Method of forming barbs on a suture and apparatus for performing same

• US 7,913,365 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Quill Medical, Inc. (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Robert C. III, Genova, Perry A., Jewett, Warren, Megaro, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; John C
• Application Number:
  US11/691,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 29/71, 29/72, 264/165, 836/51, 606/228, 606/215, 606/224, 606/216
• US Class Current: 29/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/068 Shaving, skiving or scarifying for forming lifted portions, e.g. slices or barbs, on the surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/08 Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/20 Fence barb making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/02 Other than completely through work thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0333 Scoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0341 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0385 Rotary scoring blade
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/202 With product handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4607 With rotary work-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/896 Rotatable wound package supply

Abstract

A method of making a barbed suture by varying the blade geometry and/or the movement of the blade when cutting a suture is disclosed. The method can also be accomplished with a cutting device to create a plurality of barbs on the exterior of surgical suture. The barbs produced using the method with the cutting device can be the same or random configurations.

Claims

1. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a lateral x-axis, a forward y-axis, and a downward z-axis;

providing a cutting blade;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along the x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion, with the blade having motion at least along the x-axis; and

providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb;

wherein the blade motion and blade geometry each cause the cutting in at least one of the x-, y-, and z-axes.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the blade geometry causes the cutting action along the y and z axes with the blade motion causing the cutting action along the x-axis.

3. The method as described in claim 2 which includes the further step of providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along one axis with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining two axes.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the y-axis is the longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90°

with respect to the x-axis.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the blade geometry causes the cutting action along the z-axis with the blade motion causing the cutting action along the x and y axes.

7. The method as described in claim 6 which includes the further step of providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising a step of providing a securing means for securing the suture for cutting.

9. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of rotating said suture about its longitudinal axis before or after cutting.

10. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of articulating said cutting blade.

11. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of advancing said suture along its longitudinal axis before or after cutting.

12. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of cutting a plurality of barbs, wherein the barbs are of varying sizes.

13. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis prior to cutting.

14. The method as described in claim 13 which includes the further step of untwisting said suture after cutting.

15. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is selected from the group consisting of an articulating blade, a reciprocating blade, a rotating blade, and a hollow ground blade.

16. The method as described in claim 15, wherein when the blade is a hollow ground blade, the blade has a concave face.

17. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of providing a cutting template for directing the motion of the blade.

18. The method as described in claim 1 which includes the further step of providing a solenoid as a means for moving the blade.

19. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the solenoid comprises a linear solenoid.

20. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the solenoid comprises a rotary solenoid.

21. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a lateral x-axis, a forward y-axis, and a downward z-axis;

providing a cutting blade, wherein said cutting blade is selected from the group consisting of an articulating blade, a reciprocating blade, a rotating blade, and a hollow ground blade;

twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along the x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and

providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb.

22. The method as described in claim 21, wherein when the blade is a hollow ground blade, the blade has a concave face.

23. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a lateral x-axis, a forward y-axis, and a downward z-axis;

providing a cutting blade;

twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting;

providing a cutting template for directing the motion of the blade;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along the x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and

providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb.

24. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a lateral x-axis, a forward y-axis, and a downward z-axis;

providing a cutting blade;

twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along the x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and

providing a solenoid operatively connected to the blade for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb.

25. The method as described in claim 24, wherein the solenoid comprises a linear solenoid.

26. The method as described in claim 24, wherein the solenoid comprises a rotary solenoid.

27. A method of cutting a barb on a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a longitudinal axis;

twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis;

providing a cutting blade, wherein said cutting blade is selected from the group consisting of an articulating blade, a reciprocating blade, a rotating blade, and a hollow ground blade; and

cutting a barb with said blade on said suture when in its twisted state.

28. The method as described in claim 27, wherein when the blade is a hollow ground blade, the blade has a concave face.

29. A method of cutting a barb on a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a longitudinal axis;

twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis;

providing a cutting blade;

providing a cutting template for directing the motion of the blade; and

cutting a barb with said blade on said suture when in its twisted state.

30. A method of cutting a barb on a suture, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a longitudinal axis;

twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis;

providing a cutting blade;

providing a solenoid operatively connected to the blade for moving the blade; and

cutting a barb with said blade on said suture when in its twisted state.

31. The method as described in claim 30, wherein the solenoid comprises a linear solenoid.

32. The method as described in claim 30, wherein the solenoid comprises a rotary solenoid.

33. A twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by a process comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having x-y-z axes;

providing a cutting blade;

twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along the x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and

providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb.

34. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.

35. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the y-axis is the longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90°

with respect to the x-axis.

36. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 35 wherein the blade geometry causes the cutting action along the y and z axes with the blade motion causing the cutting action along the x-axis.

37. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 36, wherein the process includes the further step of providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.

38. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along one axis with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining two axes.

39. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the y-axis is the longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90°

with respect to the x-axis.

40. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 39 wherein the blade geometry causes the cutting action along the z-axis with the blade motion causing the cutting action along the x and y axes.

41. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 40 wherein the process includes the further step of providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.

42. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33, wherein the process further comprises a step of providing a securing means for securing the suture for cutting.

43. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 42, wherein said securing means provides for relative rotation as between the suture and the cutting blade.

44. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the process includes the further step of rotating said suture about its longitudinal axis before or after cutting.

45. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the process includes the further step of articulating said cutting blade.

46. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 33 wherein the process includes the further step of advancing said suture along its longitudinal axis before or after cutting.

47. A twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by a process comprising the steps of:

providing a suture having a longitudinal axis;

twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis; and

cutting a barb on said suture when in its twisted state.

48. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process in accordance with claim 47 wherein the process includes the further step of cutting a plurality of barbs on said suture when in its twisted state.

49. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process in accordance with claim 47 wherein the process includes the further step of advancing said suture along its longitudinal axis before or after cutting.

50. A twist-cut spiral barbed suture having a longitudinal axis and made by a process comprising the steps of:

providing a suture;

providing a cutting blade;

twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis prior to cutting;

creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along x-y-z axes of the suture; and

providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb,

wherein the motion of the blade causes cutting along the x-y-z axes.

51. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 50 wherein the process includes the further step of providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.

52. The twist-cut spiral barbed suture made by the process as described in claim 50 wherein the process includes the further step of untwisting said suture after cutting.