Disclosed is a joining element (10), especially a suture material for surgical use. The joining element (10) is composed of a first material (12) that is essentially rigid during impingement by a relatively short-lasting tensile load on opposite sides as well as a second material (11) which is connected to the first material. The second material is substantially rigid during impingement by said tensile load on opposite sides while contracting slowly during a second period of time that is longer than the first period of time.

This invention relates to chemical polymer compositions, methods of synthesis, and fabrication methods for devices regarding polymers capable of displaying shape memory behavior (SMPs) and which can first be polymerized to a linear or branched polymeric structure, having thermoplastic properties, subsequently processed into a device through processes typical of polymer melts, solutions, and dispersions and then crossed linked to a shape memory thermoset polymer retaining the processed shape.

This invention relates to chemical polymer compositions, methods of synthesis, and fabrication methods for devices regarding polymers capable of displaying shape memory behavior (SMPs) and which can first be polymerized to a linear or branched polymeric structure, having thermoplastic properties, subsequently processed into a device through processes typical of polymer melts, solutions, and dispersions and then crossed linked to a shape memory thermoset polymer retaining the processed shape.

The present invention provides a heat shrinkable multilayer film that has excellent adhesiveness between front and back layers and an interlayer, effectively prevents delamination, and is less likely to have white creases on folds. The present invention also provides a heat shrinkable label formed from the heat shrinkable multilayer film. The present invention relates to a heat shrinkable multilayer film, including: front and back layers each containing a polyester resin; an interlayer containing a polystyrene resin; and adhesive layers, wherein the front and back layers and the interlayer are stacked with the adhesive layers interposed therebetween, and the adhesive layers each contain 50 to 95% by weight of a polystyrene resin and 5 to 50% by weight of a polyester elastomer.

The invention relates to a process for making a medical component such as a medical implant for example a graft or stent-graft, said medical component comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, a medical component obtainable by said process as well as uses of said process and medical component.

A functionally graded shape memory polymer (SMP) that has a range of transition temperatures that are spatially distributed in a gradient fashion within one single article. The SMP is formed by post-curing a pre-cured glassy SMP in a linear temperature gradient that imposes different vitrification temperature limits at different positions along the gradient. Utilizing indentation-based surface shape memory coupled with optical measurements of photoelastic response, the capability of this material to respond over a wide range of thermal triggers is correlated with the graded glass transition behavior. This new class of SMP offers great potential for such applications as passive temperature sensing and precise control of shape evolution during a thermally triggered shape recovery.

A functionally graded shape memory polymer (SMP) that has a range of transition temperatures that are spatially distributed in a gradient fashion within one single article. The SMP is formed by post-curing a pre-cured glassy SMP in a linear temperature gradient that imposes different vitrification temperature limits at different positions along the gradient. Utilizing indentation-based surface shape memory coupled with optical measurements of photoelastic response, the capability of this material to respond over a wide range of thermal triggers is correlated with the graded glass transition behavior. This new class of SMP offers great potential for such applications as passive temperature sensing and precise control of shape evolution during a thermally triggered shape recovery.

A method of forming an implant includes providing a preformed shell formed from at least one cured elastomeric layer. The shell includes an outer surface, an inner surface, and an opening for accessing an interior volume of the shell. The method further includes expanding the shell to an expanded state, in which the interior volume is greater than the interior volume of the shell at a time of forming the shell and forming an inner zone having at least one inner elastomeric layer on at least a portion of the inner surface of the shell, while the shell is in the expanded state, thereby forming a multi-zone shell. The method further includes reducing the interior volume of the multi-zone shell, thereby contracting the at least one inner elastomeric layer of the inner zone and causing texturing of the at least one inner elastomeric layer.

The invention provides a polyester resin for heat-shrinkable film which contains terephthalic acid as a main component of a dicarboxylic acid component, contains ethylene glycol as a main component of a diol component, and contains from 18 to 32% by mole of neopentyl glycol and from 7 to 15% by mole of diethylene glycol when a total amount of the whole diol component in total polyester resin components is taken as 100% by mole. The polyester resin has (i) an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of not less than 0.65 and less than 0.70 dl/g, (ii) a carboxyl end group concentration (AV) of 8-25 eq/t, (iii) a color b value of 1.0-8.0 in an L*a*b* color system, and (iv) aluminum and phosphorus atoms, wherein the aluminum atoms are present in an amount of 15-40 ppm, and wherein the molar ratio of the phosphorus atoms to the aluminum atoms is 1.8-2.6.

[Problem] To provide a heat-shrinkable polyester film having excellent shrink finishing property due to the film's sufficient heat shrinkability and low shrinkage stress in the longitudinal direction, small change in the non-shrinkable direction of the film.

[Solution] The heat-shrinkable polyester film which heat-shrinks in the longitudinal direction and satisfying the following (1) to (6); (1) having a shrinkage of 35% to 70% in the longitudinal direction; (2) having a shrinkage of −8% to 7% in the width direction; (3) having a change rate of 5% to 22% when fixed in the longitudinal direction with fixed-length; (4) having a change rate of 5% to 20% in the width direction when fixed with 10% of slack in the longitudinal direction; (5) having a maximum shrinkage stress of 5 MPa to 15 MPa in the longitudinal direction; (6) having a stress at 10% elongation, F10, of 1 MPa to 5 MPa in the longitudinal direction and 0.5 MPa to 3 MPa in the width direction.