Elasticization of microporous woven tubes
First Claim
1. An elastic prosthetic device for implantation in an animal body, said device comprising a microporous fabric tube having a longitudinal axis, said tube comprising a multiplicity of circumferentially oriented fill threads interwoven with a multiplicity of axially oriented, substantially non-elastic warp threads, individual ones of said warp threads defining loops extending radially outwardly from between said fill threads, said loops being set to return to a loop configuration upon release of tension applied axially to said tube, said warp and fill threads together defining an outer, macroscopically smooth, porous surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are the product and method for making a macroscopically smooth, microporous, flexible, elastic tubular prosthetic device from a substantially non-elastic woven fabric tube. The method involves axially compressing the substantially non-elastic tube on a tight fitting cylindrical mandrel so that the individual axially oriented threads of the fabric form loops projecting radially outwardly between circumferential threads. The threads are set to return to this loop configuration upon release of tension applied axially to the tube. The exterior of the tube presents an easily deformed, macroscopically smooth surface having a multiplicity of interstices among the threads and among the fibers of the threads into which cells can grow after implantation.
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Citations
15 Claims
- 1. An elastic prosthetic device for implantation in an animal body, said device comprising a microporous fabric tube having a longitudinal axis, said tube comprising a multiplicity of circumferentially oriented fill threads interwoven with a multiplicity of axially oriented, substantially non-elastic warp threads, individual ones of said warp threads defining loops extending radially outwardly from between said fill threads, said loops being set to return to a loop configuration upon release of tension applied axially to said tube, said warp and fill threads together defining an outer, macroscopically smooth, porous surface.
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11. A method of producing a macroscopically smooth elastic tube from a substantially non-elastic microporous woven fabric tube having an inside surface and a longitudinal axis, and comprising circumferentially oriented fill threads interwoven with axially oriented substantially non-elastic warp threads, said method comprising the steps of
deforming individual ones of said axially oriented warp threads to define loops extending radially outwardly from between said fill threads, and treating said axially oriented warp threads to set their loop configuration so that said warp threads return to said loop configuration upon release of tension applied axially to said tube.
Specification