BARBED SUTURE WITH NON-SYMMETRIC BARBS

• US 20090043336A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Yuan, Jie Jenny, Crombie, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,562,644 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 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs

Abstract

A suture including a shaft extending longitudinally along a length of the suture, and a plurality of barbs extending outwardly from said shaft. At least one of the barbs is non-symmetrical about a primary plane extending along the longitudinal length of the suture, and bisecting a distal tip of the barb and a center of the shaft.

Claims

1. A suture comprising:

a shaft extending longitudinally along a length of said suture;

a plurality of barbs extending outwardly from said shaft, wherein at least one of said barbs is non-symmetrical about a primary plane extending along the longitudinal length of the suture, and bisecting a distal tip of the barb and a center of said shaft.

2. The suture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one barb is geometrically non-symmetrical about said primary plane.

3. The suture according to claim 2, wherein the at least one barb includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, wherein the first and second portions are comprised of the same material, and wherein the first portion has less mass than the second portion.

4. The suture according to claim 2, wherein the at least one barb includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein only the first portion has a recess therein.

5. The suture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one barb includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein at least one external element is coupled to and extends between the first or second portion and the suture shaft.

6. The suture according to claim 1, where the suture further comprises at least a first set of barbs spaced apart longitudinally along said shaft, and wherein at least one external element is coupled to and extends between a first side of one of said first set of barbs to a second side of a second one of said first set of barbs.

7. The suture according to claim 1, wherein the at least one barb is physically non-symmetrical about said primary plane.

8. The suture according to claim 7, wherein said physically non-symmetrical barb includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein the first portion is comprised of a first material and the second portion is comprised of a second material.

9. The suture according to claim 7, wherein said physically non-symmetrical barb includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein the first portion is comprised of a different composition of materials than the second portion.

10. A suture comprising:

a suture shaft having a plurality of barbs extending outwardly therefrom, wherein when the suture is not exposed to external forces, each of the plurality of barbs are non-symmetrical about a primary plane, and wherein when the suture is being drawn through tissue by a first end thereof, at least a distal tip of the plurality of barbs moved out of the primary plane.

11. The suture according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of barbs are geometrically non-symmetrical about said primary plane.

12. The suture according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of barbs includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, wherein the first and second portions are comprised of the same material, and wherein the first portion has less mass than the second portion.

13. The suture according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of barbs includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein only the first portion has a recess therein.

14. The suture according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of barbs includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein at least one external element is coupled to and extends between the first or second portion and the suture shaft.

15. The suture according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of barbs is physically non-symmetrical about said primary plane.

16. The suture according to claim 15, wherein said physically non-symmetrical barbs include a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein the first portion is comprised of a first material and the second portion is comprised of a second material.

17. The suture according to claim 16, wherein said physically non-symmetrical barbs includes a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein the first portion is comprised of a different composition of materials than the second portion.