2341results about "Ornamental textile articles" patented technology

A family of selectively absorbable / biodegradable, fibrous composite constructs includes different combinations of biostable and absorbable / biodegradable yarns assembled as initially interdependent, load-bearing components, transitioning to exhibit independent functional properties during in vivo end-use. The family of constructs consists of two groups, one group is made of fiber-reinforced composites of high compliance, absorbable matrices of segmented polyaxial copolyesters reinforced with multifilament yarn constructs, which are combinations of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibers and at least one absorbable / biodegradable fiber selected from silk fibers and multifilament yarns made from linear segmented, l-lactide copolyesters and poly (3-hydroxyalkanoates, are useful in orthopedic, maxillofacial, urological, vascular, hernial repair and tissue engineering applications. The second group is made of coated and uncoated, warp-knitted mesh constructs for use in hernial, vascular, and urological tissue repair and tissue engineering.

A fabric, in the form of a woven or knitted fabric or garment, including a flexible information infrastructure integrated within the fabric for collecting, processing, transmitting and receiving information concerning-but not limited to-a wearer of the fabric. The fabric allows a new way to customize information processing devices to "fit" the wearer by selecting and plugging in (or removing) chips / sensors from the fabric thus creating a wearable, mobile information infrastructure that can operate in a stand-alone or networked mode. The fabric can be provided with sensors for monitoring physical aspects of the wearer, for example body vital signs, such as heart rate, EKG, pulse, respiration rate, temperature, voice, and allergic reaction, as well as penetration of the fabric. The fabric consists of a base fabric ("comfort component"), and an information infrastructure component which can consist of a penetration detection component, or an electrical conductive component, or both. The preferred penetration detection component is a sheathed optical fiber. The information infrastructure component can include, in addition to an electrically conductive textile yarn, a sensor or a connector for a sensor. A process is provided for making an electrical interconnection between intersecting electrically conductive yarns. Furthermore, a process is established for sheathing the plastic optical fiber and protecting it.

A braided self-expandable stent-graft-membrane made of elongated members forming a generally tubular body. A membrane layer and graft layer are disposed on a endoprosthesis such as a stent. The membrane layer is substantially impermeable to fluids. The outermost layer is biocompatible with the body tissue. The innermost layer is biocompatible with the fluid in the passage. An embodiment includes a graft layer disposed on the inside of a stent and a membrane layer disposed on the outside of the stent. The innermost layer is biocompatible with the fluid in the passage. The stent-graft-membrane is used at a treatment site in a body vessel or organ where it is desirous to exclude a first fluid located outside the endoprosthesis from reaching a second fluid located in the lumen. The membrane may be made of silicone or polycarbonate urethane. The graft may be braided, woven, spun or spray-cast PET, PCU, or PU fibers. The layers may include ePTFE or PTFE.

The present invention comprises a fabric-based sensor for monitoring vital signs or other electrical impulses of a subject. The sensor is woven or knitted from conductive fibers and, when in contact with the body, receives signals from the wearer and transmits them to a processing or monitoring device through a data-output terminal. The sensor may be integrated into the fabric of a garment or used independently as a conductive patch. Additionally, the sensor may provide bi-directional communication by both monitoring electrical impulses and sending them.

A wearable system or garment comprises at least three conductive electrodes that may, for example, be made of stretch-recovery electrically conductive yarns integrated with non-conductive stretch-recovery yarns that make up the remaining portion of the wearable system or garment. The wearable or garment further comprises means for using three electrodes to monitor at least one physiological or biophysical event or characteristic of the wearer. One electrode is specifically used to feed back an inverted noise signal to the wearer to destructively interfere with the wearer generated noise. Specifically, the wearer's heart rate, ECG and associated electrical characteristics may be monitored in high resolution under dry electrode conditions.

A method for thermoforming a resilient, fluid-filled bladder structure with thermal contact molding is disclosed. The bladder includes two sheets of thermoplastic material that are separated by at least one core formed of two spaced outer layers connected together by a plurality of connecting members. The bladder is formed by bonding the sheets to the core, bonding the sheets to each other around the periphery of the core and forming a sidewall between the sheets in a single mold. A fluid is then inserted into the space bounded by the peripheral bond and the two sheets such that the connecting members are extended.

A garment for infants comprises a comfort component serving as a base, a plurality of signal transmission paths integrated within the comfort component; and at least one interface that provides a transmission path between the information infrastructure component and an external device. In addition, the garment has the means to ensure a snug fit for the baby so that the sensors stay in place to minimize the risk of false alarms while the baby is safe and comfortable. This feature also helps to extend the usable life of the garment as the baby grows.

Fabrics, articles of apparel, and / or garment structures include infrastructure for transmitting information, such as signals produced by a wearer or from another source. Such fabrics may include: a textile formed through a knitting or weaving process, wherein at least one yarn used in the knitting or weaving process is electrically conductive to form sensor regions and / or other integrated electrically conductive infrastructure for transmitting electrical signals. Additional information is provided relating to methods for forming fabrics, articles of apparel, and / or garment structures of the types described above, as well as methods of using such products, e.g., for monitoring and / or displaying information regarding one or more physical and / or physiological parameters.

Bi-directional and multi-axial fabrics, fabric composites, ballistically resistant assemblies thereof, and the methods by which they are made. The fabrics are comprised of sets of strong, substantially parallel, unidirectional yarns lying in parallel planes, one above the other, with the direction of the yarns in a given plane rotated at an angle to the direction of the yarns in adjacent planes; and one or more sets of yarns having lower strength and higher elongation interleaved with the strong yarns. The fabrics of the invention provide superior ballistic effectiveness compared to ordinary woven and knitted fabrics but retain the ease of manufacture on conventional looms and knitting machines.

A circular knit tubing adapted for making a wearable article has a first knitted single layer tubular portion and a second knitted single layer tubular portion separated by a junction portion. The second tubular portion is folded over the first tubular portion at a fold line in the junction portion. The first and second tubular portions are then joined together, whereby the junction portion forms a band or welt. After the band is formed, the second tubular portion is folded back to cover the band. The wearable article may be a shirt having single layer top and bottom portions with a central double welt portion for physical contact around the wearer's chest or torso. The junction portion forming the band or welt preferably is integrally knitted with the first and second tubular portions. The band or welt defines a central opening to receive an electronic or electrical device or other component.

A full-fashioned weaving process for the production of a woven garment which can accommodate and include holes, such as armholes. The garment is made of only one single integrated fabric and has no discontinuities or seams. Additionally, the garment can include intelligence capability, such as the ability to monitor one or more body vital signs, or garment penetration, or both, by including a selected sensing component or components in the weave of the garment.

A plurality of unidirectional sheets (30a, 30b, 30c) are superposed in different directions and they are bonded together. At least one of the unidirectional sheets is made by spreading a tow so as to obtain uniform thickness, width not less than 5 cm, and a weight of no more than 300 g / m2, cohesion being imparted to the sheet so as to enable it to be handled prior to being superposed with other sheets. Advantageously, the unidirectional sheets are made of carbon fibers and are obtained by spreading out large tows.

Textile-based electrodes include a fabric portion having stretch-recovery non-conductive yarns and an electrically conductive region having stretch-recovery electrically conductive yarn filaments. The electrodes can further include float yarns and can be configured in a textured or ribbed construction. When incorporated into a garment, the electrodes can be used to monitor biophysical characteristics, such as the garment wearer's heart rate.

An implantable composite medical device having a longitudinal length a woven textile portion having yarns interlaced in a woven pattern, a knitted textile portion having yarns interlooped in a knitted pattern. The woven and knitted portions are securably attached to one and the other to provide a composite woven and knitted textile surface along the longitudinal length of the device. The woven portion may have a permeability from about 30 to about 500 ml / min / cm2, and the knitted portion may have a permeability from about 30 to about 15,000 ml / min / cm2. Further, a crimped woven portion with a resiliently longitudinal stretchability from about 10 to about 100 linear percent over its quiescent longitudinal dimension or an uncrimped woven portion with a resiliently longitudinal stretchability of less than about 10 linear percent over its quiescent longitudinal dimension are useful. A knitted portion with a resiliently longitudinal stretchability from about 5 to about 200 linear percent over its quiescent longitudinal dimension is also useful.

A method for making an implantable stent includes the steps of (i) providing a plurality of elongate stent wires; (ii) forming said wires into a hollow tubular structure having opposed first and second open ends; (iii) terminating said wires at the second end; (iv) aligning the wires at the second end into a plurality of mated adjacent wires to define a plurality of abutting regions; (v) welding the mated adjacent wires to one and the other at the abutting regions to define a plurality of welds; and optionally (vi) chemically or electro-chemically removing a portion of the welds. The method may further include the steps of (a) extending at least one of the mated stent wires to provide an extended stent wire; (b) looping the extended stent wire so the extended end abuts a proximal pair of stent wires; and (c) welding the extended and looped wire to the proximal pair of wires. The step of looping may include the forming of the wire into a equilaterally arched loop having an apex, but not having other sharp bends.

An article of apparel is disclosed that includes zones with a textile having a structure that changes or is otherwise modified by a physical stimulus, such as the presence of water or a temperature change, to modify a property of the textile. The zones may be along a center back area and side areas of the apparel, and the textile may increase in air permeability when exposed to water. The zones may also be in an upper area of the torso and in a lower back area, and the textile may increase in texture when exposed to water. In some embodiments, slits are formed in the textile.

A blood flow diverter device for treatment of intracranial aneurysms, including a porous tubular member having a central portion and two ends. The member is of sufficient flexibility and body compatibility to be placed in proximity within an intracranial aneurysm. The central portion of the tubular member has a sufficiently decreased porosity to block blood flow from entering through the aneurysm. This is done by one of three methods: (1) the central portion of the member can be compressed to decrease porosity and heat set to hold the compression; (2) the angle of the fibers can be altered if the tubular member is made from a braided fibers; or (3) a monomeric coating can be formed on the central portion in an amount sufficient to decrease the porosity of the central portion upon polymerization of the monomeric coating. In the third embodiment a polymerization initiator is provided for polymerizing the monomeric coating upon command to cause the decreased porosity to block the blood flow. The device is heat set after compression to permit insertion and expansion in the patient. The tubular member has sufficient porosity at the two ends to keep open small perforator arteries proximate to the intracranial aneurysm.

Balloon catheter covers are elastic fabric structures of interconnected yarns, the structure having a high degree of stretch and recovery in the circumferential direction with little change in dimension in the longitudinal direction during multiple pressurization cycles over full range of inflation and deflation of the balloon catheter. The covers have longitudinal yarns positioned at about zero degrees to the balloon axis and reversibly-stretchable, circumferential yarns positioned at a high angle Ø to the axis. A method for making the balloon catheter covers allowing nearly orthogonal placement of circumferential and longitudinal yarns involves triaxial braiding a minimum number of elastomeric braid yarns with multiple axial yarns to provide maximum convergence angle (approaching 90 degrees).

A braided stent to be implanted in a blood vessel comprises a hollow body which is stretchable in its longitudinal direction and whose circumferential surface is formed by a braid of a multiplicity of filamentary elements which, in the expanded state of the braided stent, intersect a plane, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, at a braiding angle. The braided stent has a smaller braiding angle in a central portion than in its distal and proximal portions which adjoin the central portion in the longitudinal direction.

An article of footwear includes an upper with a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component has a first edge and a second edge. The knitted component also includes a base portion configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure and to be disposed under a foot. The knitted component further includes a heel portion, a forefoot portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion. The knitted component additionally includes a collar with a rim. The second edge is joined to the first edge at a seam. The seam has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is located generally at the rim of the collar on one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper. The second end is spaced from the first end.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measureable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

A measuring device for providing data corresponding to a geometric configuration in space, in the form of a flexible, compliant, measurement member capable of bending in at least one degree of freedom and extending along a medial axis or plane. The member has spaced flexure sensors distributed at known locations on the member and separated by known sensor spacing intervals to provide flexure signals indicating the local state of flexure present at the locations. The member comprises a multiplicity of formed, i.e. shaped, fibers, these fibers including sensing fibers having sensing portions which provide the flexure sensors, the sensing portions of different fibers being located at differing distances along the member so as to be located at the sensor spacing intervals, the formed fibers being in mutually supporting relationship, as by continuous or repeated contact with each other. Such fibers may constitute most or all of the member.

A flexible, elastic garment (1) is provided comprising biomedical sensors (3, 4, 5, 6), an electrical power distribution and data transmission bus (2, 7) and a coupling circuit for allowing contactless transmission of power and data between the sensors and a circuit external to the garment. The sensors (3, 4, 5, 6), and the bus (2, 7) for distributing the electrical power and / or transporting the data from the sensors in the garment are formed by elastic conducting yarns integrated into the fabric of the garment.

A wound treatment device comprises a wound surface contacting plug (10) and a cover (24) for covering the wound surface (22) and the plug (10), wherein said plug (10) consists of a flat textile isolating material comprising at least one first surface layer (12), one second surface layer (14) and one intermediate space (18) arranged between said surface layers (12, 14). At least the first surface layer (12) is provided with a biocompatible surface and a structure which enables a liquid to pass and prevents a wound tissue from growing in said structure. The intermediate space (18) is provided with isolating threads (16) elastically holding the first surface layer (12) and the second surface layer at a certain distance from each other.

A multi-layer protective fabric includes an inner layer, an middle layer, and an outer wicking layer. The outer fabric layer includes an inside layer of hydrophobic material, an outside layer of hydrophilic material, and an intermediate layer of hydrophobic monofilament yarns extending between and knitted together with the outside and inside layers, and promotes wicking of moisture from a wearer's skin to the outer layer. The multi-layer protective fabric middle layer includes a porous, cushioning material. The multi-layer protective fabric inner layer includes a cushioning, abrasion-resistant material, such as doeskin. Articles of apparel, for example cycling shorts, can include such a multi-layer protective fabric either alone or in combination with other moisture-managing, cushioning fabrics. Such protective fabric and apparel systems provide improved removal of moisture from skin, reduction of contact stress, and decrease in abrasion.