Implantable Medical Textile Covering

Textiles come in a range of configurations, including braided, knitted and woven. Knitted and braided components offer greater ability to conform to the frame, while woven fabrics can be made offer limited permeability.  Textiles are sought after due to their controlled shape and stretch qualities, robust mechanical properties, including suture retention strength, general low profile and established clinical history.

The in vivo benefits of covering your frame with a textile include enhanced tissue ingrowth and controlled permeability. Textiles can also conform to the anatomy and the underlying implant, making them a preferred choice in AAA and TAA grafts, as well as heart valve skirts & covers, annuloplasty rings and high-strength tension chords and much more.

Elastomeric Coatings

Coatings are typically applied to the frame through a dipping or spraying process. This creates a smooth, uniform surface which is impermeable and has controlled elasticity. Applying a coating to the frame also allows for tailoring of surface properties. Typical materials used for implant coating include urethanes and silicones.

Some coated membranes can be as low as 5-10 microns in thickness, offering minimal impact to profile when compared to other covering options.

Elastomeric coatings can be found in retrieval, occlusion, delivery and embolic protection type devices.

PTFE Encapsulation

Polytetrafluoroethylene has a long-standing clinical history in medical devices. The biocompatible material is a preferred choice due to its hydrophobic and microporous surface properties. The material is chemically inert and is available in varying thicknesses and strength profiles.

Typical indications include TAA/AAA grafts, peripheral vascular and endovascular stents

ValvTEX®  Proprietary Valve Covering Technology

The ValvTEX® technology platform is a proprietary process enabling the application of an ultra-low-profile cover for structural heart implants, assembled onto the frame without the need for sutures. It draws on three main capabilities from Aran Biomedical’s extensive technology portfolio, namely custom implantable fabric development, high precision coatings and thermal forming of textiles. The technology platform can be leveraged when designing fabric covers for Mitral, Aortic, and Tricuspid heart valves.

ValvTEX can offer thicknesses as low as 70 microns.