Biomedical Structures LLC (BMS), a developer of biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, today announced the expansion of its facilities for medical textile development and manufacturing. The expansion includes a 10,000 sq.-foot addition, which will support the engineering center for new product development, and a significant increase in total cleanrooms for biomedical textile development. BMS has complemented this expanded capacity with the appointment of medical device industry veteran Jonathan Howe to vice president of research and development.

New ultrasonic and roll-to-roll triple cleaning capabilities are part of the expanded cleanroom space, which triples BMS’ 2011 total. BMS has also increased weaving capacity with advanced equipment to accommodate demand for vascular grafts, synthetic tendons and orthopedic tissue repair, and other woven textile structures. Howe will bring more than 15 years of experience developing solutions for the spine, sports medicine, and interventional cardiovascular markets to help BMS meet the precise performance requirements of these device textiles.

Prior to joining BMS, Howe was the former director of research and development at DePuy Spine, where he activated, developed and led a global product portfolio designed to grow DePuy Spine’s market share, including the invention of lumbar spine and cervical interbody devices. He has also served as the director of new product development for DePuy Mitek, a soft tissue repair/sports medicine device company, and as a product development engineer at Cordis, where he specialized in cardiovascular and neurovascular implants. Howe holds numerous patents and has launched dozens of products and product development programs. He received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his MS in Mechanical Engineering and MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“BMS is thrilled to welcome Jonathan Howe to our R&D team,” said BMS CEO Dean Tulumaris. “We are experiencing a tremendous demand for our biomedical textiles for increasingly sophisticated solutions across the orthopedic and cardiovascular markets. Jonathan’s track record of device development and innovative engineering approach are a great fit for our customers’ needs as they continue to evolve.”

BMS offers expertise in knitting, braiding, weaving, nonwovens, and composites, and utilizes a broad offering of biocompatible absorbable and non-absorbable materials in devices, drug delivery and surgical systems for advanced applications such as bifurcated stent grafts, tapered tendon and ligament repair structures, heart valve solutions, and more.