Drive shafts having helical blades and methods of making are disclosed. In one method a helical auger blade is formed by twisting or sculpting a heated polymer tube which has been placed over a cylindrical drive shaft. In another method a drive shaft is placed within a helical winding and heat is applied to melt polymer which has been coated over one or both of the drive shaft and helical winding.

Drive shafts having helical blades and methods of making are disclosed. In one method a helical auger blade is formed by twisting or sculpting a heated polymer tube which has been placed over a cylindrical drive shaft. In another method a drive shaft is placed within a helical winding and heat is applied to melt polymer which has been coated over one or both of the drive shaft and helical winding.

A drainage catheter may include a polymeric tubular member and a braided reinforcement that is disposed about the polymeric tubular member. The braided reinforcement may include a repeating braid pattern that extends over a first portion of a length of the drainage catheter and a modified braid pattern that extends over a second portion of the length of the drainage catheter, the modified braid pattern providing a region without any braid filaments. The drainage catheter may include a drainage hole that extends through the polymeric tubular member within the region without any braid filaments.

A drainage catheter may include a polymeric tubular member and a braided reinforcement that is disposed about the polymeric tubular member. The braided reinforcement may include a repeating braid pattern that extends over a first portion of a length of the drainage catheter and a modified braid pattern that extends over a second portion of the length of the drainage catheter, the modified braid pattern providing a region without any braid filaments. The drainage catheter may include a drainage hole that extends through the polymeric tubular member within the region without any braid filaments.

The present invention includes, in one embodiment, a method of forming a suture having various cross-sectional shapes, the method including the steps of braiding the suture such that the suture has a first cross-sectional shape along a length; holding a first end of the suture and holding the suture at a second position at a location in between the first end and a second end such that a first portion of the suture is defined between the first end and the second position; manipulating the first end relative to the second position to alter the first portion of the suture into an altered cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape; and releasing the first end and the second position, wherein the step of manipulating is performed such that, upon release, the first portion maintains its manipulated shape.

There is provided herein a method of manufacturing a device comprising at least a first fibre using a draw apparatus, the method comprising: providing a first preform comprising a shape memory polymer to the draw apparatus; heating a first portion of the first preform; and drawing, using the draw apparatus, the heated first portion in order to form the first fibre.

The present invention includes, in one embodiment, a method of forming a suture having various cross-sectional shapes, the method including the steps of braiding the suture such that the suture has a first cross-sectional shape along a length; holding a first end of the suture and holding the suture at a second position at a location in between the first end and a second end such that a first portion of the suture is defined between the first end and the second position; manipulating the first end relative to the second position to alter the first portion of the suture into an altered cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape; and releasing the first end and the second position, wherein the step of manipulating is performed such that, upon release, the first portion maintains its manipulated shape.

The present invention relates to a twisted cord for constituting a core wire of a power-transmission belt, the twisted cord including a plurality of primary twisted yarns that are bundled and secondarily-twisted, in which when secondary twist is untwisted by 25 cm, a difference in length between the longest primary twisted yarn L and the shortest primary twisted yarn S among the plurality of primary twisted yarns is 1 to 10 mm.

The present invention relates to a twisted cord for constituting a core wire of a power-transmission belt, the twisted cord including a plurality of primary twisted yarns that are bundled and secondarily-twisted, in which when secondary twist is untwisted by 25 cm, a difference in length between the longest primary twisted yarn L and the shortest primary twisted yarn S among the plurality of primary twisted yarns is 1 to 10 mm.

A novel monofilament trimmer line is provided for reducing noise, reducing air drag and increasing durability by having a non-round cross-sectional shape defined as a polygon with three to six sides wherein the vertices between adjacent sides have been replaced with generous circular arcs, the arcs of a parabola, or even other arc shapes so long as the arc is convex and contains no sharp edges and wherein each arc is tangent to the two adjacent sides with a smooth and continuous transition, and the sides of the polygon are either straight or slightly convex, but not concave.