Patent ID: 6592617
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: A61F,D04C,D10B,Y10T

Abstract:
A prosthesis, including:a three-dimensionally braided structure including a plurality of resilient structural strands formed of a structural material and a plurality of compliant textile strands interbraided with the structural strands and having a textile strand melting temperature; wherein each of the structural strands has a nominal shape when in a relaxed state under no external stress, and further is thermally formable to acquire a selected nominal shape different from an original nominal shape by a heating of the structural strand at least to a thermal forming temperature while maintaining the structural strand in the selected nominal shape, wherein the structural strands are thermally formable only when heated at least to the thermal forming temperature; wherein the structural strands are so altered, and in their respective selected nominal shapes define tubular profiles and are oriented within the braided structure to impart to the braided structure a tubular predetermined nominal shape corresponding to said tubular profiles; further characterized in that said textile strand melting temperature of the compliant textile strands is lower than the thermal forming temperature of the resilient structural strands.