Medical slings

• US 7,762,969 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gellman, Barry N., Slanda, Jozef
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US11/159,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 128/885, 128/DIG.25, 600 29- 31
• US Class Current: 602/4
• 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 lateral opening for attaching suture to suture anchor A61B2017/0414
• 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 hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06076 helically or spirally coiled for sutures A61B2017/06171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06171 helically or spirally coiled for needles A61B2017/06076
• 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 method for making a sling for urethral or pelvic organ support comprising:

providing a sling with at least one tanged portion; and

removing the tangs of the tanged portion to make a sling for urethral or pelvic organ support with at least one non-tanged portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sling comprises a synthetic material.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising enclosing a portion of the sling in a sleeve.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sling comprises a bioabsorbable material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sling includes a drug that is released to patient tissues.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one tanged portion remains on the sling after removal of the at least one tanged portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the tangs comprises smoothing or rounding the tangs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein smoothing the tangs is performed by application of heat.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the heat is applied by burning or melting.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sling comprises a first side and a second side and at least one side has at least one non-tanged portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first side and the second side each have at least one non-tanged portion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one side has at least one tanged portion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sling comprises first and second opposing longitudinal edges and first and second opposing lateral edges, the longitudinal edges being longer than the lateral edges, wherein at least one tanged portion is located on a longitudinal edge.

14. A method for increasing urethral sling rigidly comprising:

providing a sling with a first tanged portion; and

removing the tangs of the first tanged portion to increase sling rigidity thereby providing a sling

with at least one non-tanged portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sling comprises a synthetic material.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising enclosing a portion of the sling in a sleeve.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sling comprises a bioabsorbable material.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the sling includes a drug that is released to patient tissues.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one tanged portion remains on the sling after removal of the tangs of the first tanged portion.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein removing the tangs comprises smoothing or rounding the tangs.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein smoothing the tangs is performed by application of heat.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the heat is applied by burning or melting.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the sling comprises a first side and a second side and at least one side has at least one non-tanged portion.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first side and the second side each have at least one non-tanged portion.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one side has at least one tanged portion.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the sling comprises first and second opposing longitudinal edges and first and second opposing lateral edges, the longitudinal edges being longer than the lateral edges, wherein the first tanged portion if located on a longitudinal edge.