Biofelt's unique nonwoven structure is said to provide a fibrous matrix platform that enables natural tissue in-growth in surgical applications.

Composed of felt created by a carding and needle punch process, Biofelt is said to provide greater surface area than most other biomedical textiles to bring a different set of benefits to implantables - most notably, the ability to encourage cellular in-growth through specific spacing, layer thickness, and material integrity allows for customized performance and controlled absorption profiles.

Produced from PGA (Polyglycolic Acid), PLLA (Poly L Lactic Acid) and copolymers such as PLGA (co-polylactic acid/glycolic acid), Biofelt can be used as a component of medical devices or surgical systems with the benefit of bio-absorbability.

"Biofelt is a terrific example of how traditional tissue engineering technology and materials can be used in more innovative ways across medical device sectors," said Dean Tulumaris, President and CEO of BMS.

"BMS' commitment to emerging device development has long been one of our strengths, and we dedicate tremendous resources to the engineering of customized solutions to the most difficult and novel device challenges. We are excited to bring our absorbable fibre and design expertise into new and emerging clinical applications with Biofelt."

Biofelt is custom-engineered for individual device requirements and is available in a wide array of densities and thicknesses to allow for application-specific performance. According to BMS, Biofelt has been proven in cardiovascular, orthopaedic and urological tissue regeneration applications and has been utilized in everything from internal wound management to haemostasis (stopping the flow of blood). 

Because Biofelt is made from a nonwoven fabric, it can be produced as flat sheets, discs, tubes and a variety of other geometric shapes with an absorption profile from anywhere from less than 30 days to one year.

BMS says medical device companies rely on it to provide the textile building blocks for their innovative medical devices. From BMS' absorbable Biofelt scaffold to customized felt structures, the company says nonwoven bio-textiles have become the material of choice for many tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

"And thanks to a superior surface area, high void volume, and excellent permeability, they are now increasingly used in a wide variety of restorative applications ranging from orthopaedic reconstruction and wound management to cosmetic surgery," the company says.

Common BMS nonwoven applications include scaffolds for tissue engineering, scaffolds for stem cell applications, dental and cosmetic applications, absorbable additives for cements and hydrogels and high surface area material for trauma applications.