TUBULAR STRUCTURE

摘要

A stent having an elongate tubular body (11) formed from a seamless textile fabric having a predefined fabric structure, the tubular body (11) being biased by resilient support means into an erected tubular shape to define a conduit, the support means being in the form of one or more elongated resilient elements (31) anchored to said fabric structure so as to be constrained to extend circumferentially and/or longitudinally about the tubular body (11), the fabric structure including a series of anchorage loops (40) formed on a surface of the fabric, the anchorage (40) loops being spaced circumferentially around and/or longitudinally along the tubular body at predetermined locations to define one or ore predefined paths, said one or more elongate resilient elements (31) being arranged to pass through said anchorage loops (40) so as to be constrained to extend along said one or more predefined paths.