Surgical prostheses

Abstract

A biomaterial is provided which is suitable for use in surgery in a human patient. It comprises a coherent layer of non-human collagenous tissue which has been subjected to glutaraldehyde tanning so as to comprise cross-linked collagen fibrils, and a reinforcement of synthetic material embedded within the coherent layer. The synthetic material has structure features for promoting the embedding, the synthetic material having on average in situ more than 50 of the features per square centimeter. Improvements are also provided in a method of producing biomaterials by allowing collagenous tissue growth on mesh structures covering support surfaces implanted into host animals. In one aspect a tubular synthetic fiber mesh structure fits loosely over a support rod or tube, and in the other aspect a sheet support is used and the tissue growing around the sheet support is adapted to form a pocket, pouch or envelope of collagenous material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.