Top 10 Tips for Developing Implantable Medical Textiles

Medical device engineers are increasingly gravitating toward biomedical textiles to aid in implant performance, including cardiovascular applications such as structural heart implants or stent grafts. These textiles, which can be used to enable a broad range of functions such as occlusion, embolic protection, flow diversion, inhibiting restenosis, containing tumor growth, and maintaining vessel integrity, are chosen for the versatility they offer in product design. Textiles can be developed in 2D and 3D implantable forms, with configurations limited only by the imagination. However, understanding the breadth of possibility in textile manufacturing and determining the optimum textile design isn't as straightforward as it may seem. Here are the top 10 tips to consider for using textiles to fast-track the product development timeline.