High-strength suture

• US 20050277985A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Medical Incorporated (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teleflex Medical Incorporated (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Faris, David T., Warfield, Frances, Wert, Zachary D., Masso, Debra
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/228
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06185 hollow or tubular hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/04 Sutures

Abstract

A surgical suture is made of an elongate, hollow braid of high strength fibers. The braid defines an elongate, longitudinally-extending, central chamber that is open and without any core material extending therein so that, when a surgeon'"'"'s knot is tied with the suture, the cross-sectional shape of the braid collapses upon itself and is reduced in size in response to pressures experienced when the knot is tightened thereby producing a low profile knot that resists slippage. Preferably, the braid is of a size corresponding to a USP size 5-0 to USP size 7 suture and has one or more, preferably a pair, of color contrasting monofilaments woven therein to enhance suture visibility. Methods of making a flattened suture and of utilizing the high strength suture to maintain body tissues in an engaged position to promote healing are also provided.

Claims

1. A surgical suture comprising an elongate woven braid of fibers including ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, said braid of fibers being hollow and defining an elongate, longitudinally-extending, open central chamber without a core material extending therein, said chamber being sufficiently large to enable a cross-sectional shape of said braid of fibers to collapse in response to pressures experienced when the suture is knotted to permit the formation of low profile knots that resist slippage.

2. A surgical suture according to claim 1, wherein said braid has a flattened cross-sectional shape.

3. A surgical suture according to claim 1, wherein said braid is of a size corresponding to a USP size 5-0 to USP size 7 suture.

4. A surgical suture according to claim 3, wherein said braid, when positioned in a circular cross-sectional shape, has a diameter of at least 0.5 mm and less than 1.0 mm.

5. A surgical suture according to claim 1, wherein said braid of fibers includes at least one strand of a color-contrasting monofilament of a color different from that of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

6. A surgical suture according to claim 5, wherein said color-contrasting monofilament is a color-extruded monofilament of polypropylene or polydioxanone and is woven with said plurality of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers to form said braid of fibers.

7. A surgical suture according to claim 5, wherein at least 75% of said fibers of said braid are said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

8. A surgical suture according to claim 5, wherein at least 90% of said fibers of said braid are said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

9. A surgical suture according to claim 5, wherein no more than 25% of said fibers of said braid are made of said color-contrasting monofilament.

10. A surgical suture according to claim 9, wherein said braid of fibers includes no more that a pair of strands of said color-contrasting monofilament with a remainder of said fibers in said braid consisting of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

11. A surgical suture comprising an elongate woven braid of fibers corresponding to a USP size 5-0 to USP size 7 suture, said braid having 8 to 32 fibers braided together at about 50 to about 70 pics per inch, at least 75% of said fibers of said braid being ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, said braid of fibers being hollow and defining an elongate, longitudinally-extending, central chamber without a core material extending therein, said chamber enabling a cross sectional shape of said braid to change in response to pressures experienced when the suture is knotted to permit the formation of low profile knots that resist slippage.

12. A surgical suture according to claim 11, wherein said braid has a flattened cross-sectional shape.

13. A surgical suture according to claim 12, wherein said denier of each of said fibers is no greater than about 110 denier.

14. A surgical suture according to claim 13, wherein said braid of fibers includes at least one strand of a color-contrasting monofilament of a color different from that of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

15. A surgical suture according to claim 14, wherein said color-contrasting monofilament is a color-extruded monofilament of polypropylene or polydioxanone.

16. A surgical suture according to claim 15, wherein said braid of fibers includes a pair of opposed strands of said color-contrasting monofilament with a remainder of said fibers in said braid consisting of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

17. A method of manufacturing a surgical suture, comprising the steps of:

braiding about 8 to 32 fibers together at about 50 to 70 pics per inch to form an elongate woven hollow braid of fibers corresponding in size to a USP size 5-0 to USP size 7 suture that defines an elongate, longitudinally-extending, open central chamber without a core material extending therein, at least 75% of said fibers of said braid being ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber; and

flattening said hollow braid of fibers to produce a hollow braided suture having a flattened shape, said flattened shape and said chamber enabling said suture to be used to form low profile knots that resist slippage.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said hollow braid of fibers is flattened by passing said hollow braid of fibers about a series of rollers.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein said denier of each of said fibers is no greater than about 110 denier.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein said braid of fibers includes at least one strand of a color-contrasting monofilament of a color different from that of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said braid of fibers includes a pair of opposed strands of said color-contrasting monofilament with a remainder of said fibers in said braid consisting of said ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, and wherein said pair of color-contrasting monofilaments are color-extruded monofilaments of polypropylene or polydioxanone.

22. A method for maintaining body tissues in an engaged manner to promote healing comprising the steps of utilizing a USP size 5-0 to USP size 7 suture to stitch said body tissues together and tying a knot with said suture to hold said body tissues together for at least a predetermined period of time, said suture being an elongate woven braid of fibers including ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, said braid of fibers being hollow and having an elongate, longitudinally-extending, open central chamber without a core material extending therein so that, during said tying step, a cross sectional shape of said braid changes in response to pressures experienced during knotting so that said knot is a low profile knot that resists slippage.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said braid of fibers has a flattened cross-sectional shape.