Study of Novel Textile Conduits for Stent-Grafts: Approaches to Improve Their Water Permeability

Abstract

Textile vascular grafts, normally with large space cavity between yarns or filaments, might fail because of the leakage of blood after they are implanted into human’s body. Consequently, patients’ lives are threatened. How to control textile structures to make them more compact is a problem that needs to be solved. The woven constructions of commercial products mainly contain 4/4 twill weave and 1/1 plain weave. In this study, novel tubular and seamless prototype vascular grafts with different yarn size, yarn type and weaves were successfully manufactured through relative easier weaving process. Physical characteristics of the prototype samples were measured and compared with two commercial products, Cook/Bolton and Talent/Medtronic. Factors to influence the physical characteristics that are important for commercial application, as water permeability, thickness, and porosity of the prototype samples were also analyzed. It was found that yarn type and weaves had major influence on water permeability. Yarn size had major influence on thickness.