FLATTENED TUBULAR MESH SLING AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20090156893A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bourne, George, Pinchuk, Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0068 having a special mesh pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0028 differing in fibre orientations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The invention generally relates to surgically implantable supportive slings. More specifically, in various embodiments, the invention is directed to multilayer mesh slings formed from a tubular mesh material.

Claims

1. A multilayer implantable mesh sling comprising a tubular mesh material flattened to form a mesh top layer including a first plurality of fibers and a top inner side, and a mesh bottom layer a second plurality of fibers and a bottom inner side, the mesh top inner side being positionally fixed to the mesh bottom inner side, and the first and second pluralities of fibers overlapping non-uniformly.

2. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom inner sides are heat bonded together.

3. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom inner sides are pressure bonded together.

4. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom inner sides are adhesive bonded together.

5. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1 including a middle layer disposed between the top and bottom layers, the middle layer including an agent.

6. The implantable mesh sling of claim 5, wherein the agent is a therapeutic agent.

7. The implantable mesh sling of claim 5, wherein the middle layer is biodegradable.

8. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1 including a plurality of interstitial gaps of at least about 25 μ

m extending through both the top and bottom layers.

9. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1 including a plurality of interstitial gaps of at least about 50 μ

m extending through both the top and bottom layers.

10. The implantable mesh sling of claim 1 including a plurality of interstitial gaps of at least about 75 μ

m extending through both the top and bottom layers.

11. A method for forming a multilayer implantable mesh sling, the method comprising,

providing a tubular mesh material,

flattening the tubular mesh material into a multilayer mesh sling having a top layer and a bottom layer, the top layer including a first plurality of fibers and a top inner side, the bottom layer including a second plurality of fibers and a bottom inner side, the mesh top inner side being positionally fixed to the mesh bottom inner side, and the first and second pluralities of fibers overlapping non-uniformly.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising, applying sufficient pressure to the top and bottom layers to pressure bond the top and bottom inner sides to each other.

13. The method of claim 11 comprising, applying sufficient heat to the top and bottom layers to heat bond the top and bottom inner sides to each other.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising, placing an adhesive between the top and bottom inner sides to bond the top and bottom inner sides to each other.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising, disposing an intermediate material within the tubular mesh material prior to flattening to create a middle layer located between the top and bottom layers of the multilayer sling.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the middle layer includes an agent.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the agent is a therapeutic agent.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the middle layer is biodegradable.

19. The method of claim 11 comprising, providing a plurality of interstitial gaps of at least about 25 μ

m extending through both the top and bottom layers.

20. A multilayer implantable mesh sling comprising a tubular mesh material flattened to form a mesh top layer including a first plurality of fibers and a top inner side, and a mesh bottom layer including a second plurality of fibers and a bottom inner side, the mesh top inner side contacting the mesh bottom inner side, and the first and second pluralities of fibers overlapping non-uniformly.