Elastomeric sheet materials for heart valve and other prosthetic implants
AssigneesAlbany International Corp., Washington University
InventorsJohn Skelton, Richard E. Clark, Robert B. Davis
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Abstract
Sheet materials for cardiovascular and other prosthetic implants are fabricated of synthetic elastomers. These materials are characterized by molecular configurations that produce a nonlinear tensile modulus characteristic similar in shape to that of natural tissue. Selected elastomers, when formed as sheet material of appropriate geometrical configuration, promote the formation of natural tissue thereon which is appropriate for the mechanical characteristics desired.
Claims11
A flexible and extensible textile sheet material for cardiovascular and prosthetic implants, said sheet material consisting of warp yarns and yarns interlaced therewith, said yarns comprising a synthetic elastomer and forming a fibrous reticular blood-contacting face wherein at least 50 percent of the superficial area contains a substantially uniform distribution of foramina having a maximum lateral aperture dimension of 40 microns, said yarns having an average tensile modulus up to a strain of 10% which is between 0.05 and 5.0 grams per denier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.