Absorbable polymer blends and surgical articles fabricated therefrom

• US 5,997,568 A
• Filed: 01/17/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Liu, Cheng-Kung
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/784,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 606/228-230, 525/408, 525/415, 528/354, 528/357
• 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 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable or resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of glycolic acid or lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/041 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/125 having a macromolecular matrix
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence

Abstract

Bioabsorbable polymers and copolymers having accelerated mass loss, and more particularly bioabsorbable polymers and/or copolymers blended with particles of bioabsorbable polymers as well as surgical articles made totally or in part therefrom, including both monofilament and multifilament sutures, are provided.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

a blend of bioabsorbable polymers containing a first bioabsorbable polymer and a second bioabsorbable polymer, the first bioabsorbable polymer having a particle size in the range of about 0.05 to 5 microns.

2. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer has a melting point higher than the melting point of the second bioabsorable polymer.

3. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactide, polyglycolide and polylactide-co-glycolide.

4. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the second bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymers of lactide, caprolactone, dioxanone and trimethylene carbonate.

5. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer has a particle size in the range of about 0.1 to about 1 micron.

6. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer comprises about 0.01 to about 1 percent by weight of the composition.

7. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer comprises about 0.05 to about 0.5 percent by weight of the composition.

8. A suture fabricated from the composition of claim 1.

9. A surgical device comprising

a fiber made from a first bioabsorbable polymer blended with a second bioabsorbable polymer, the first bioabsorbable polymer having a particle size in the range of about 0.05 to about 5 microns.

10. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer has a melting point higher than the melting point of the second bioabsorbable polymer.

11. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactide, polyglycolide and polylactide-co-glycolide.

12. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the second bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymers of lactide, caprolactone, dioxanone and trimethylene carbonate.

13. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer has a particle size in the range of about 0.1 to about 1 micron.

14. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer comprises about 0.01 to about 1 percent by weight of the composition.

15. A surgical device as in claim 9 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer comprises about 0.05 to about 0.5 percent by weight of the composition.

16. A method of making a surgical device comprising:

preparing a composition containing a mixture of a first absorbable polymer having a first melting point and a particle size in the range of about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and a second bioabsorbable polymer having a melting point below the melting point of the first bioabsorbable polymer;

heating the composition to a temperature above the melting point of the second absorbable polymer but below the melting point of the first absorbable polymer; and

shaping the treated composition to form a surgical device; and

cooling the composition.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein the shaping step comprises extruding the composition to form a filament.

18. A method as in claim 16 wherein the step of preparing a composition comprises mixing a first bioabsorbable polymer having a particle size in the range of about 0.1 to about 1 micron with pellets of a second bioabsorbable polymer.

19. A method as in claim 16 wherein the step of preparing a composition comprises adding the first absorbable polymer to the second bioabsorbable polymer to produce a mixture containing about 0.01 to about 1 percent by weight of the first bioabsorbable polymer.

20. A method as in claim 16 wherein the first bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactide, polyglycolide and polylactide-co-glycolide and the second bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of homo- and copolymers of lactide, caprolactone, dioxanone, and trimethylene carbonate.

21. A suture prepared in accordance with the method of claim 16.