Barbed Prosthetic Knit via Selective Thermal Loop Melting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing prosthetic knits with variable fastening capabilities are tedious and complicated, often resulting in discontinuous mechanical properties and potential weaknesses at seams, especially when producing prostheses for sensitive areas.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a warp knitting machine that uses biocompatible monofilament yarns of different diameters to create a knit with barbs on specific zones by thermally treating the loops formed during knitting, ensuring complete melting of smaller diameter yarns and partial melting of larger diameter yarns to generate barbs, allowing for a single-step production of knits with defined barbed and non-barbed areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a composite prosthesis is produced by assembling a first textile portion with barbs and a second textile portion without barbs, then the prosthesis can have zones with different fastening capabilities, but the manufacturing process becomes tedious and complicated, and the mechanical properties are not uniform throughout the prosthesis
Solution Approach 1:
The knitting machine is divided into multiple guide bars (first guide bar, second guide bar, third guide bar) that are independently controlled. The third guide bar is selectively activated in specific zones to create loops, while remaining inactive in other zones. This segmentation allows a single knit to have different barb configurations in different areas without requiring assembly of multiple textile portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the production of different textile portions into a single knitting operation. By using multiple guide bars that can be independently controlled, the process combines what would traditionally require separate knitting and assembly operations into one integrated process, eliminating the need for stitching or ultrasonic welding of separate portions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If barbs are manually incorporated into the textile on specific zones after knitting, then the prosthesis can have targeted fastening zones, but the work becomes lengthy and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The barb formation is performed during the knitting process itself, before the textile is completed. The third guide bar is selectively activated during knitting to create loops in specific zones, which are then thermally treated to form barbs. This preliminary action eliminates the need for post-knitting manual incorporation of barbs, significantly increasing production speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of incorporating barbs after knitting is replaced by an automated thermal processing system. The thermal treatment step automatically converts the loops formed during knitting into barbs through controlled heating, replacing what would traditionally require manual mechanical incorporation operations.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the third yarn is completely melted during thermal treatment, then the loops are eliminated, but the barbs cannot be formed from the loops
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal treatment is applied locally and selectively to different zones of the knit. In zones where barbs are desired, the thermal treatment is controlled to partially melt the loops and form barbs. In zones where loops are to be eliminated, the thermal treatment is applied to melt them completely. This local quality differentiation allows both loop elimination and barb formation to coexist in the same textile.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the yarn material through controlled thermal treatment. By controlling the temperature and duration of heating, the process can transition the yarn from a solid state to a partially melted state (for barb formation) or completely melted state (for loop elimination). This parameter control allows the same thermal processing step to achieve different outcomes in different zones.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the rapid and simple production of prosthetic knits with consistent mechanical properties and targeted barb placement, reducing trauma and improving fastening capabilities while eliminating the need for additional attachment methods like staples or sutures.
Implementation Method 1
the complete melting of the loops formed from said third yarn and the elimination of every part of these loops protruding outwards from the first face of said knit, and ii) the partial melting of the loops formed from said second yarn, said partial melting causing the rupture of each loop
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a knit, said method comprising the following steps:—a) knitting first yarns of biocompatible polymer materials, a second yarn, which is a monofilament yarn, and a third yarn, which is a monofilament yarn, which are made of the same biocompatible hot-melt material, the diameter of the second yarn being strictly greater than the diameter of the third yarn:—said second and third yarns generating loops protruding from one face of said knit,—b) thermosetting the knit obtained at a),—c) placing the face of the knit with loops flat on a heated cylinder, resulting in i) the complete melting and elimination of the loops formed from the third yarn, and ii) the partial melting of the loops formed from the second yarn, said partial melting causing the rupture of each loop and, therefore, the formation, for each loop, of two barbs protruding outwards from the face of said knit.