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-11427958-B2
Publication Date
2022-08-30
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 containing at least one yarn that comprises an aromatic polymer and a sheath braided around the core. The sheath comprises multiple ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns. The disclosed structure has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 to about 650 micrometers, and each sheath yarn has a diameter ranging from 30 to about 152 micrometers.
The disclosed structure provides low creep, abrasion resistance, low elongation, high strength, and stiffness. The background section and its description of the problem being solved are not included in the provided content, so the specific problem addressed is not explicitly described in the available text.
Claims Coverage
The claim coverage includes three inventive features directed to a braided structure comprising an aromatic-polymer yarn core and an ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarn sheath.
Braided structure with specified dimensions
A core comprising at least one aromatic-polymer yarn and a sheath braided around the core comprising a plurality of ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, wherein the overall structure has a diameter of about 60 to about 650 micrometers, and each sheath yarn has a diameter of 30 to about 152 micrometers.
Abrasion-resistant braided structure
A core comprising at least one aromatic-polymer yarn and a sheath braided around the core comprising a plurality of ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, wherein sheath yarns have diameters of 30 to about 152 micrometers and the structure has fewer than 50 broken filaments per linear inch following an abrasion cycling test.
Braided structure with limited creep
A core comprising at least one aromatic-polymer yarn and a sheath braided around the core comprising a plurality of ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, wherein sheath yarns have diameters of 30 to about 152 micrometers and the structure exhibits less than about 8 percent elongation from creep after about 15 minutes.
The claims cover the core-and-sheath braided structure through specified overall and sheath-yarn dimensions, an abrasion-resistance limitation, and a creep limitation.
Stated Advantages
The braided structure is described as having abrasion resistance.
The braided structure is described as having low creep and low elongation.
The braided structure is described as having high strength and stiffness.
Documented Applications
The braided structure is identified for use in sutures and actuation cables.
The braided structure is identified for use in load-bearing orthopedic applications, including artificial tendons or ligaments, tissue-repair components, and fixation devices.
Interested in licensing this patent?