A personalized prosthetic valve for implantation at a native valve treatment site includes a self-expanding mesh and a plurality of valve leaflets coupled to the mesh. The mesh may be delivered to the native valve in a collapsed configuration, and in an expanded configuration the mesh engages the native valve. The mesh in the expanded configuration is also personalized to match the treatment site, such that the outer mesh surface substantially matches the treatment site shape and size. The self-expanding mesh forms a central lumen configured to allow blood or other body fluids to pass therethrough. In the open configuration, blood passes through the prosthetic valve, and in the closed configuration, the plurality of leaflets are closer together and blood is prevented from flowing upstream through the prosthetic valve.

A woven textile is provided, including at least two blocks connected with each other. Each of the two blocks has an upper layer and a lower layer which are woven and fixed by a binding thread, and the upper layer and the lower layer are respectively composed of woven braids which extend meanderingly. The textile braid of the upper layer and the textile braid of the lower layer define a plurality of meshes, and the textile braids of the two blocks have different diameters so that the meshes on the two blocks have different dimensions.

A woven textile is provided, including at least two blocks connected with each other. Each of the two blocks has an upper layer and a lower layer which are woven and fixed by a binding thread, and the upper layer and the lower layer are respectively composed of woven braids which extend meanderingly. The textile braid of the upper layer and the textile braid of the lower layer define a plurality of meshes, and the textile braids of the two blocks have different heights so that the meshes on the two blocks have different dimensions.

A protective textile sleeve and method of construction thereof are provided. The sleeve has a tubular wall of braided yarns extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends. At least some of the braided yarns including heat-set yarns, and the wall has a plurality of annular first regions forming generally convex ridges and a plurality of annular second regions forming generally concave valleys. The first regions alternate with the second regions along the central longitudinal axis. The first regions include a plurality of twisted yarns forming a plurality of closed loops, wherein at least some of the braided yarns pass through at least some of the closed loops within the first regions to enhance the radial stiffness and resistance of the wall to kinking.

Aspects herein are directed to braided articles and methods for their manufacture. The braided articles may include articles of footwear having braided uppers. The braided uppers may include a base yarn and a high performance yarn. The high performance yarn may form a braided structure within the braided upper. The braided structure may be continuously braided to provide continuous support to a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn as intended, by a wearer.

A system for forming a braided footwear upper is provided. The upper has a medial side and a lateral side, and a toe end and a heel end. The braided footwear is made from a number of yarns that are braided together. The heel-axis finishing system includes an alignment mechanism that orients the medial side and the lateral side at the heel end. The lateral side and the medial side come together at the heel to form a heel axis. A joining mechanism is associated with the alignment mechanism. The joining mechanism couples at least one braided yarn from the medial side to at least one braided yarn from the lateral side along the heel axis. By joining the aligned yarns as they are severed, the heel area transitions from the medial side to the lateral side with an appearance of seamlessness.

A method of manufacturing a braided footwear upper is provided. The method includes braiding a two-layer, single-tube structure with a first end that couples a first braided layer to a second braided layer, and second end that couples the first braided layer to the second braided layer of the tubular braided structure. The first end is proximate the second end. At least one yarn from the first end, and at least one yarn from the second end are braided with at least one draw yarn. The draw yarn is braided to be easily removable, such that the first end is selectively de-coupled from the second end. When the draw yarn is removed, the double-layer tubular braided structure is expandable to form a larger diameter tubular braided structure.

An upper for an article of footwear is formed by incorporating different braided portions. The upper may be formed by incorporating a first braided portion with a second braided portion. The top portion of the upper may have the first braided portion. The lower portion of the upper may have the second braided portion.

An upper for an article of footwear is formed by incorporating different braided portions. The upper may be formed by incorporating a first braided portion with a second braided portion. The top portion of the upper may have the first braided portion. The lower portion of the upper may have the second braided portion.

A braided EMI protective sleeve and method of construction thereof is provided. The sleeve has a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between open opposite ends. The wall includes a plurality of filament bundles, with each filament bundle including a plurality of filaments twisted with one another to form a plurality of loops, wherein a plurality of the loops of each filament bundle are interlinked with a plurality of the loops of an adjacent filament bundle. At least some of the filament bundles include a conductive wire filament to provide the sleeve with an EMI protective shielding capacity.