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. During this time, he worked on the start-up of the first continuous polymerization plant for the spinning of short staple polyester fiber for blending with cotton, on improvements in texturizing nylon and polyester multifilament yarns, as well as developing polyester fiber/rubber adhesive systems that led to the manufacture of the first commercial polyester tire cord.

Martin King then returned to the U.K. to work with L.N. Phillips and W. Watt on the development of carbon fibers at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (now the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), Farnborough, Hants. He was instrumental in identifying alternative precursor polymer systems and wet spinning and carbonizing biconstituent acrylic/novoloid fibers for use in carbon fiber reinforced composites.

Over the last 25 years, Martin King has developed an interest in the field of biomaterials and biotextiles (a term he has coined to describe the application of fibrous structures explicitly designed for biological environments). During his 28-year tenure as a faculty member in the Department of Clothing & Textiles at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, he has worked with his graduate students on many research projects related to the study of implantable devices. He has published widely in the textile science, biomaterials and medical literature. Support for these projects has come from national funding agencies, medical foundations and industrial sponsors.

While at the University of Manitoba, Martin King taught undergraduate courses in textile science and design, apparel engineering, applied economics and the appreciation of research. He has advised and examined graduate and undergraduate students from various disciplines, such as chemistry, civil, mechanical, biomedical and biosystems engineering, architecture, food science, anthropology, surgery, history and computer science, with their textiles, apparel, or biomaterials-related research projects.  He was awarded the University of Manitoba Teaching, Research & Service Merit Award.

Martin King is a member of several professional organizations, including the following:

  • American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
  • American Society for Testing & Materials
  • International Biodeterioration Society (U.K.)
  • Canadian Biomaterials Society
  • Canadian Society of Forensic Science
  • Fiber Society
  • Institute of Textile Science (Canada)
  • Society for Biomaterials
  • Textile Institute (U.K.)

He has served these organizations in various capacities, including president of the Institute of Textile Science and the Canadian Biomaterials Society.

Over the years, he has been recognized as an expert witness by different courts to present forensic evidence on topics related to the identification, damage, and failure of textiles, apparel, and surgical implants in cases of misleading advertising, product failure, patent litigation, medical liability, fire injury, rape, and murder.

He also holds adjunct appointments in clothing & textiles in the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and in biomaterials science at Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.

Research

Martin King’s primary research is currently in biotextiles, biomaterials science and implantable devices. This emerging specialized field has its roots in materials science but now relies heavily on the interaction between many different disciplines. Martin King’s approach has grown from his interest in the degradation processes of fibers, polymers and textiles and issues related to structure/property relationships. His work involves several arenas of activity.

  • The analysis of retrieved clinical explants with the object of understanding their failure mechanism and reasons for impaired performance in vivo.
  • Computer modeling of the function of implantable devices within a particular anatomical site, e.g., an arterial bifurcation, with a view to optimizing their dimensional, mechanical, and flow characteristics.
  • Development of original designs using novel structures, new polymers, innovative surface coatings, and alternative methods for cleaning and sterilizing implantable devices. This has led to the application of various stabilized proteinic coatings and conductive coatings to the surfaces of cardiovascular devices, as well as studies of new permanent polymers, such as polyvinylidene fluoride and absorbable polymers in different surgical applications. More recently bicomponent fiber spinning technology has been harnessed to produce partially absorbable fibrous structures for use in tissue engineering applications.
  • Development of in vitro test methods to measure the biostability, dimensional, mechanical, fatigue, and biological properties of biotextile implants. This includes cell culture and immunohistochemical techniques for evaluating the biocompatibility of biomaterial surfaces to different cell lines.
  • Development of in vivo protocols for the short-term and long-term evaluation of novel implantable devices in animal models.
  • Development of drug-eluting implants for anti-cancer drugs.

The specific types of surgical products that have been studied include:

  • Sutures
  • Vascular prostheses
  • Endovascular stent-grafts
  • Heart valves
  • Hernia repair meshes
  • Anterior cruciate ligament prostheses
  • Total artificial heart
  • Breast prostheses
  • Ocular implants

Martin King’s ability to work within a multidisciplinary framework has been enhanced by his appointment over the last 17 years as a visiting professor in the Department of Surgery and the Quebec Biomaterials Institute at Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. By working in a hospital environment and a textile research laboratory, he has created interfaces between the physical and biological sciences and between the research process and clinical practice. He challenges his graduate students from diverse disciplines such as chemistry, immunology, mechanical engineering, cell biology, geology, biochemistry, surgery and textile science to work in teams to solve clinical, engineering and scientific problems. Martin King and his graduate students are also actively involved in research into the harvesting, getting, and processing of textile quality bast fibers such as linen and industrial hemp and into the sensory properties of textiles, particularly the measurement of odor intensity by human panels, biosensors and electronic nose technologies.

Education

PhD Génie biologique (Biomedical engineering) Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne, France 1992

F.I.T.S Fellowship Institute of Textile Science, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1991

A.U.M.I.S.T Polymer & Fibre Science University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, Manchester, U.K. 1970

BS Polymer Technology University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K. 1966

Publications

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