According to one embodiment, an electrospinning head includes a head main body and a nozzle. The nozzle projects from the head main body. A flow passage is formed inside the nozzle, and an ejection port of the flow passage is formed at a projecting end of the nozzle. A first extending portion constitutes a connecting portion of the nozzle to the head main body, and a second extending portion further projects from the first extending portion and constitutes the projecting end of the nozzle. A volume in the second extending portion excluding the flow passage is smaller than that in the first extending portion, and a dimension of the second extending portion along a projection direction is smaller than that of the first extending portion.

According to one embodiment, an electrospinning apparatus deposits a fiber on an electrode. The apparatus includes a transport section and a fiber deposition section. The transport section transports electrodes. The fiber deposition section deposits the fiber on first and second surfaces of the electrodes. The electrodes include coated and uncoated portions. The transport section transports the electrodes in a third direction in the fiber deposition section. The electrodes include first and second electrodes. The first electrode is positioned at one end in the second direction and transported so that the uncoated portion of the first electrode protrudes toward the one end side. The second electrode is positioned at other end in the second direction and transported so that the uncoated portion of the second electrode protrudes toward the other end side.

A method of making a medical implant is provided by electrospinning a polymer solution to form a preform around a mandrel. The formed preform distinguishes an inner surface and an outer surface. The formed preform is removed from the mandrel and flipped inside-out resulting in the inner surface of the formed preform becoming the outer surface of the inside-out flipped preform, and the outer surface of the formed preform becoming the inner surface of the inside-out flipped preform. At least part of the inside-out flipped preform forms the medical implant such as e.g. an artificial heart valve, an artificial leaflet, an artificial graft, or an artificial vessel. The products made according to the method of this invention greatly improve the performance and durability of the medical implant.

A multi-laminar electrospun nanofiber scaffold for use in repairing a defect in a tissue substrate is provided. The scaffold includes a first layer formed by a first plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers, and a second layer formed by a second plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers. The second layer is combined with the first layer. A first portion of the scaffold includes a higher density of fibers than a second portion of the scaffold, and the first portion has a higher tensile strength than the second portion. The scaffold is configured to degrade via hydrolysis after at least one of a predetermined time or an environmental condition. The scaffold is configured to be applied to the tissue substrate containing the defect, and is sufficiently flexible to facilitate application of the scaffold to uneven surfaces of the tissue substrate, and to enable movement of the scaffold by the tissue substrate.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the mass production of polymeric nanofibres and their uniform deposition over any substrate. The present invention also provides a method for the manufacture of droplet free polymeric nanofibres by electrospinning process using multi-hole spinnerets. The droplet free polymeric nanofibres of the present invention are preferably of a diameter in the range of 50 nm to 850 nm.

The invention relates to an elongate scaffold comprising: an inner portion comprising a polymer; and an outer portion comprising a porous, nonwoven network of polymer fibers, wherein the packing density of the inner portion is greater than the packing density of the outer portion; wherein the inner portion (a) comprises a plurality of polymer fibers twisted around one another or (b) is a solid core comprising the polymer. The invention also relates to a scaffold precursor and a process for producing a scaffold, comprising twisting a scaffold precursor of the invention along its length. Further provided is a hybrid composition comprising the scaffold and cells and/or an active agent such as a drug, a nucleic acid, a nucleotide, a protein, a polypeptide, or an exosome. Therapeutic methods and uses of such hybrid compositions are also provided, for instance in tissue repair, wound healing, and in the treatment of a cardiac, bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, liver, kidney joint, spleen, eye, spinal disc, connective tissue, or lung injury or disease or cancer, or an infection in a patient, and as tissue fillers for reconstructive or cosmetic applications.

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 system for electro-spinning/writing of a polymer material, the system comprising a print-head configured to eject the polymer material via a nozzle, a collector configured to receive the polymer material ejected from the nozzle, a displacement assembly configured to adjust a distance between the print-head and the collector, and a vat containing or configured to contain a liquid, wherein the vat is further configured to receive the collector, wherein the displacement assembly is configured to retract the collector and at least a part of the polymer material received by the collector into the liquid in the vat in accordance with a height of the received polymer material.

Solution electro writing systems, solution electrowriting methods, products made by the solution electrowriting systems or methods, and uses thereof. A solution electro written product can include one or more layer(s) of fibers in a predetermined pattern with various degrees of fiber fusion, fiber stacking, fiber porosity, or any combination thereof. A solution electro written product can be tubular or flat. A solution electro written product can be a conduit, a web, a patch, a cuff, or a shape of at least a portion of an organ, or the like. A solution electro written product can comprise polymer(s), such as, for example, biocompatible and/or biodegradable polymer(s). A solution electro written product can be used for tissue grafts, including arterial grafts, such as, for example, arteriovenous grafts.

A three-dimensional electrospun nanofiber scaffold for use in repairing a defect in a tissue substrate is provided. The three-dimensional electrospun nanofiber scaffold includes a first layer formed by a first plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers and a second layer formed by a second plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers. The second layer is coupled to the first layer using a coupling process and includes a plurality of varying densities formed by the second plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers. The first and second layers are configured to degrade via hydrolysis after at least one of a predetermined time or an environmental condition. The three-dimensional electrospun nanofiber scaffold is configured to be applied to the tissue substrate containing the defect.