Surgical fastener made from glycolide-rich polymer blends

• US 4,741,337 A
• Filed: 07/17/1985
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shalaby, Shalaby W., Jamiolkowski, Dennis D., Smith, Carl R., Newman, Hugh D. Jr., Gaterud, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PREBILIC, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US06/755,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334 C, 128/334 R, 128/325, 128/326, 128/335.5, 128/92 R, 128/92 BB, 128/346, 128/337, 227/DIG. 1, 525/410, 525/415, 528/354, 604/891
• US Class Current: 606/220
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/041 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A surgical fastener is made from a glycolide-rich blend of polymers.

Claims

1. A surgical fastener comprising a blend of at least two polymers, one of said polymers being polyglycolide homopolymer or a copolymer containing at least about 90 mole percent polymerized glycolide, the other of said polymers being polyactide homopolymer or a copolymer containing at least about 85 mole percent polymerized lactide, with the overall blend containing from about 65 to about 85 weight percent polymerized glycolide, the remainder being polymerized lactide, wherein the fastener comprising said blend is non-palpable after six to ten weeks in vivo.

2. The surgical fastener of claim 1 in the form of a surgical staple comprising:

(a) a staple member including a base member and at least one leg member terminating in a pointed free end, said leg member extending substantially perpendicularly from said base member; and

(b) receiving member including at least one aperture arranged and constructed to receive and retain the free end of said leg member,

wherein said staple member comprises a blend of at least two polymers, one of said polymers being polyglycolide homopolymer or a copolymer containing at least about 90 mole percent polymerized glycolide, the other of said polymers being polylactide homopolyme or a copolyme containing at least about 85 mole percent polymerized lactide, with the overall blend containing from about 65 to about 85 weight percent polymerized glycolide, the remainder being polymerized lactide, and wherein said receiving member is an absorbable polymer, wherein the surgical staple has a measurable separation strength three weeks after implantation, and wherein the staple member is non-palpable six to ten weeks after implantation.

3. The surgical fastener of claim 2 wherein said absorbable polymer in said receiving member is poly(p-dioxanone).

4. The surgical fastener of claim 2 wherein said blend contains about 65 to 85 weight per cent polyglycolide homopolymer, the remainder being polylactide homopolymer.

5. The surgical fastener of claim 3 wherein said blend contains from about 65 to 85 weight per cent polyglycolide homopolymer, the remainder being polylactide homopolymer.

6. The surgical fastener of claim 1 in the form of a hemostatic ligating clip.

7. The surgical fastener of claim 1 in the form of an anastomotic coupler.

8. The surgical fastener of claim 1 in the form of a fascia closure.