Pain-relieving yarns, dissolvable plastic made out of algae, probiotic nutrition from soy waste, squid-inspired smart materials. Illinois okays hemp cultivation: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of September 5th

The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the changes. Here are the top innovations for the week of September 5th.

In today’s Digest, pain-relieving yarns, dissolvable plastic made out of algae, probiotic nutrition from soy waste, squid-inspired smart materials. Illinois okays hemp cultivation, and if you like pina-coladas, you’ll love these silica nanoparticles — and more.

#1 Apparel company selects biomaterial startup for pain-relieving yarns

In North Carolina, Textile-Based Delivery Inc., a biomaterials platform technology company, and Kentwool Performance Apparel, a wool sock brand, joined forces to develop a medicated, pain-relieving sock. The Kentwool SensationWool socks are constructed with Capsaicin-infused yarn by TexDel’s Nufabrx platform and superfine Merino wool. Nufabrx is a patented biomaterial technology that incorporates active ingredients onto fibers and is programmed for predictable, effective, washable, long-lasting release, according to their press release. The main active ingredient, Capsaicin is widely recognized as a potent and effective topical analgesic.

“We’re thrilled to work with Kentwool to provide them with Nufabrx yarn for use in their most innovative sock to date,” said TexDel CEO Jordan Schindler. “It’s extremely exciting to be a part of such a ground-breaking consumer product — socks that actively deliver pain-relief while you wear them. We believe clothing will start to care for your body in entirely new ways. We see the day when well-being is simply part of our everyday outfit. Starting today, rather than applying a cream, taking a pill or using a patch, we’ll only need to get dressed.”