Modified tissue securement fibers

• US 10,470,760 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rousseau, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lynch, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US13/314,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,896 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06 Needles ; Sutures; Needle-suture combinations; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials puncturing needles A61B17/34; hypodermic needles A61M5/32 ; sewing needles D05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/04 Non-resorbable materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of glycolic acid or lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/02 not modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/12 containing fluorine atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 77/00 Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain of polyhydrazides C08L79/06; of polyamideimides or polyamide acids C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers

Abstract

Tissue securement fibers of reduced cross sectional area and methods of making them are disclosed. The fibers comprising reduced cross sectional areas provide higher degrees of flexibility by providing discrete bending zones most useful in applications when the fiber is bent at an included angle less than 180°, more particularly when the included angle is less than 90°.

Claims

1. A monolithic tissue securement fiber comprising:

at least two sections having a first cross sectional area and each section having first lengths that may be the same or not;

at least one section having a second cross sectional area and a second length; and

transition sections between the at least two sections having a first cross sectional area and the at least one section having a second cross sectional area,

wherein the second cross sectional area is less than the first cross sectional area and the at least one section having the second cross sectional area is intermediate to the at least two sections having the first cross sectional area and wherein the transition sections from the at least two sections having a first cross sectional area to the at least one section having a second cross sectional area is a transition of continuous reduction in cross sectional area with the reduced cross sectional area having a continuous perimeter and wherein the second length is shorter than any of the first lengths.

2. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the at least one section having the second cross sectional area further comprises an arc.

3. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the at least one section having the second cross sectional area further comprises an indentation.

4. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first cross sectional area to the second cross sectional area ranges from 4:

1 to 10;

1.

5. The fiber of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first cross sectional area to the second cross sectional area ranges from 6:

1 to 9;

1.

6. The fiber of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first cross sectional area to the second cross sectional area is 9:

1.

7. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber is comprised of a combination of a bioabsorbable and non-bioabsorbable materials.

8. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber is comprised of a biocompatible polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, fluoropolymers, polyaryletherketones, polyolefins, and combinations thereof.

9. The fiber of claim 8 wherein the polyamide is selected from the group consisting of polyhexamethylene adipamide (nylon 66), polyhexamethylene sebacamide (nylon 610), polycapramide (nylon 6), polydodecanamide (nylon 12), polyhexamethylene isophthalamide (nylon 61), and combinations thereof.

10. The fiber of claim 8, wherein the polyester is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polybutyl terephthalate, and combinations thereof.

11. The fiber of claim 8 wherein the fluoropolymer is selected form the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly (hexafluoropropylene-VDF) and combinations thereof.

12. The fiber of claim 8, wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, isotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, and combinations thereof, and combinations of predominately isotactic or syndiotactic polypropylene with heterotactic polypropylene and/or polyethylene.

13. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber is comprised of a bioabsorbable polymer selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyesters, alkyl derivatives of trimethylene carbonate, δ

-valerolactone, β

-butyrolactone, γ

-butyrolactone, ε

-decalactone, hydroxybutyrate, hydroxyvalerate, 1,4-dioxepan-2-one (including its dimer 1,5,8,12-tetraoxacyclotetradecane-7,14-dione), 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, 6,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxan-2-one and polymer blends thereof.

14. The fiber of claim 13, wherein the aliphatic polymer is selected from the group consisting homopolymers and copolymers of lactic acid, d- l- and meso lactide, glycolide, glycolic acid, ε

-caprolactone, p-dioxanone (1,4-dioxan-2-one), trimethylene carbonate (1,3-dioxan-2-one), and combinations thereof.

15. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber is poly (hexafluoropropylene-VDF) or polypropylene.