Braided Implantable Medical Textiles
A process in which three or more yarns are entwined with one another such so that they cross one another to make continuous narrow strands, much like rope. A braid structure or pattern can incorporate flexible materials such as textile fibers, yarns or wire, referred to as ends or carriers on the machine. The simplest possible braid is a flat, solid, three-end structure. More complex braids can be constructed with additional ends such as an even number of ends to create a wider range of round cords or hollow structures: wider ribbon-like bands use odd number of ends, and depending on the braid angle, may resemble a woven pattern.
Key characteristics of braided textiles include:
- High strength
- Low profile
- Versatility
- Chinese finger cuff ability
The value of braided textiles in an implantable medical device may include:
- High Strength
- Low creep
- Low elongation
- Flexibility
- Low Profile
Fabrics can be braided into a variety of shapes based on your biomedical structure’s requirements, including:
- Sutures
- Conduits / Sleeves
- Tapes
- Slit tapes
- Braid over core
- Cables
- Looped Cables and Braids
ATEX possesses the expertise to produce a wide variety of component shapes from a braided textile and we welcome you to reach out to us to learn more!