Composite lumen with reinforcing textile and matrix

Abstract

A composite hollow lumen and a method for producing the lumen are provided. The lumen includes a tubular textile formed of yarns having a first tensile strength and a matrix material in which the tubular textile is embedded to form a conduit having a bore and a sidewall substantially impermeable to liquid. The matrix material has a second tensile strength that is lower than the first tensile strength. The method for producing a composite lumen includes selecting yarns having a first tensile strength, selecting an elastomeric matrix material having a second tensile strength that is lower that the first tensile strength, forming a tubular textile of the yarns, and embedding the tubular textile in the matrix material to form a conduit having a bore and conduit walls that are substantially impermeable to liquid. The elastomeric matrix material is a biodegradable or bioresorbable polyester.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composite lumen, comprising:
 a tubular braided textile, the braided textile having a continuous braid with a first pre-selected braid angle along a first portion of its length and a second pre-selected braid angle along a second portion of its length that is different from the first braid angle; and   a matrix material in which the tubular textile is embedded to form a vascular graft having a bore, a sidewall substantially impermeable to liquid, and two ends, the vascular graft configured to be attached at each end to a blood vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the bore has a diameter of about 1 mm to about 6 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braid textile comprises a combination of metallic wires and synthetic yarns. 
     
     
         4 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braided textile comprises metallic wires of at least two different diameters in the braid. 
     
     
         5 . The composite lumen of  claim 4 , wherein the metallic wires having the larger diameter helically extend in a same spiraled direction. 
     
     
         6 . The composite lumen of  claim 4 , wherein the braid textile further comprises synthetic yarns. 
     
     
         7 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein a pitch of the first and second pre-selected braid angles are pre-selected to correspond to a desired radial expandability, compressibility, or both of the vascular graft. 
     
     
         8 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second preselected braid angles is pre-selected to provide the vascular graft having a similar compliance to a compliance of the blood vessel at anastomosis. 
     
     
         9 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second preselected braid angles are preselected to impart a gradient compliance of the vascular graft configured to provide a more pulsatile response at one end of the vascular graft than at the other end. 
     
     
         10 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braided textile is a single-layer braided textile. 
     
     
         11 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braided textile is a double-layer braided textile. 
     
     
         12 . The composite of lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the first preselected braid angle transitions to the second preselected braid angle over a transition portion. 
     
     
         13 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous braid further includes a third pre-selected braid angle along a third portion of the length of the braided textile. 
     
     
         14 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the first pre-selected braid angle is in the range of about 30 degrees to about 130 degrees and wherein the second pre-selected braid angle is in the range of about 130 degrees to about 170 degrees, the second pre-selected braid angle being larger than the first pre-selected braid angle. 
     
     
         15 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braided textile has a maypole braid. 
     
     
         16 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein a tensile strength of a material used to form the braided textile is higher than a tensile strength of the matrix material. 
     
     
         17 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the braided textile includes a plurality of metallic wires that helically extend in a same spiraled direction. 
     
     
         18 . The composite lumen of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of metallic wires are evenly spaced about the braided textile. 
     
     
         19 . The composite lumen of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of metallic wires consists of two metallic wires evenly spaced about the braided textile. 
     
     
         20 . The composite lumen of  claim 1 , wherein the vascular graft is bioresorbable.