Woven fabric with shape memory element strands

1. A biocompatible woven fabric suitable for an implantable medical device comprising shape memory element strands and textile strands aligned in a first direction interlaced with textile strands aligned in a second direction, where at least one of the shape memory element strands aligned in the first direction has at least one float over at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction and at least one float under at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction, wherein the biocompatible woven fabric is adapted to be placed in a vessel and has low porosity and low permeability.

2. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the textile strands comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof.

3. The woven fabric of claim 1 , where the textile strands have a denier between 0.1 denier to 200 denier.

4. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the shape memory element strands are selected from the group consisting of a shape memory polymer, a shape memory metal, and combinations thereof.

5. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the shape memory element strands comprise superelastic nitinol wire.

6. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 5 , where the superelastic nitinol wire has a diameter between 70 μm to 125 μm.

7. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the shape memory element strands in the first direction have at least one float of between six to twelve textile strands in the second direction.

8. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the fabric comprises a primary weave selected from the group consisting of a plain weave, a basket weave, a rep weave, a rib weave, a twill weave, a leno weave, a mock lena weave, a satin weave, a double weave, or a variation thereof.

9. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , where the fabric comprises a tubular double weave.

10. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 1 , further comprising any two or more of the following:

textile strands comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyletrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof;

textile strands comprising a denier between 0.1 denier to 200 denier;

shape memory element strands selected from the group consisting of a shape memory polymer, a shape memory metal, and combinations thereof;

shape memory element strands comprising superelastic nitinol wire having a diameter between 70 μm to about 125 μm;

shape memory element strands in the first direction having at least one float of between six to twelve textile strands in the second direction; and

a primary weave selected from the group consisting of a plain weave, a basket weave, a rep weave, a rib weave, a twill weave, a leno weave, a mock lena weave, a satin weave, a double weave, or a variation thereof.

11. A biocompatible woven tubular stent-graft comprising shape memory element strands aligned in a first direction and polyester strands aligned in the first direction interlaced with textile strands aligned in a second direction; and

a primary weave comprising a tubular double weave;

where at least one of the shape memory element strands has at least one float over at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction and at least one float under at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction, wherein the biocompatible woven tubular stent graft is adapted to be placed in a vessel and has low porosity and low permeability.

12. The biocompatible woven tubular stent-graft of claim 11 , the shape memory element strands comprising a superelastic nitinol wire having a diameter between 70 μm to 125 μm and the textile strands comprising polyester having a denier between microdenier to 200 denier.

13. A biocompatible woven fabric suitable for an implantable medical device comprising shape memory element strands and textile strands aligned in a first direction interlaced with textile strands aligned in a second direction, where at least one of the shape memory element strands aligned in the first direction has at least one float over at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction, and at least one float under at least five textile strands aligned in the second direction, wherein the biocompatible woven fabric is adapted to be placed in the vessel and has low porosity and low permeability, and wherein the shape memory element strands consist of superelastic nitinol.

14. The biocompatible woven fabric of claim 11 , wherein some of shape memory strands are arranged radially in a series about the stent graft at at least one end of the stent graft such that the density of shape memory strands at the at least one end of the stent graft is greater than along a length of the stent graft.