A method of making a surgical braid. The method comprises moving a plurality of bobbins along an active track, the active track being an endless track; and selectively moving a bobbin to a passive track while continuing to move the remaining bobbins along the active track.

A method of making a cut braid. The method comprises moving a plurality of bobbins around an endless track in a braiding machine; braiding a plurality of strands from the bobbins into a braid; passing the braid through a take-up mechanism; moving the braid along a continuous path, the continuous path extending from the braiding machine, through a take-up mechanism, and at least partially through a cutting machine; and cutting the braid in the cutting machine to form a cut braid.

Computer-aided process for creating a braiding program is disclosed herein. The braiding program comprises machine-readable commands, which, during execution of the braiding program, induce a braiding machine to produce a braided structure, in particular an at least partially braided implant, the process comprising: a) generating a braided structure by braiding, in particular by braid-wrapping at least one braid mandrel using a braiding material according to a specified configuration of commands; b) capturing at least one parameter of the braided structure; c) reconciling the captured parameter of the braided structure using at least one pertinent nominal parameter; provided the captured parameter does not correspond to the pertinent nominal parameter: c1-a) unbraiding at least one section of the braided structure; and c1-b) changing at least part of the configuration of commands for generating a braided structure as well as repeating the steps a) to c) based on the changed configuration of commands; provided the captured parameter corresponds to the pertinent nominal parameter: c2) creating a braiding program according to the configuration of commands, in which the captured parameter corresponds to the pertinent nominal parameter.

Methods and systems for braiding sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The sutures can have alternating bifurcated and non-bifurcated lengths. The sutures can have looped-ends, with both ends of the loop having contiguous braiding with the adjacent body or remainder of the suture. Braiding machines can have one or more bifurcating bars that can controllably obstruct or allow passage of the shuttle and carriers of the braiding machine. The controllable bifurcating bars can result in u-turns in the shuttle and carrier paths, such as a path encircling a horngear adjacent to the bifurcating bar, or passage of the shuttle and carrier across the bifurcating bar.

An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.

A surgical braid comprising a plurality of fibers arranged in a tubular braid, the tubular braid comprising an outer wall and at least first and second sections, the first section having a first core and the second section having a second core; and the plurality of fibers comprising a fiber having first color, the fiber having a first color being braided into the outer wall of the first section and forming at least art of the second core in the second section.

An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.

Methods and systems for braiding sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The sutures can have alternating bifurcated and non-bifurcated lengths. The sutures can have looped-ends, with both ends of the loop having contiguous braiding with the adjacent body or remainder of the suture. Braiding machines can have one or more bifurcating bars that can controllably obstruct or allow passage of the shuttle and carriers of the braiding machine. The controllable bifurcating bars can result in u-turns in the shuttle and carrier paths, such as a path encircling a horngear adjacent to the bifurcating bar, or passage of the shuttle and carrier across the bifurcating bar.

An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise one or more stator coils arranged in a three-dimensional configuration, and a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The stator coils of the apparatus may be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material.

An apparatus for making surgical braids comprises a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies. An active track engages at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies. A passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin assemblies, and a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track. The gate defines an inter-track path and an intra-track path. The gate has an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between the active and passive tracks. The gate further has a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track.