Patent ID: 7641635

Claim:
A method of forming a supported conduit that is substantially non-delaminable and substantially non-porous, said method comprising the steps of: selecting a flexible, porous taenoid substrate; selecting a taenoid substantially non-porous thermoplastic elastomer having a melting point substantially below the melting point of said taenoid porous substrate; forming a taenoid bilayer comprising a layer of said taenoid thermoplastic elastomer in contact with a layer of said taenoid porous substrate; heating said taenoid bilayer to a first predetermined temperature near the melting point of said taenoid thermoplastic elastomer but substantially below the melting point of said taenoid porous substrate; maintaining said taenoid bilayer at said first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined period of time; allowing said heated taenoid bilayer to cool to ambient temperature to afford a non-delaminable taenoid bilayer; selecting a flexible, tubular substrate; helically winding said non-delaminable taenoid bilayer around said tubular substrate in a manner whereby said taenoid thermoplastic elastomer layer is in contact with said tubular substrate to form a wound substrate; heating said wound substrate to a second predetermined temperature up to about the melting point of said taenoid thermoplastic polymer; maintaining said wound substrate at said second predetermined temperature for a second predetermined period of time; allowing said heated wound substrate to cool to ambient temperature; selecting a substantially non-porous thermoplastic elastomer having a melting point substantially below the melting point of said tubular substrate; wrapping a layer of said selected thermoplastic elastomer around said cooled supported substrate to form a wrapped substrate; heating said wrapped substrate to a third predetermined temperature up to about said second predetermined temperature; maintaining said wrapped substrate at said third predetermined temperature for a third predetermined period of time; allowing said heated wrapped substrate to cool to ambient temperature; selecting a thermoplastic polymer monofilament; winding said filament around said wrapped substrate to form a filamented substrate; heating said filamented substrate to a fourth predetermined temperature up to about said second predetermined temperature; maintaining said filamented substrate at said fourth predetermined temperature for a fourth predetermined period of time; and, allowing said heated filamented substrate to cool to ambient temperature; whereby said tubular substrate, said taenoid bilayer, said thermoplastic polymer monofilament, and said thermoplastic elastomer are substantially non-delaminably bonded to form a substantially non-delaminable substantially non-porous supported conduit.