A fiber-wrapped smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and a plurality of polymeric fibers surrounding the smokeless tobacco. The polymeric fibers can have a basis weight of 5 gsm or less and a diameter of less than 100 microns. In some cases, the polymeric fibers are melt-blown polymeric fibers. In some cases, the polymeric fibers are centrifugal force spun polymeric fibers. A method of preparing a fiber-wrapped smokeless tobacco product includes melt-blowing or centrifugal force spinning a plurality of polymeric fibers to create an polymer deposition zone and passing a body comprising smokeless tobacco through the polymer deposition zone. In some cases, an electrostatic charge can be applied to the plurality of polymeric fibers, the body, or a combination thereof. In some cases, a spin is applied to the body when passing through the polymer deposition zone.

A stretch laminate is disclosed. The stretch laminate may include a layer of nonwoven material that includes an accumulation of filaments and has an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface having an ordered arrangement of zones, each zone having an attenuated region adjacent to a build-up region wherein the attenuated region has a first basis weight and the build-up region has a second basis weight greater than the first basis weight, the difference in basis weights corresponding to disposition of the filaments according to the ordered arrangement. The stretch laminate may include a plurality of elastic strands space apart from each other in a crotch-stretch direction. In some examples the elastic strands may have an Average Strand Spacing no greater than 3 mm and/or an Average Decitex no greater than 300, and/or an Average Pre-Strain no greater than 250 percent.

A method of enrobing a product portion in polymer strands includes mounting at least one product portion on a holding device and passing the at least one product portion through a polymer enrobing zone. The polymer enrobing zone can include a flow of polymeric fibers produced by a polymer spray head. The polymer fibers can wraparound the at least one product portion to produce an enrobed product portion. The holding device can hold the at least one product portion by passing at least partially through the body of the product portion. At least a portion of the holding device is removed from the enrobed product portion. In some cases, the at least one product portion includes smokeless tobacco.

Absorbable implants for breast surgery that conform to the breast parenchyma and surrounding chest wall have been developed. These implants support newly lifted breast parenchyma, and/or a breast implant. The implants have mechanical properties sufficient to support a reconstructed breast, and allow the in-growth of tissue into the implant as it degrades. The implants have a strength retention profile allowing the support of the breast to be transitioned from the implant to regenerated host tissue, without significant loss of support. Three-dimensional implants for use in minimally invasive mastopexy/breast reconstruction procedures are also described, that confer shape to a patient's breast. These implants are self-reinforced, can be temporarily deformed, implanted in a suitably dissected tissue plane, and resume their preformed three-dimensional shape. The implants are preferably made from poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) and copolymers thereof. The implants have suture pullout strengths that can resist the mechanical loads exerted on the reconstructed breast.

Nonwoven fabrics including (i) continuous fibers and (ii) a blend of staple fibers comprising polyester staple fibers, bicomponent staple fibers, microfiber staple fibers, and wettable staple fibers, in which the continuous fibers are mechanically entangled with the blend of staple fibers. The continuous fibers and the blend of staple fibers may be mechanically entangled via a hydroentangling process.

A method of enrobing a product portion in polymer strands includes mounting at least one product portion on a holding device and passing the at least one product portion through a polymer enrobing zone. The polymer enrobing zone can include a flow of polymeric fibers produced by a polymer spray head. The polymer fibers can wraparound the at least one product portion to produce an enrobed product portion. The holding device can hold the at least one product portion by passing at least partially through the body of the product portion. At least a portion of the holding device is removed from the enrobed product portion. In some cases, the at least one product portion includes smokeless tobacco.

An apertured nonwovens having a first nonwoven layer is described. The first nonwoven layer includes cellulose-based fibers and a plurality of apertures, wherein the plurality apertures have a minimum aperture distance between two adjacent apertures which has a relative standard deviation no greater than about 40%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test. The apertures have an aperture size no greater than about 2.2 mm.sup.2 and have an occlusion no greater than about 9%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test, or the apertures have an aspect ratio no greater than about 2.5 as measured according to the Aspect Ratio Test.

An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include at least one polymer spray head adapted to create at least one flow of polymeric fibers to produce at least one polymer enrobing zone and a conveyor system adapted to move at least one product portion from at least one position below at least one polymer enrobing zone and to at least one position above at least one polymer enrobing zone to drop each product portion through one or more polymer enrobing zones a plurality times at different orientations to enrobe each product portion with polymeric fibers.

A fiber-wrapped smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and a plurality of polymeric fibers surrounding the smokeless tobacco. The polymeric fibers can have a basis weight of 5 gsm or less and a diameter of less than 100 microns. In some cases, the polymeric fibers are melt-blown polymeric fibers. In some cases, the polymeric fibers are centrifugal force spun polymeric fibers. A method of preparing a fiber-wrapped smokeless tobacco product includes melt-blowing or centrifugal force spinning a plurality of polymeric fibers to create an polymer deposition zone and passing a body comprising smokeless tobacco through the polymer deposition zone. In some cases, an electrostatic charge can be applied to the plurality of polymeric fibers, the body, or a combination thereof. In some cases, a spin is applied to the body when passing through the polymer deposition zone.

An apertured nonwovens having a first nonwoven layer is described. The first nonwoven layer includes cellulose-based fibers and a plurality of apertures, wherein the plurality apertures have a minimum aperture distance between two adjacent apertures which has a relative standard deviation no greater than about 40%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test. The apertures have an aperture size no greater than about 2.2 mm.sup.2 and have an occlusion no greater than about 9%, as measured according to the Aperture Quality Test, or the apertures have an aspect ratio no greater than about 2.5 as measured according to the Aspect Ratio Test.