Knit Implantable Medical Textiles

Knitting is a method of constructing fabric by interlocking a series of loops of one or more yarns.  Warp knitting is a type of knitting in which the yarns generally run lengthwise in the fabric.  The yarns are prepared as warps on beams with one or more yarns for each needle.  Examples of warp knitting include Tricot, Milanese, and Raschel knitting. 

Key characteristics of knit fabrics include: 

  • Dimensional flexibility 
  • Conformability 
  • Controlled porosity 
  • Resistance to un-raveling 

The value of knit fabrics in an implantable medical device may include: 

  • High degree of tissue in-growth 
  • Controlled degree of elongation 
  • Compressibility 
  • Inherent Elasticity/Flexibility 
  • Macro-porous to minimize infection
  • Soft against tissue
  • High burst strength

Medical Fabrics can be knit into a variety of shapes based on your biomedical structure’s requirements, including:

  • Flat Sheets
  • Tubes
  • Fenestrated Tubes
  • Double Knit Structures (two layers knit together)
  • Spacer Fabrics (three dimensional structure)

ATEX possesses the expertise to produce a wide variety of component shapes from a knit fabric. ATEX can also customize any component by employing our extensive fabrication and enhancement capabilities. These include fabric dying and marking, precision cutting and even custom coatings. Learn more about our custom fabrications and enhancements here.


Other Available Textile Types