Fibrous structures containing nanofibrils and other textile fibers

• US 6,106,913 A
• Filed: 10/08/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quantum Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quantum Group Inc.
• Inventors: Balonis, Richard J., Scardino, Frank L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raimund, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US09/169,116
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 428/36.3, 428/377, 87/9, 87/11, 57/402, 57/362
• US Class Current: 428/36.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/08 Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments sutures A61B17/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/28 Bones joints A61F2/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30756 Cartilage endoprostheses A61F2/3603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3094 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2835 Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30199 Three-dimensional shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3084 Nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30914 Details of the mesh structure, e.g. disposition of the woven warp and weft wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30968 Sintering
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4648 Means for culturing bone graft
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0063 Three-dimensional shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00293 containing a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. apatite
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/12 Phosphorus-containing materials, e.g. apatite
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0076 characterised by the collecting device, e.g. drum, wheel, endless belt, plate or grid D01D5/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0084 Coating by electro-spinning, i.e. the electro-spun fibres are not removed from the collecting device but remain integral with it, e.g. coating of prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: D01H 4/02 imparting twist by a fluid, e.g. air vortex
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/36 : Cored or coated yarns or threads D02G3/34, D02G3/40 take precedence; elastic yarns or threads D02G3/32
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/448 : Yarns or threads for use in medical applications D02G3/449 takes precedence; surgical suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/855 : for manufacture of nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/876 : Nanotube tip
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/92 : Detection of biochemical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/961 : for textile or fabric treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1369 : Fiber or fibers wound around each other or into a self-sustaining shape [e.g., yarn, braid, fibers shaped around a core, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2936 : Wound or wrapped core or coating [i.e., spiral or helical]

Abstract

Nanofibers are produced having a diameter ranging from about 4 Å to 1 nm, and a nano denier of about 10^-9. The use of the electro-spinning process permits production of the desired nanofibrils. These fibrils in combination with a carrier or strengthening fibers/filaments can be converted directly into nonwoven fibrous assemblies or converted into linear assemblies(yarns) before weaving, braiding or knitting into 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional fabrics. The electrospun fiber can be fed in an air vortex spinning apparatus developed to form a linear fibrous assembly. The process makes use of an air stream in a properly confined cavity. The vortex of air provides a gentle means to convert a mixture of the fibril fed directly or indirectly from the ESP unit and a fiber mass or filament into an integral assembly with proper level of orientation. Incorporation of thus produced woven products into tissue engineering is part of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of forming fibrous structures containing nanofibrils, comprising the steps of:

electrostatically charging fibers having a diameter ranging from about 4 Å

to 1 nm, and a nano denier of about 10^-9 ;

drawing said charged fibers into an air vortex created helical current formed by air suction at one end of said current;

contacting said fibers in said air vortex created helical current with one another to form a yarn;

drawing said yarn from the other end of said air vortex helical current; and

forming said yarn into a textile structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said textile structure is two dimensional.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said textile structure is three dimensional.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said textile structure is formed into a structure selected from one or more of the structures shown in FIG. 3.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said structure shown in FIG. 3 is fabricated using a circular loom.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said structure shown in FIG. 3 is fabricated using a rectangular loom as shown in FIG. 2.

7. A textile structure comprising:

a multidimensional structure formed from a yarn comprising nanofibrils having a diameter ranging from about 4 Å

to 1 nm, and a nano denier of about 10^-9, wherein said textile structure is made by;

electrostatically charging said nanofibrils;

drawing the nanofibrils into an air vortex created helical current formed by air suction at one end of said current;

contacting the nanofibrils in said air vortex created helical current with one another to form a yarn;

drawing said yarn from the other end of said air vortex helical current; and

forming said yarn into said textile structure.

8. The structure of claim 7, wherein said textile structure is two dimensional.

9. The structure of claim 7, wherein said textile structure is three dimensional.

10. The structure of claim 7, wherein said textile structure is formed into a structure selected from one or more of the structures shown in FIG. 3.

11. The structure of claim 10, wherein said structure shown in FIG. 3 is fabricated using a circular loom.

12. The structure of claim 10, wherein said structure shown in FIG. 3 is fabricated using a rectangular loom.