Ethicon, Gmbh

Edward E Walker

Gaoyuan Gavin Chen

Dominick Egidio

Anthony Tiano

Attila Antal

Gene W Kammerer

Royce L Frederick

Barbara Howard

Crawford R Britt

Royce L Ferderick

C Ray Britt

The present invention is directed to processes for the manufacture of multifilament yarn, including the steps of extruding multifilaments of a polymer containing at least mole 85 percent L-lactide and not more than 15 mole percent glycolide, spinning the extruded multifilaments to form a spun yarn, passing the spun multifilament yarn through an orientation roll heated at a temperature of less than 98&deg; C. and drawing the spun multifilament yarn to a draw ratio of at least 4:1 to form an oriented multifilament fiber, annealing the oriented multifilament yarn at a temperature greater than that of the orientation roll, and redrawing the annealed, oriented multifilament yarn by at least 10 percent at a temperature lower than the temperature of annealing.

Process of making multifilament yarn

The present invention relates to a process of forming bioabsorbable, multifilament yarn from Lactide-rich copolymers, including the steps of extruding and spinning a Lactide-rich copolymer to form a spun multifilament yarn, pre-tensioning the spun multifilament yarn to form a pre-tensioned yarn, heating the pre-tensioned yarn to form a pre-tensioned, preheated yarn, annealing and drawing the pre-tensioned, preheated yarn for a first time, annealing and drawing the yarn for a second time, cooling the twice-drawn yarn to a lower temperature, and taking-up the cooled multifilament yarn, to yarns prepared by the process and to medical devices prepared from such yarns.

Bioabsorbable multifilament yarn and methods of manufacture

A medical device for ligation or approximating tissue is disclosed. The device has a cannula with proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the cannula has a beveled surface, and the cannula has first and second channels, the first channel extending axially through it, and the second channel extending from the beveled surface to the first channel. The device includes a suture with a slide end and a distal loop, as well as a slip knot securing the loop to the slide end. The slide end is threaded thorough the first and second channels of the cannula and it protrudes from the proximal end of the cannula. In addition, the device incorporates means for securing the positioning of the slide end of the suture in the first channel of the cannula. The device may optionally have a frangible proximal end wherein the proximal end of the suture is mounted to the frangible proximal end. The device is particularly well adapted for use during endoscopic surgery when it is necessary to perform operative procedures through small openings in the body. The device is easy to maneuver and to position, and does not require the user to make the suture knot outside the body.

Endoscopic suturing device

A medical device for ligation or approximating tissue is disclosed. The device has a cannula with proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the cannula has a beveled surface, and the cannula has first and second channels, the first channel extending axially through it, and the second channel extending from the beveled surface to the first channel. The device includes a suture with a slide end and a distal loop, as well as a slip knot securing the loop to the slide end. The slide end is threaded thorough the first and second channels of the cannula and it protrudes from the proximal end of the cannula. In addition, the device incorporates means for securing the positioning of the slide end of the suture in the first channel of the cannula. The device is particularly well adapted for use during endoscopic surgery when it is necessary to perform operative procedures through small openings in the body. The device is easy to maneuver and to position, and does not require the user to make the suture knot outside the body.

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Stockton, NJ, United States of America

Edward E Walker