Surgical articles of copolymers of glycolide and .epsilon.-caprolactone and methods of producing the same

• US 4,605,730 A
• Filed: 06/10/1985
• Issued: 08/12/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shalaby, Shalaby W., Jamiolkowski, Dennis D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/743,117
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 528/354, 528/357, 528/358, 525/415
• US Class Current: 528/357
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of glycolic acid or lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/08 Lactones or lactides

Abstract

Novel copolymers of ε-caprolactone and glycolide useful in making surgical articles and particularly surgical sutures having Young'"'"'s modulus of less than 250,000 psi. New and improved polymerization methods for producing the novel ε-caprolactone and glycolide copolymers.

Claims

1. A process for producing a copolymer of glycolide and ε

-caprolactone comprising;

forming a low molecular weight pre-polymer of ε

-caprolactone and glycolide, said pre-polymer comprising more than 50 weight percent of ε

-caprolactone, and being produced at a temperature of below 220°

C., and

adding additional glycolide to said pre-polymer and polymerizing said mixture containing the additional glycolide at a temperature above 140°

C. for a period of time sufficient to produce a conversion to copolymer of at least 80 percent and copolymer having a crystallinity of at least 5 percent.

2. A process according to claim 1 in which the pre-polymer has at least 60 weight percent ε

-caprolactone.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the low molecular weight pre-polymer is produced using metal salt or metal oxide.

4. A process according to claim 2 wherein from about 0.004 to 0.02 weight percent of catalyst is used.

5. A process according to claim 4 wherein the catalyst is stannous octoate.

6. A process according to claim 5 wherein a conversion to copolymer of at least 90 percent is obtained.