초록

A woven prosthesis, such as a woven vascular graft, woven from warp and weft yarns. Velour warp yarns forming the prosthesis are selectively incorporated into a base layer of the prosthesis so as to provide a bulbous section without compromising the porosity of the prosthesis.

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1. A method for manufacturing an implantable medical prosthesis, the medical prosthesis comprising a first end and a second end, the method comprising: weaving a woven base from a set of warp yarns and at least one weft yarn pass, the set of warp yarns comprises warp yarns woven as base warp yarns a

1. A method for manufacturing an implantable medical prosthesis, the medical prosthesis comprising a first end and a second end, the method comprising: weaving a woven base from a set of warp yarns and at least one weft yarn pass, the set of warp yarns comprises warp yarns woven as base warp yarns and warp yarns woven as non-base warp yarns, wherein the base warp yarns and weft yarn passes are woven into a base weave pattern, and the non-base warp yarns are woven with at least one weft yarn pass with a smaller frequency of interlacing when not woven into a base weave pattern; andincorporating into the woven base one or more of the non-base warp yarns through an increase in the frequency of interlacing of the non-base warp yarns along the longitudinal direction of the base warp yarns. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-base warp yarns are velour yarns. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the woven base is configured to establish a smaller and larger diameter portion, the larger diameter portion capable of achieving a larger diameter than the smaller diameter portion, wherein the larger diameter of the larger diameter portion is achieved by the step of incorporating into the woven base one or more velour yarns. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the incorporating into the woven base one or more velour yarns exclusively utilizes velour yarns utilized as velour prior to being incorporated into the woven base. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein a variable reed is moved during the weaving step to provide for a varied diameter profile of the medical prosthesis. 6. A method for manufacturing an implantable medical prosthesis comprising: weaving a woven base comprising base warp yarns interwoven with weft yarn passes, the base at least partially forming smaller and larger diameter portions, one or more velour yarns forming part of both the smaller and larger diameter portions, weaving in at least a portion of the larger diameter portion at least one of the one or more velour yarns of the smaller diameter portion into the woven base to adopt the base weave pattern, and;sterilizing the woven base and the one or more velour yarns forming part of both the smaller and larger diameter portions. 7. The method for manufacturing an implantable prosthesis as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one of the one or more velour yarns woven into the woven base of the larger diameter portion and exhibiting the base weave pattern is not woven into the base of the smaller diameter portion. 8. A method for weaving a variable diameter generally elongate graft configured for implantation and/or anastomosis by a surgeon, the elongate graft having a velour layer on at least a portion of the graft, the method comprising the step of: changing a weave pattern of a warp yarn used to form the velour layer in a smaller diameter portion of the elongate graft such that in the larger diameter portion of the graft, said warp yarn (i) takes on a different weave pattern than the weave pattern said warp yarn utilizes in the smaller diameter portion and (ii) forms part of a base layer of the larger diameter portion of the elongate graft. 9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of changing the weave pattern of the warp yarn as it transitions from the larger diameter portion to a second smaller diameter portion so as to form a velour layer on at least a portion of the second smaller diameter portion which is smaller in diameter than the larger diameter portion. 10. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of shifting at least a pair of adjacent warp yarns used to form a base layer of the smaller diameter portion so as to increase a spacing between said adjacent warp yarn in the larger diameter portion. 11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a spacing between base warp yarns used to form the smaller diameter portion is within 30% of the size of a corresponding spacing between the same base warp yarns in the larger diameter portion. 12. A method for weaving a medical prosthesis, comprising the steps of: (i) forming a first portion of the prosthesis by interweaving base warp yarns, velour warp yarns, and one or more weft yarn passes;(ii) shifting at least a pair of adjacent base warp yarns so as to increase or decrease a spacing between them; and(iii) forming a base layer of a second portion of the prosthesis by weaving the one or more weft yarn passes with the at least a pair of shifted base warp yarns together with one or more of the velour warp yarns;wherein the medical prosthesis is configured as a conduit, and the first portion is capable of establishing a diameter of a first magnitude and the second portion is capable of establishing a diameter of a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude, and wherein an average base warp yarn density is maintained within a predetermined range in both the first and second portions of the medical prosthesis, while the velour warp yarn density is decreased in the second portion as compared to the first portion of the medical prosthesis. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the velour warp yarn exhibits a float in the first portion and no float or less of a float in the second portion. 14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shifting is accomplished using a warp yarn guide device. 15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the warp yarns pass through gaps in the warp yarn guide device, the spaces are spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between the warp yarns in the first portion of the prosthesis. 16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the medical prosthesis is generally tubular. 17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shifting is incrementally increased or decreased along a longitudinal axis of the graft so as to effect a change in diameter of the prosthesis. 18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a spacing between the base warp yarns in the first portion is within a plus or minus range of 30% of the size of a corresponding spacing between the same base warp yarns in the second portion. 19. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of using at least one of the base warp yarns from the first portion in the second portion as a velour warp yarn and not as part of the base layer of the second portion. 20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the medical prosthesis is woven from a total quantity of warp yarns including base warp yarns and velour warp yarns, the total quantity of the base warp yarns and velour warp yarns is the same for both the first portion and the second portion. 21. A method for manufacturing an implantable medical prosthesis comprising: weaving a tubular prosthesis with at least one weft yarn and a plurality of warp yarns, all or a portion of the warp yarns are woven as base warp yarns, velour warp yarns, or both velour and base warp yarns, and wherein the weaving occurs in a longitudinal direction from a smaller diameter portion to a larger diameter portion while maintaining within a predetermined range an average base warp yarn density while decreasing a velour warp yarn density. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein a quantity of warp yarns is maintained constant during the step of weaving. 23. The method of any of claim 21, wherein during the step of weaving, the total warp yarn density decreases. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of incorporating into the woven base the one or more of the non-base warp yarns through an increase in the frequency of interlacing of the non-base warp yarns along the longitudinal direction of the warp yarns, the non-base warp yarns assume the base weave pattern. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein the weaving of the medical prosthesis occurs in a flat-woven manner between two edges of the medical prosthesis, and the set of warp yarns is located away from and intermediately disposed between the edges of the medical prosthesis. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein between the first end and the second end the set of warp yarns are not cut. 27. The method of claim 21 comprising: sterilizing the medical prosthesis. 28. The method of claim 21 comprising: cutting the tubular prosthesis to form a first end and a second end; wherein between the first end and the second end the plurality of warp yarns are not cut.