Methods and systems for manufacturing woven retention devices

Abstract

A method and system for manufacturing a woven retention device including: providing a loading pattern of a first plurality of filaments on a first set of tensioned carriers and a second plurality of filaments on a second set of tensioned carriers; rotating the first set of tensioned carriers in a first direction and rotating the second set of tensioned carriers in a second direction; interweaving the first and second plurality of filaments at a predetermined braid angle of intersection to form the woven retention device, wherein the interweaving creates pairs of the first plurality of filaments and pairs of the second plurality of filaments. The woven retention device can be manufactured such to include a plurality of aperture sizes, and such that each of the filaments of the first plurality of filaments and the filaments of the second plurality of filaments have an offset weaving configuration

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a woven retention device, the method comprising:
 providing a loading pattern of a first plurality of filaments on a first set of tensioned carriers and a second plurality of filaments on a second set of tensioned carriers;   rotating the first set of tensioned carriers in a first direction and rotating the second set of tensioned carriers in a second direction; and   interweaving the first and second plurality of filaments at a predetermined braid angle of intersection to form the woven retention device, the woven retention device having an inner diameter,   wherein the interweaving creates pairs of the first plurality of filaments and pairs of the second plurality of filaments, wherein spacing in between the pairs results in a plurality of aperture sizes through the woven retention device, and   wherein each of the filaments of the first plurality of filaments and the filaments of the second plurality of filaments have an offset weaving configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments of each of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments have an offset two-over/two-under weaving configuration and the filaments of each of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments have an offset two-over/two-under configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating a plurality of rotors including the first and second tensioned carriers,
 wherein a first set of the plurality of the rotors rotate in the first direction and a second set of the plurality of rotors rotate in the second direction.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each rotor has at least four inlets that are configured to accept carriers, the at least four inlets having a predetermined spatial relationship that includes the at least four inlets being unevenly spaced,
 wherein the rotating includes carriers alternatingly switching either from one of the at least four inlets of one of the first set of the plurality of rotors to one of the at least four inlets of one of the second set of the plurality of rotors or from one of the at least four inlets of one of the second set of the plurality of rotors to one of the at least four inlets of one of the first set of the plurality of rotors,   wherein the carriers alternatingly switching in a predetermined spatial configuration creates the interweaving, and   wherein the carriers alternatingly switching in the inlets having the predetermined spatial relationship around the rotors creating the offset two-over/two-under configuration.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least four inlets comprise a first and a second pair of inlets, and wherein for each rotor, the predetermined spatial relationship includes both inlets of each pair being about a same distance from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments are about 0.2 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments are about 0.4 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.2 mm in diameter, and
 wherein ones of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.2 mm in diameter.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.4 mm in diameter, and
 wherein ones of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.4 mm in diameter.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.2 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.4 mm in diameter, and
 wherein ones of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.2 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.4 mm in diameter.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ones of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 200 dtex, and
 wherein ones of the pairs of the second plurality of filaments are about 0.1 mm in diameter and others of the pairs of the first plurality of filaments are about 200 dtex.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interweaving of the first and second plurality of filaments creates a balanced state of the woven retention device, and wherein the woven retention device is configured to resist torsion in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the balanced state results from diameters of the first plurality of filaments equaling diameters of the second plurality of filaments. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of tensioned carriers includes 24 carriers and the second set of tensioned carriers includes 24 carriers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of filaments includes flat multifilaments and the second plurality of filaments includes round monofilaments. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interweaving forms a textile strength of the woven retention device that is changed based on pique count, filament thickness, braid angle, and bobbin count. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the braid angle of the filaments is between about 40 and 45 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the loading pattern is configured with a carrier map, which associates each carrier with its filament. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a mandrel wherein the interweaving uses the mandrel to create the hollow structure shape. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the mandrel is heated to shape the interwoven filaments. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 collapsing the hollow structure into a flattened tube and winding the flattened tube around a spool; and   unwinding the spool and cutting the spool into individual segments.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising tapering a distal portion of the woven retention device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising tapering a distal portion of the woven retention device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter is about 6.5 mm. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interweaving includes interweaving the first and second sets of filaments to create a biaxial braid pattern. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a plurality of longitudinal filaments, wherein the interweaving includes interweaving the first and second sets of filaments with a set of longitudinal filaments, the interweaving creating a triaxial braid. 
     
     
         28 . A system of manufacturing a woven retention device, the system comprising:
 a first plurality of filaments on a first set of tensioned carriers and a second plurality of filaments on a second set of tensioned carriers, the first set of tensioned carriers being configured to rotate in a first direction and the second set of tensioned carriers being configured to rotate in a second direction; and   a mandrel that is configured to interweave the first and second plurality of filaments at a predetermined braid angle of intersection to form the woven retention device, the woven retention device having an inner diameter,   wherein the interweaving creates pairs of the first plurality of filaments and pairs of the second plurality of filaments, wherein spacing in between the pairs results in a plurality of aperture sizes through the woven retention device, and   wherein each of the filaments of the first plurality of filaments and the filaments of the second plurality of filaments have an offset weaving configuration.