Knitted vs. Woven Textiles for Cardiovascular Applications

Biomedical textiles play a critical role in the development of vascular and structural heart devices, offering tailored mechanical properties, controlled porosity, and biocompatibility to enhance device performance. Among these, woven and knitted fabrics provide distinct advantages depending on the specific application. Understanding the structural and functional differences between these textile types is essential when selecting the optimal material for cardiovascular implants. Confluent’s expertise in biomedical textiles ensures that device manufacturers can integrate the most effective solution into their designs, optimizing performance and long-term durability.

Properties of Woven Textiles

Woven textiles are constructed using two orthogonally interlaced yarn systems, resulting in a low-profile fabric with high tensile strength and dimensional stability. This rigid structure enables excellent mechanical reinforcement while allowing porosity to be precisely engineered to control permeability, making wovens ideal for applications requiring a robust blood barrier or a targeted biological response. The reduced elasticity of woven fabrics minimizes deformation under load, which is particularly advantageous in applications such as stent grafts and heart valve skirts, where maintaining structural integrity is critical. Additionally, woven textiles can be designed with specific surface topographies to modulate endothelialization and improve long-term biocompatibility.

Properties of Knitted Textiles

Unlike woven fabrics, knitted textiles are composed of interlocking loops, creating a more flexible and conformable structure with higher elasticity. This inherent elasticity allows knitted fabrics to accommodate dynamic anatomical movements, making them well-suited for applications where flexibility and compliance are paramount. The defined pore size and surface texture of knitted textiles promote controlled tissue ingrowth, enhancing integration with native tissue and reducing the risk of thrombosis or foreign body response. These properties make knits particularly advantageous for conformal device covers, vascular grafts, and scaffolds designed to support biological remodeling.

Choosing the Right Textile for Cardiovascular Devices

Both woven and knitted textiles serve as foundational components in vascular and structural heart devices, with material selection depending on the mechanical, biological, and functional requirements of the application. Confluent Medical Technologies offers a comprehensive range of biomedical textile solutions, leveraging decades of expertise in textile engineering to support the development of next-generation cardiovascular implants.

Through our vertically integrated supply chain—which includes advanced Nitinol component manufacturing and delivery device fabrication—Confluent ensures seamless integration of textiles into complex medical devices. Our deep understanding of material science, regulatory requirements, and device performance optimization makes us the trusted partner for bringing innovative cardiovascular solutions to market.