FIGURE 1.

(A) Electrochemically compacted collagen threads on a spool (≈100 μm diameter). Two such threads were twisted as yarns. (B, C) Using a two axes controlled computer numeric controlled machine, yarns were wound as slings using filament winding in the pattern depicted by this schema (also see Figure S1). (D) Macrographs of filament wound slings demonstrated a diamond shape pore that was spaced about 1.5 mm apart at the equator (E) and made an angle of about 15° with the horizontal. (F) The full length of genipin-crosslinked collagen sling. The color turned dark blue after crosslinked with genipin solution for 3 days. (G) Collagen segment was grafted with polypropylene wings (refer to Figure S2 for fabrication of PP-wings). Wings were overlapped with a collagen segment by 5 mm at both ends and adhered to by polylactic acid dissolved in chloroform. The color of collagen sling turned yellow brownish after sterilizing in peracetic acid/ethanol solution. Polypropylene wings were used as a leader to place the collagen sling surgically, following which most wings were snipped at the abdomen. Otherwise, PP-wings were distantly positioned to the region of interest, that is, the mid-urethra.