Bioabsorbable copolymer and coating composition containing same

• US 5,543,218 A
• Filed: 05/15/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Roby, Mark S., Bennett, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Resan, Stevan A.
• Application Number:
  US08/440,855
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 428/375, 428/378, 428/394, 428/395, 424/422, 424/443, 424/423, 528/354, 528/355, 523/105
• US Class Current: 428/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/08 of animal origin, e.g. catgut, collagen
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/145 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/08 Lactones or lactides
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/64 Polyesters containing both carboxylic ester groups and carbonate groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/664 derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments

Abstract

A bioabsorbable copolymer is obtained from the polymerization of a major amount of ε-caprolactone and a minor amount of at least one other copolymerizable monomer in the presence of a polyhydric alcohol initiator. The copolymer is useful, inter alia, as a coating for a surgical suture.

Claims

1. A surgical suture coated with a coating composition comprising a branched or star shaped bioabsorbable copolymer obtained by polymerizing a major amount of ε

-caprolactone and a minor amount of at least one other copolymerizable monomer in the presence of polyhydric alcohol having 3 or more hydroxy groups as initiator, said suture exhibiting a mean force for achieving knot run down which is less than that exhibited by a suture coated with a coating composition which is obtained in the same manner but with a dihydric alcohol as initiator.

2. The surgical suture of claim 1 which is a bioabsorbable braided suture.

3. The suture of claim 1 wherein the other copolymerizable monomer is selected from the group consisting of glycolide, lactide, p-dioxanone and trimethylene carbonate.

4. The suture of claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol initiator is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, trimethylolpropane, 1,2,4-butanetriol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, triethanolamine, triisopropanolamine, erythritol, threitol, pentaerythritol, ribitol, arabinitol, xylitol, N,N, N'"'"', N'"'"'-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, N,N,N'"'"',N'"'"'-tetrakis(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine, dipentaerythritol, allitol, dulcitol, glucitol, altritol, iditol, sorbitol, mannitol and inositol.

5. The suture of claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains from about 70 to about 98 weight percent ε

-caprolactone-derived units, the balance of the copolymer being derived from the other copolymerizable monomer(s).

6. The suture of claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains from about 80 to about 95 weight percent ε

-caprolactone-derived units, the balance of the copolymer being derived from the other copolymerizable monomer(s).

7. The suture of claim 1 wherein the copolymer possesses an inherent viscosity from about 0.10 to about 0.60 dl/g when measured in chloroform at a concentration of 0.2500 g/dl at 30°

C.

8. The suture of claim 1 wherein the copolymer possesses an inherent viscosity from about 0.20 to about 0.50 dl/g when measured in chloroform at a concentration of 0.2500 g/dl at 30°

C.

9. The suture of claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol initiator is employed in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of the total monomer mixture.

10. The suture of claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol initiator is employed in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 2 weight percent of the total monomer mixture.

11. The suture of claim 1 wherein the coating composition is applied to a suture at a level of from about 0.2 to about 4 weight percent of the entire coated suture.

12. The suture of claim 1 wherein the coating composition is applied to a suture at a level of from about 0.5 to about 3 weight percent of the entire coated suture.