United States Surgical Corporation

U.S. Surgical Corporation

Cheng-Kung Liu

Steven L Bennett

John C Brewer

Mark S Roby

Ross R Muth

Richard P Stevenson

Ying Jiang

John J Kennedy

Nagabhushanam Totakura

Jeffrey P Pietrangeli

Donald S Kaplan

Matthew E Hain

Darlene Nebinger

Jon T Reinprecht

Block copolymers wherein one of the blocks is made from hard phase forming monomers and another of the blocks is made from soft phase forming monomers copolymerized with randomly intermingled units of other soft phase forming monomers. The copolymers are useful in forming surgical articles, including both monofilament and multifilament sutures.

Bioabsorbable suture and method of its manufacture

Composite materials have a core portion formed from a biocompatible material and at least one shell portion of a biocompatible material joined to the core portion. In a preferred embodiment, the core portion is coextruded with the shell portion to form a composite filament or sheet. The composite materials may be used as sutures or formed into medical devices or surgical articles for implantation within a living organism.

Composite bioabsorbable materials and surgical articles made therefrom

Mixtures of absorbable polymers and plasticizers useful in the production of medical devices are provided.

Plasticizers for fibers used to form surgical devices

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.

Absorbable polymer blends and surgical articles fabricated therefrom

The present invention relates to composite materials having a core portion formed from a first bioabsorbable material and at least one shell portion of a second bioabsorbable material joined to the core portion. The first and second bioabsorbable materials have different rates of bioabsorption. In a preferred embodiment, the core portion is coextruded with the shell portion to form a composite filament or sheet. The materials of the present invention may be used as sutures or formed into medical devices or surgical articles for implantation within a living organism.

Monofilaments fabricated from polymers derived in whole or in part from p-dioxanone are provided. The monofilaments exhibit improved tensile properties such as straight-pull strength and knot-pull strength. The monofilaments can be employed in the fabrication of a wide variety of surgical devices such as sutures, fabric prostheses, and the like.

Process of making a monofilament

Absorbable copolymers are fabricated from a predominant component of dioxanone randomly copolymerized with minor amounts of other bioabsorbable monomers. The copolymers are useful in forming surgical articles, including both monofilament and multifilament sutures.

Absorbable polymer and surgical articles fabricated therefrom

Filaments made from a mixture of absorbable polymers and plasticizers are used to make surgical articles. Preferred plasticizers used in the mixture are stearic acid and its salts.

Composite bioabsorbable materials and surgical articles made thereform

Absorbable block copolymers and surgical articles fabricated therefrom

An ionomer suture exhibits excellent properties. The suture may be monofilament or multifilament, and methods of making and using the suture are disclosed.

Ionomeric suture and its method of manufacture

A higher order polyamide monofilament suture exhibits improved properties such as greater resistance to creep, greater knot security and greater chemical stability in aqueous environments.

Polyamide monofilament suture manufactured from higher order polyamide

Block copolymers have one of the block made from hard phase forming monomers and another block made from soft phase forming monomers copolymerized with randomly intermingled units of other soft phase forming monomers. Particularly useful copolymers are initiated with a polyalkylene oxide initiator. The copolymers are useful in forming surgical articles, including both monofilament and multifilament sutures.

A block copolymer for use in the fabrication of bioabsorbable articles such as monofilament surgical sutures is prepared by copolymerizing one or more hard phase forming monomers and 1,4-dioxan-2-one, and then polymerizing one or more hard phase forming monomers with the dioxanone-containing copolymer.

Absorbable composition

A process and apparatus are provided for manufacturing monofilaments possessing improved physical characteristics such as knot-pull and straight-pull strength.

Growing community of inventors

Norwalk, CT, United States of America

Cheng-Kung Liu