Coated gut suture

• US 5,925,065 A
• Filed: 11/05/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• 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., Totakura, Nagabhushanam
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US08/744,115
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 606/230, 606/231
• US Class Current: 606/229
• 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: C09D 167/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C09D167/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A coated gut suture is prepared by applying a moisture-retaining substance to the gut suture, followed by coating the suture with a synthetic bioabsorbable polymer. A particularly useful moisture-retaining substance is glycerol. The synthetic bioabsorbable polymer contains a epsilon-caprolactone as the major constituent. The gut suture can be packed in the absence of conventional tubing fluid while retaining flexibility, pliability, and resistance to fray.

Claims

1. A surgical suture comprising:

a) a strand of collagenous material treated with a moisture-retaining substance; and

(b) a synthetic bioabsorbable polymer coating on the treated strand.

2. The surgical suture of claim 1 wherein the moisture-retaining substance is a material selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, fatty acid alcohols, fatty acid esters, fatty acid ethers, poly (alkylene oxides), and triethyl citrate.

3. The surgical suture of claim 1 wherein the moisture-retaining substance is glycerol.

4. The surgical suture of claim 1 wherein the synthetic bioabsorbable polymer contains units of epsilon-caprolactone.

5. The surgical suture of claim 1 wherein the synthetic bioabsorbable polymer is a copolymer of a major amount of epsilon-caprolactone and a minor amount of monomer units selected from the group consisting of glycolide, lactide, p-dioxanone, and trimethylene carbonate.

6. The surgical suture of claim 1 wherein the moisture-retaining substance is glycerol and the synthetic bioabsorbable coating comprises a copolymer of about 10% glycolide units and 90% epsilon-caprolactone units.

7. A gut suture comprising a strand of collagenous material having a coating of a synthetic bioabsorbable polymer, the suture exhibiting no visible fraying after more than about 5 overhand knots are run down the suture.