Implant fabrication using three-dimensional woven fabric

Abstract

A method of fabricating a docking device involves implementing a three-dimensional (3D) weaving technique to form a 3D textile structure using a plurality of different types of fibers, heating the 3D textile structure on a shape-setting mold at a temperature above a melting point of a first type of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers to set a cylindrical shape of the 3D textile structure, maintaining the 3D textile structure on the shape-setting mold to cool off for a period of time, and removing the 3D textile structure from the shape-setting mold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a docking device, the method comprising:
 implementing a three-dimensional (3D) weaving technique to form a 3D textile structure using a plurality of different types of fibers;   heating the 3D textile structure on a shape-setting mold at a temperature above a melting point of a first type of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers to set a cylindrical shape of the 3D textile structure;   maintaining the 3D textile structure on the shape-setting mold to cool off for a period of time; and   removing the 3D textile structure from the shape-setting mold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 covering a compressible filler structure with fabric; and   attaching the fabric to an outer surface of the 3D textile structure.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fabric comprises 3D woven fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the 3D woven fabric has a similar structure and composition as the 3D textile structure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said implementing the 3D weaving technique involves interlacing shape memory fibers, low-melt thermoplastic fibers, and high-tenacity biocompatible material fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the 3D weaving technique is one of:
 an orthogonal weaving technique;   a multilayer weaving technique; or   an angle-interlock weaving technique.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising wrapping the 3D textile structure around the shape-setting mold to form the 3D textile structure in a hollow cylindrical form. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature is below melting points of second and third types of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers. 
     
     
         9 . A method of fabricating a docking device, the method comprising:
 weaving a three-dimensional (3D) woven fabric by interlacing a shape memory material, a low-melt thermoplastic polymer or resin, and a high-tenacity biocompatible material; and   pressing and heating the 3D woven fabric over a shape-setting mold at temperatures greater than a melting point of the low-melt thermoplastic polymer or resin.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the shape memory material comprises nitinol;   the low-melt thermoplastic polymer or resin comprises nylon having a melting point of between 85 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius; and   the high-tenacity biocompatible material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising attaching a filler structure to a surface of the 3D woven fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said attaching the filler structure comprises sewing the filler structure to an outer surface of the 3D woven fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising covering the filler structure with a tubular woven fabric comprising PET, wherein the filler structure comprises polymer foam. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using a docking device, the method comprising:
 providing a shape-set hollow cylindrical docking device formed at least in part of a three-dimensional (3D) woven fabric comprising a plurality of different types of fibers, the docking device having an elongate foam structure wrapped at least partially around an outer circumference of the docking device;   compressing the 3D woven fabric and the elongate foam structure to configure the docking device in a compressed configuration;   placing the docking device in a delivery catheter in the compressed configuration;   advancing the delivery catheter to a target implantation site;   deploying the docking device at the target implantation site;   allowing the 3D woven fabric and the elongate foam structure to expand to form to a seal against a native annulus at the target implantation site; and   placing a prosthetic implant device at least partially within the docking device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising using a temperature stimulus to expand the 3D woven fabric after said deploying the docking device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the 3D woven fabric comprises:
 warp fibers of a first type of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers;   weft fibers of a second type of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers; and   through-the-thickness fibers of a third type of fiber of the plurality of different types of fibers.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different types of fibers comprises:
 a shape memory type of fiber;   a low-melt thermoplastic type of fiber; and   a high-tenacity biocompatible type of fiber.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the docking device is deployed within a native heart valve. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising inhibiting paravalvular leakage using the foam structure. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the prosthetic implant device is a transcatheter heart valve.