At Integer we are considered experts in the development of medical textiles. For over eighteen years, we have been supplying fabrics as components & finished medical devices to medical device companies all over the world. We offer a full suite of knitting, braiding and weaving capabilities, and routinely work with implantable polymers & resorbable biomaterials.
At Integer, what differentiates us to our competitors is our extensive post-processing technologies and know-how. Where other manufacturers may supply a greige fabric or off-the-shelf-material, we are able to provide you with an implantable fabric in its final form, supporting your upstream assembly requirements and streamlining your supply chain.
Below, we have outlined the most common fabric finishing technologies we offer, and why companies use Integer as their preferred medical textile manufacturer.
Should you be at the beginning of your development project and unsure about which textile configuration is best suited to your application, you can learn more about each below.
Fabric Integration
Additional conversion processes can also enable integration of multiple material forms, including
medical textile with non-woven fabrics, such as nitinol wire, electrospun materials or elastomeric
films/ coatings.
Trimming
Integer has a number of techniques for trimming medical fabric, such as mechanical cutting or a hot knife. Many fabrics are laser micro-machined for dimensional accuracy, which also cauterizes the edges to inhibit fraying.
Fabric Assembly
Integer has extensive know-how in the suturing of implantable medical textiles. Sewing and embroidery are employed to join fabrics together or to attach fabric to other components.
Ultrasonic Welding
As an alternative to suturing, Integer utilizes ultrasonic welding as a method of fusing fabrics. The tooling design focuses the ultrasonic energy to produce the desired melt zone, providing a precise and repeatable pattern. We can offer ultrasonic welding of complex shapes and geometries. Our expertise in this area allows us to apply ultrasonic welding to larger surface areas, differentiating us from our competitors. Our state-of-the-art equipment also allows for precision to a micron level.