Medical slings

• US 6,953,428 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gellman, Barry N., Slanda, Jozef
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/092,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 31, 600/37, 601/153, 128/885, 128/DIG.25
• US Class Current: 600/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06019 by means of a suture-receiving lateral eyelet machined in the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06076 helically or spirally coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06171 helically or spirally coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0019 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0087 colour-coded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

A medical sling made from material that is suitably shaped for use in a medical application has sides, portions of which are smoothed to prevent abrasion of surrounding tissue.

Claims

1. A sling for use in a medical application comprising:

(a) a first end and a second end, the second end being disposed opposite and away from the first end along a longitudinal axis; and

(b) a first side and a second side extending between the first and second ends of the sling and each side having at least one tanged section and at least one non-tanged section.

2. The sling of claim 1, wherein the non-tanged section of the first side and the second side is about 3 cm and is approximately centered relative to the first and second ends.

3. The sling of claim 2, wherein the non-tanged section of the first side and the second side is about 1 cm and is approximately centered relative to the first and second ends.

4. The sling of claim 3, wherein the non-tanged section of the first side and the second side is about 0.5 cm and is approximately centered relative to the first and second ends.

5. The sling of claim 1, wherein the non-tanged section is heat-smoothed.

6. The sling of claim 1, further comprising a visible line extending between the first and second sides and located intermediate to the first and second ends as a visual guide.

7. The sling of claim 1, wherein the material has a substantially rectangular shape.

8. The sling of claim 1, wherein the sling is enclosed at least partially by a sleeve.

9. The sling of claim 1, wherein the non-tanged section of the first and second sides are located substantially opposite to each other.

10. The sling of claim 1, wherein the non-tanged section of both the first and second sides are located approximately at a middle of the sling.

11. A method of making a sling, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a material in a shape suitable for a medical application, the material including

(a) a first end and a second end, the second end being disposed opposite and away from the first end along a longitudinal axis,

(b) a first side and a second side, the second side being disposed opposite and away from the first side by a distance and along a perpendicular axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and that intersects the longitudinal axis at substantially a midpoint thereof, and

(c) tangs projecting from the first and second sides; and

smoothing, rounding or removing the tangs along a section of the first side and the second side to form at least one non-tanged section and at least one tanged section on each side.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said smoothing step is achieved by heat treatment.

13. A method of treating a damaged portion of a patient'"'"'s body using a sling comprising

inserting into a patient at a damaged portion of the patient'"'"'s body a material including:

(a) a first end and a second end, the second end being disposed opposite and away from the first end along a longitudinal axis; and

(b) a first side and a second side extending between the first and second ends of the sling and each side having at least one tanged section and at least one non-tanged section.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein pressure is distributed evenly on the damaged portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the patient suffers from stress urinary incontinence.

16. A method for supporting an anatomical site in a patient, comprising:

introducing a supportive sling into the body of the patient;

positioning a non-tanged section of the sling under the anatomical site; and

positioning at least one tanged section of the sling away from the anatomical site.