Biotextiles as Medical Implants

Book excerpt: Textiles play a vital role in the manufacture of various medical devices, including the replacement of diseased, injured or non-functioning organs within the body. Biotextiles as medical implants provides an invaluable single source of information on the main types of textile materials and products used for medical implants. The first part of the book focuses on polymers, fibers and textile technologies, and these chapters discuss the manufacture, sterilization, properties and types of biotextiles used for medical applications, including nanofibers, resorbable polymers and shaped biotextiles. The chapters in part two provide a comprehensive discussion of a range of different clinical applications of biotextiles, including surgical sutures, arterial prostheses, stent grafts, percutaneous heart valves and drug delivery systems.This book provides a concise review of the technologies, properties and types of biotextiles used as medical devices. In addition, it addresses the biological dimension of how to design devices for different clinical applications, providing an invaluable reference for biomedical engineers of medical textiles, quality control and risk assessment specialists, as well as managers of regulatory affairs. The subject matter will also be of interest to professionals within the healthcare system including surgeons, nurses, therapists, sourcing and purchasing agents, researchers and students in different disciplines. - Provides an invaluable single source of information on the main types of textile materials and products used for medical implants - Addresses the technologies used and discusses the manufacture, properties and types of biotextiles - Examines applications of biotextiles as medical implants, including drug delivery systems and stent grafts and percutaneous heart valves