SYSTEM FOR CUTTING A SUTURE TO CREATE TISSUE RETAINERS OF A DESIRED SHAPE AND SIZE

• US 20100313723A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Quill Medical, Inc. (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Robert C. III, Jewett, Warren, Genova, Perry
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/78
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/068 Shaving, skiving or scarifying for forming lifted portions, e.g. slices or barbs, on the surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/08 Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/20 Fence barb making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/02 Other than completely through work thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0333 Scoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0341 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0385 Rotary scoring blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/202 With product handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4607 With rotary work-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/896 Rotatable wound package supply

Abstract

A system for manufacturing self-retaining suture is disclosed. The system includes a cutting bed for creating and supporting a suture during cutting of tissue-grasping elements at different angular positions. A cutting device is moved through the suture thread along a path which can include longitudinal, transverse, oscillating and depth components to create a desired tissue-grasping element on the surface of the suture. The path of the cutting device and the rotation of the suture relative to the cutting device are controlled so that a plurality of angularly-displaced tissue-grasping elements can be created on the suture.

Claims

1. An apparatus for creating tissue-grasping elements on a suture having a longitudinal axis comprising:

a cutting bed adapted and configured to support a suture thread at a cutting position;

a cutting device, the cutting device having a mechanically-constrained path along which the cutting device moves, the mechanically-constrained path selected such that the cutting device passes through a suture supported by the cutting bed at the cutting position to cut a tissue-grasping element having a desired configuration; and

means for rotating the suture thread between operations of the cutting device whereby the apparatus is adapted to create a plurality of angled cuts of the desired configuration, at a plurality of angularly displaced positions on the suture thread.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanically-constrained path includes at least two of,

a transverse x-axis component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread,

a longitudinal y-axis component parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread, and

a depth z-axis component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread and the transverse x-axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanically-constrained path includes an oscillating component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting device is a single blade.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting device includes a plurality of blades adapted to create a plurality of tissue-grasping elements of the desired configuration spaced at intervals along the longitudinal axis of the suture.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for rotating the suture thread is also adapted to twist the suture prior to cutting.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting bed comprises a cutting vise adapted to secure the suture to the cutting bed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting bed comprises a channel sized to receive a longitudinal segment of the suture and stabilize the suture during cutting of a tissue-grasping element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a template which constrains the cutting device to move along the mechanically-constrained path.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a selectable template which constrains the cutting device to move along a selected mechanically-constrained path.

11. An apparatus for creating angled cuts of a desired configuration on a suture having a longitudinal axis comprising:

a cutting bed adapted and configured to support a suture thread at a cutting position;

a cutting device, the cutting device having a preselected path along which the cutting device moves, the preselected path selected such that the cutting device passes through a suture thread supported by the cutting bed at the cutting position to create an angled cut having the desired configuration; and

a support adapted to hold the suture, which support is rotatable in order to rotate the suture around the longitudinal axis whereby a plurality of tissue-grasping elements having the desired configuration can be created by the cutting device at a plurality of angularly displaced positions on the suture.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the preselected path includes at least two of:

a transverse x-axis component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread;

a longitudinal y-axis component parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread;

a depth z-axis component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suture thread and the transverse x-axis; and

an oscillating component.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the preselected path includes an oscillating component.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cutting device is a single blade.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cutting device includes a plurality of blades adapted to create a plurality of angled cuts of the desired configuration spaced at intervals along the suture thread.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support is also adapted to hold the suture thread in a twisted configuration for cutting.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cutting bed comprises a cutting vise adapted to secure the suture thread to the cutting bed during cutting of an angled cut.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cutting bed comprises a channel sized to receive a longitudinal segment of the suture thread and stabilize the suture thread during cutting of an angled cut.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cutting device is mechanically-constrained to move along the preselected path.

20. An apparatus for creating tissue-grasping elements on a suture thread having a longitudinal axis comprising:

a cutting vise adapted and configured to support a suture thread at a cutting position;

a cutting device, the cutting device having a preselected path along which the cutting device moves, the preselected path selected such that the cutting device passes through a suture supported by the cutting bed at the cutting position to cut a tissue-grasping element having a desired configuration; and

a support adapted to hold the suture thread, which support is rotatable in order to rotate the suture thread around the longitudinal axis whereby a plurality of tissue-grasping elements having the desired configuration can be created by the cutting device at a plurality of angularly displaced positions on the suture thread.