Active suture for the delivery of therapeutic fluids
First Claim
1. An active suture/needle assembly for delivering a fluid supplied under pressure, comprisingan active suture comprisinga braided suture having proximal and distal ends and an outer diameter, said braided suture having a plurality of interstices along at least a portion of its length;
- anda tube having proximal and distal ends and internally coaxial with at least a portion of the braided suture, said tube having one or more openings therein along at least a portion of its length, said tube having an internal passageway ranging from about 75 μ
m to 135 μ
m in diameter for conducting the fluid supplied under pressure via the one or more openings to the plurality of interstices of said braided suture;
a surgical needle attached to the distal end of the braided suture; and
a connector attached to the proximal end of the tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An active suture that can be used for the delivery of therapeutic fluids to the tissue surrounding a wound is disclosed. The active suture may include a connector designed to join a fluid source, such as a syringe, conventional IV delivery system, or infusion pump to an internal passageway that is embedded within a braided suture. The internal passageway may be comprised of a fine polymeric tube and is capable of conducting and emitting a fluid into at least a portion of the braided suture and surrounding tissue. The invention enables delivery of an efficacious volume of drug bearing solution on the order of milliliters per day, provides a high level of fluid delivery rate control enabling the physician to start or stop drug administration at his/her discretion, and offers a means of providing more than one type of medication that may be selected post-surgically in accord with unexpected patient symptoms that may arise.
823 Citations
4 Claims
-
1. An active suture/needle assembly for delivering a fluid supplied under pressure, comprising
an active suture comprising a braided suture having proximal and distal ends and an outer diameter, said braided suture having a plurality of interstices along at least a portion of its length; - and
a tube having proximal and distal ends and internally coaxial with at least a portion of the braided suture, said tube having one or more openings therein along at least a portion of its length, said tube having an internal passageway ranging from about 75 μ
m to 135 μ
m in diameter for conducting the fluid supplied under pressure via the one or more openings to the plurality of interstices of said braided suture;a surgical needle attached to the distal end of the braided suture; and a connector attached to the proximal end of the tube.
- and
-
2. An active suture/needle/fluid source assembly for delivering a fluid, said active suture/needle/fluid source assembly comprising
an active suture comprising a braided suture having proximal and distal ends and an outer diameter, said braided suture having a plurality of interstices along at least a portion of its length; - and
a tube having proximal and distal ends and internally coaxial with at least a portion of the braided suture, said tube having an internal passageway and one or more openings along at least a portion of its length for conducting the fluid to the plurality of interstices of said braided suture; a surgical needle attached to the distal end of the braided suture; a connector attached to the proximal end of the tube; and an external fluid source for supplying fluid under pressure, said external fluid source in fluid communication with said connector, wherein the fluid is supplied to said assembly at a pressure exceeding that which can evolve within said assembly due to capillary or diffusional phenomena. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
- and
Specification