A process for manufacturing pipes using thermoplastic pipe and tape (continuous fiber, fully wetted in a similar thermoplastic as the pipe) that embeds its fibers into pipe surface. The thermoplastic pipe is mechanically compressed prior fiber tape being applied. Outer diameter reduction of the pipe is at least partly maintained by the fiber tape being tightly wrapped around the pipe immediately after compression causes the pipe to contract. Then, an external heat source is applied to the pipe causing the thermoplastic to melt and the pipe to undergo thermal expansion. Fibers stretch less and are embedded into the molten layer of the pipe, creating a permanent bond between the fibers and the pipe. Individual pipes may be joined using couplers or butt welds.

Bioresorbable polymeric tubes suitable for use in a stent have been produced by a using a die drawing technique, comprising: deforming an orientable, thermoplastic polymer tubing (4) in the solid phase by drawing it over a mandrel (1) and/or through a die (3), where the mandrel (1) has a lead end and an exit end and the die (3) has an entry side and an exit side, wherein a drawing mechanism applies a drawing tension to the tubing (4) from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3), said tension being insufficient to cause tensile failure of the tubing but sufficient to deform the tubing, thereby drawing the tubing over the mandrel (1) and/or through the die (3) in the solid phase to induce uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the polymer; and collecting the deformed tubing from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3).

Bioresorbable polymeric tubes suitable for use in a stent have been produced by a using a die drawing technique, comprising: deforming an orientable, thermoplastic polymer tubing (4) in the solid phase by drawing it over a mandrel (1) and/or through a die (3), where the mandrel (1) has a lead end and an exit end and the die (3) has an entry side and an exit side, wherein a drawing mechanism applies a drawing tension to the tubing (4) from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3), said tension being insufficient to cause tensile failure of the tubing but sufficient to deform the tubing, thereby drawing the tubing over the mandrel (1) and/or through the die (3) in the solid phase to induce uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the polymer; and collecting the deformed tubing from the exit end of the mandrel (1) and/or the exit side of the die (3).

The invention relates to novel processes for the lamination of semi-crystalline, high-melting point, low glass transition polymeric films, which are extruded and subsequently laminated on various thermally sensitive substrates to form laminated medical device constructs in a specific time interval to allow low processing temperatures to avoid polymer film and/or substrate degradation or heat-related distortions. Also disclosed are laminated medical device constructs made from such processes.

The invention relates to novel processes for the lamination of semi-crystalline, high-melting point, low glass transition polymeric films, which are extruded and subsequently laminated on various thermally sensitive substrates to form laminated medical device constructs in a specific time interval to allow low processing temperatures to avoid polymer film and/or substrate degradation or heat-related distortions. Also disclosed are laminated medical device constructs made from such processes.

A method for manufacturing ultrafine fibers having an average diameter of less than 1 m is implemented by an apparatus including a feeder and a drawing chamber in communication with the feeder via an orifice having a pressure difference. The method includes introducing a multifilament to the drawing chamber under the condition that the ratio of the cross-section of the multifilament to the cross-section of the orifice rectifier is 50% or less, and irradiating the discharged multifilament such that the center of the multifilament melted thereby is located 1 to 15 mm apart vertically below the orifice outlet to melt the leading portion of the multifilament and cause the multifilament to swing at a maximum angle of 5 to 80 degrees to the central orifice axis within a conical space, such that the melted leading portion of the multifilament is drawn by an air stream generated by the pressure difference.

A method for manufacturing ultrafine fibers having an average diameter of less than 1 m is implemented by an apparatus including a feeder and a drawing chamber in communication with the feeder via an orifice having a pressure difference. The method includes introducing a multifilament to the drawing chamber under the condition that the ratio of the cross-section of the multifilament to the cross-section of the orifice rectifier is 50% or less, and irradiating the discharged multifilament such that the center of the multifilament melted thereby is located 1 to 15 mm apart vertically below the orifice outlet to melt the leading portion of the multifilament and cause the multifilament to swing at a maximum angle of 5 to 80 degrees to the central orifice axis within a conical space, such that the melted leading portion of the multifilament is drawn by an air stream generated by the pressure difference.

This invention can provide a stretched multilayer thermoplastic resin film comprising a layer including a thermoplastic resin (B) on at least one surface of a layer including a thermoplastic resin (A), the stretched multilayer thermoplastic resin film being characterized in that: the intrinsic birefringence of each of the thermoplastic resin (A) and the thermoplastic resin (B) is within a range from 0.005 to 0.005; the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin (B) is 110 C. or higher; and the saturated water absorption rate of the thermoplastic resin (B) is less than 1.1 wt %.

An apparatus for manufacturing pipes using thermoplastic pipe and tape (continuous fiber, fully wetted in a similar thermoplastic as the pipe) that embeds its fibers into pipe surface. The thermoplastic pipe is mechanically compressed prior fiber tape being applied. Outer diameter reduction of the pipe is at least partly maintained by the fiber tape being tightly wrapped around the pipe immediately after compression causes the pipe to contract. Then, an external heat source is applied to the pipe causing the thermoplastic to melt and the pipe to undergo thermal expansion. Fibers stretch less and are embedded into the molten layer of the pipe, creating a permanent bond between the fibers and the pipe. Individual pipes may be joined using couplers or butt welds.

An apparatus for manufacturing pipes using thermoplastic pipe and tape (continuous fiber, fully wetted in a similar thermoplastic as the pipe) that embeds its fibers into pipe surface. The thermoplastic pipe is mechanically compressed prior fiber tape being applied. Outer diameter reduction of the pipe is at least partly maintained by the fiber tape being tightly wrapped around the pipe immediately after compression causes the pipe to contract. Then, an external heat source is applied to the pipe causing the thermoplastic to melt and the pipe to undergo thermal expansion. Fibers stretch less and are embedded into the molten layer of the pipe, creating a permanent bond between the fibers and the pipe. Individual pipes may be joined using couplers or butt welds.