Small diameter, high strength, low elongation, creep resistant, abrasion resistant braided structure
Inventors
Jessup, Mark Wesley • Van Hulle, Paul Louis
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-10745855-B2
Publication Date
2020-08-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.
Core Innovation
The braided structure comprises a core with at least one yarn comprising a liquid crystalline polymer and a sheath braided around the core from ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns. The sheath comprises from 6 to 48 yarns, and the structure has an overall diameter ranging from 60 micrometers to 650 micrometers. The structure contains a plurality of filaments.
The structure is described as combining abrasion resistance and creep resistance with low elongation, high strength, and stiffness. The partial content reports fewer than 50 broken filaments per linear inch after abrasion cycling and less than 8 percent creep elongation after 15 minutes. The background section is not included in the provided partial content, so the problem being solved is not explicitly described.
Claims Coverage
The provided claims identify three independent claims: claims 1, 17, and 18. They cover the braided structure's core-and-sheath construction, with separate claim coverage for abrasion resistance and creep performance.
Core-and-sheath braided structure
A core comprising at least one yarn comprising a liquid crystalline polymer, and a sheath braided around the core comprising 6 to 48 ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns. The braided structure has an overall diameter ranging from 60 micrometers to 650 micrometers and contains a plurality of filaments.
Abrasion-resistant braided structure
A core comprising at least one yarn comprising a liquid crystalline polymer and a sheath braided around the core comprising 6 to 48 ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns. The structure exhibits resistance to abrasion and includes less than 50 broken filaments per linear inch after cycling.
Creep-resistant braided structure
A core comprising at least one yarn comprising a liquid crystalline polymer and a sheath braided around the core comprising 6 to 48 ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns. The braided structure exhibits less than 8 percent elongation from creep after 15 minutes.
The independent claims cover the liquid-crystalline-polymer core and ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyolefin sheath, with claim 1 also specifying the structure's diameter and filament content. Claims 17 and 18 separately define abrasion-resistance and creep-performance features.
Stated Advantages
The braided structure is described as having abrasion resistance and creep resistance.
The structure is described as having low elongation, high strength, and stiffness.
Documented Applications
The braided structure is identified for use in sutures, load-bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons or ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, and components for tissue repair.
Interested in licensing this patent?