A medical balloon with a variable diameter that is reinforced with continuous fibers woven to form a fabric with a varying number of layers and fiber densities. Portions of the balloon having a relatively smaller diameter are reinforced with a fabric having a reduced fiber density and an increased number of layers to facilitate the placement of the layers. The fabric also includes a braiding pattern that facilitates the transition from a single layer fabric to a multiple layer fabric. Also described is a manufacturing method for the braiding and layering.

A braided tube formation apparatus and associated methods of use are disclosed for assisting in the manufacture of a braided tube. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus provides at least one elongated core mandrel, and at least one elongated, radially collapsible primary tube sized and configured for removably receiving the at least one elongated core mandrel therewithin. Each of the at least one primary tube provides a plurality of spaced apart primary tube portions circumferentially arranged and configured for cooperating to define said primary tube. During use, after the braided tube is circumferentially formed on an outer surface of the at least one primary tube, the at least one core mandrel is removed from within the at least one primary tube, thereby allowing the primary tube portions to radially move inwardly toward one another so that braided tube may be disengaged from the at least one primary tube.

A composite implant device for use in a medical application, comprising a synthetically-derived mesh that mimics particular critical aspects of a biologically-derived mesh. The composite implant device can be used for the reinforcement and reconstruction of tissues within the body and can be comprised of a majority of synthetic components and minority of naturally-derived components which mimic the structure and function of a naturally-derived mesh.

A stabilized fabric composed of a mesh or a woven fabric is disclosed as are methods of their manufacture, the manufacture of medical devices made using a stabilized fibers and stabilized medical devices are all disclosed. Fabrics can be stabilized by several techniques including: using mechanical, chemical and/or energetic fasteners at warp and weft intersections in the weave; by using various weaving techniques and fibers. Meshes can be stabilized when properly dimensioned and arranged junctions and struts of the necessary properties are used. All of these stabilized fabrics can be made of synthetic polymer materials such as ultrahigh molecular weight PE or PP and expanded PTFE.

A tubular graft for use in a stent graft. The tubular graft may include a first woven layer that forms a first side of the tubular graft, where the first woven layer has a set of first warp ends. A second woven layer may forma a second side of the tubular graft, where the second woven layer has a set of second warp ends, and where the second warp ends are distinct from the first warp ends. A woven pocket flap may extend from the first woven layer, where a pocket opening is defined between the woven pocket flap and the first woven layer, and where the woven pocket flap includes at least one common weft yarn with the first woven layer.

A fabric can comprise yarns comprising less than about 30 denier total and less than about 10 denier per filament; a density of greater than about 177 yarns per cm.sup.2; and a thickness of less than about 3.2 mil. The fabric can further comprises a weight of less than about 60 g/m.sup.2. The fabric can have performance characteristics equivalent to or greater than those in conventional implantable fabrics. A method of making such a fabric can include twisting together filaments into a multifilament yarn; passing adjacent yarns into a loom in parallel so as to allow the yarns to be woven together more closely; maintaining a consistent tension on the yarns during placement of the yarns on a loom beam and during weaving; and or subjecting the fabric to increased heat and pressure so as to compress the yarns more tightly.

A method for producing an intraluminal endoprosthesis. The method forms a sheath on a support structure of the endoprosthesis from polymer fibres. A polymer solution is dispensed from a nozzle by f electrospinning. The polymer solution includes at least one biodegradable polymer polymer and at least one additive. The additive is selected from the group consisting of: 1,3-dioxan-2-one, 1,4-dioxan-2-one, triethyl citrate, glycerol triacetate, n-butyryl tri-n-hexyl citrate, polyethylene glycol, L-α phosphatidylcholine.

A braided vaso-occlusive member formed out of first plurality of filaments interwoven with a second plurality of filaments, wherein filaments of the first plurality are helically wound in a first rotational direction along an elongate axis of the braided member, and filaments of the second plurality are wound in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction, such that filaments of the first plurality cross over and/or under filaments of the second plurality at each of a plurality cross-over locations axially spaced along the elongate axis of the braided member, wherein at each cross-over location, the filaments of the first plurality cross over at least two consecutive filaments of the second plurality, then cross under only a single filament of the second plurality, and then cross over at least two additional consecutive filaments of the second plurality.

In this stent, two superelastic fine wires are disposed along the axial direction at a prescribed helical pitch so as to have a prescribed stent inner diameter D0, while a pair is formed between two helical fine wires that are disposed across a micro gap of a size not more than five times the wire diameter of the fine wires in such a manner as to include a mutually contacting state. A prescribed reticulation gap is formed by crossing a clockwise-wound helical fine wire pair and a counterclockwise-wound helical fine wire pair in a plain-woven fashion, so as to have an axial gap equal to [(prescribed helical pitch)−{2×(fine wire diameter)}−(micro gap)] and a circumferential gap equal to [{(stent inner circumferential length corresponding to stent inner diameter)/N}−{2×(fine wire diameter)}−(micro gap

Methods of producing hybrid fibrous scaffolds are provided. The methods include dissolving a polymer, such as polydioxanone, in a solution, such as 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFP), to form a polymer-containing solution. The method comprises electrically charging the polymer-containing solution. The method comprises writing the polymer-containing solution on a counter electrode or a ground in a grid pattern to form semi-stable fibers comprised of the polymer, the semi-stable fibers vary between bent and straight and forming the hybrid fibrous scaffold. The writing may be performed by a 3D printer. The resulting scaffolds and methods of using the same are also disclosed herein.