SELF-RETAINING SUTURES WITH HEAT-CONTACT MEDIATED RETAINERS

• US 20110046668A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
• Inventors: Cummings, Gerald F., Naimagon, Alexander, Drubetsky, Lev, Herrmann, Robert A., Goraltchouk, Alexei
• Granted Patent: US 8,771,313 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 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0619 thermoplastic, e.g. for bonding, welding, fusing or cutting the suture by melting it suture cutters A61B17/0467; ultrasonic cutters A61B17/320068; electrically heated instruments A61B18/08

Abstract

Provided herein are sutures to be used in a procedure applied to tissue, and methods for forming such sutures. A suture can include an elongated suture body and a plurality of heat-contact mediated retainers extending from and along the elongated suture body. The heat-contact mediated retainers can be formed by temporarily contacting the elongated suture body with one or more heated element.

Claims

1. A method of forming a suture to be used in a surgical procedure applied to tissue, comprising:

(a) providing an elongated suture body; and

(b) forming retainers on the elongated suture body by temporarily contacting the elongated suture body with one or more heated element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes:

(b.1) moving at least one of the elongated suture body and a said heated element, relative to one another, so that the said heated element comes in contact with the elongated suture body and melts a portion of the elongated suture body; and

(b.2) moving at least one of the elongate body and the said heated element, relative to one another, so that the said heated element is no longer in contact with the elongated suture body, and so that at least some of the melted portion of the elongated suture body protrudes from the elongated suture body and forms a said retainer when cooled.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporarily contacting of the elongated suture body with the one or more heated element at step (b) is performed such that the retainers are formed at acute angles relative to the suture body and directed toward a first end of the elongated suture body, so that the retainers substantially yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn at a second end of the elongated suture body and resist motion of the elongated suture body within tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn at the first end.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes temporarily contacting the elongated suture body with a plurality heated elements, to thereby form a plurality of the retainers simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least some of the plurality of heated elements are heat conductive elements that extend from a common heat conductive body, and where the heat conductive elements are heated when the heat conductive body is heated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes:

(b.1) moving a said heated element toward the elongated suture body, while the elongated suture body is not moving, so that the said heated element comes in contact with the elongated suture body and melts a portion of the elongated suture body; and

(b.2) moving the said heated element away from the elongated suture body so that the said heated element is no longer in contact with the elongated suture body, and so that at least some of the melted portion of the elongated suture body protrudes from the elongated suture body and forms a said retainer when cooled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes:

(b.1) moving the elongated suture body in a first direction;

(b.2) while the elongated suture body is being moved in the first direction, moving a said heated element toward the elongated suture body in a second direction, that is at an angle relative to the first direction, so that the said heated element comes in contact with the of the elongated suture body and melts a portion of the elongated suture body; and

(b.3) moving the said heated element away from the elongated suture body so that the said heated element is no longer in contact with the elongated suture body, and so that at least some of the melted portion of the elongated suture body protrudes from the elongated suture body and forms a said retainer when cooled.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second direction is generally perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second direction is at an obtuse angle or an acute angle relative to the first direction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes controlling the speed and/or acceleration at which the heated element comes in contact with the elongated suture body and/or the speed and/or the acceleration at with the heated element is withdrawn to affect a shape and/or size of the retainer formed using the heated element.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes controlling a duration of contact between the heated element and the elongated suture body to affect a shape and/or size of the retainer formed using the heated element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes controlling a pressure at which the heated element comes in contact with the elongated suture body to affect a shape and/or size of the retainer formed using the heated element.

13. The method of claim 1, includes controlling a temperature of the heated element to affect a shape and/or size of the retainer formed using the heated element.

14. A method of forming a suture to be used in a surgical procedure applied to tissue, comprising:

providing an elongated suture body;

engaging the elongated suture body with a heated element to melt a portion of the elongated suture body; and

disengaging the heated element from the elongated suture body so that a molten portion of the body protrudes and forms a retainer when cooled.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the elongated suture body comprises multiple filaments that are braided, twisted, or woven together.

16. A suture that can be used a procedure applied to tissue, comprising:

an elongated suture body; and

a plurality of heat-contact mediated retainers arranged along at least a portion of the elongated suture body.

17. The suture of claim 16, wherein the heat-contact mediated retainers are formed of heated and reformed portions of the elongated suture body.

18. The suture of claim 16, wherein:

the heat-contact mediated retainers substantially yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn in a first direction and resist motion of the elongated suture body in a second direction opposite the first direction.

19. The suture of claim 16, wherein the elongated suture body comprises multiple filaments that are braided, twisted, or woven together.

20. The suture of claim 16, wherein:

the elongated suture body includes first and second longitudinal portions;

a first group of the heat-contact mediated retainers extend from the first longitudinal portion substantially yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn in a first direction and resist motion of the elongated suture body in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

a second group of the heat-contact mediated retainers extend from the second longitudinal portion and substantially yield to motion of the elongated suture body within the tissue when the elongated suture body is drawn in the second direction and resist motion of the elongated suture body in the first direction.

21-22. -22. (canceled)