United States Surgical Corporation

Matthew E Hermes

Donald S Kaplan

Ross R Muth

John J Kennedy

David L Brown

Henry A Holzwarth

Ilya S Koyfman

Michael P Chesterfield

John Matthew Kennedy

Steven L Bennett

Herbert W Korthoff

Nagabhushanam Totakura

Darel L Gustafson

Bin Huang

Synthetic absorbable sutures are filled with a stabilizing agent, preferably a mixture of glycerol and calcium lactate, and inserted into a retainer having a narrow convoluted passageway. The retainer is inserted into an open foil pouch with a package stabilizing element such as a paper sheet filled with stabilizing agent. The package containing the suture, retainer and package stabilizing element is sterilized, aerated, equilibrated to a relatively high moisture level, and sealed. Long lengths of suture and doubled-over and tripled-over suture may be withdrawn from the retainer with low force without damaging the suture. Bends and kinks in the suture are prevented so as to provide a synthetic absorbable suture having highly desirable out of package hand and feel. The suture an removed from the package exhibits improved tissue drag characteristics.

Packaged synthetic absorbable surgical elements

Polymer blends of glycolide and/or lactide homopolymer and/or glycolide/lactide copolymer and polycaprolactone and/or polytrimethylene carbonate homopolymer or copolymers thereof and absorbable surgical devices manufactured therefrom having improved mechanical properties, such as improved impact resistance and improved cyclic flex, are disclosed.

Blends of glycolide and/or lactide polymers and caprolactone and/or trimethylene carbonate polymers and absorabable surgical devices made therefrom

Polymer blends of glycolide and/or lactide homopolymer and/or glycolide/lactide copolymer and polycaprolactone and/or polytrimethylene carbonate homopolymer or copolymers thereof and absorbable surgical devices manufactured therefrom having improved mechanical properties, such as improved impact resistance and improved cyclic flex, are disclosed. The blends may be prepared by polymerizing a glycolide or lactide containing polymer in the presence of a polymer derived from trimethylene carbonate or .epsilon.-caprolactone.

Blends of glycolide and/or lactide polymers and caprolactone and/or

A human growth factor (HGF), a human growth factor-containing composition or a medical or surgical device such as a wound dressing or suture filled with a human growth factor-containing composition is sterilized employing an ethylene oxide gaseous sterilizant.

Sterilization of growth factors

Synthetic absorbable sutures are filled with a stabilizing agent, preferably a mixture of glycerol and calcium lactate, and inserted into a retainer having a narrow convoluted passageway. The retainer is inserted into an open foil pouch with a package stabilizing element, such as a paper sheet filled with stabilizing agent. The package containing the suture, retainer and package stabilizing element is sterilized, aerated, equilibrated to a relatively high moisture level, and sealed. Long lengths of suture and doubled-over and tripled-over suture may be withdrawn from the retainer with low force without damaging the suture. Bends and kinks in the suture are prevented so as to provide a synthetic absorbable suture having highly desirable out of package hand and feel. The suture as removed from the package exhibits improved tissue drag characteristics.

A braided suture possesses a cable core which resists any tendency to protrude through the surrounding braid structure.

Cabled core and braided suture made therefrom

An absorbable composition useful for treating absorbable surgical devices to render the same storage stable and/or to enhance delivery of the article and/or a medico-surgically useful substance to a wound. The preferred composition includes collagen or a derivative thereof, a plasticizer and a surfactant.

Treating bioabsorbable surgical articles by coating with glycerine,

Useful materials are formed by polymerizing a 1,3 dioxolan-4-one monomer. The 1,3 dioxolan-4-one monomer can be copolymerized with a variety of comonomers, including glycolide, lactide, dioxanone, trimethylene carbonate and caprolactone.

Polymers of 1,3 dioxolan-4-ones

Polyesters having predetermined monomeric sequence are produced by stepwise addition of monomeric hydroxyacids to a growing polymeric chain. Included herein are various polyesters having predetermined primary sequence, various methods of producing polyesters having predetermined primary sequence, various articles formed from polyesters having predetermined primary sequence and various methods of using such articles.

Polyesters having predetermined monomeric sequence

An absorbable composition for application to a surgical suture to improve the knot tie-down and/or knot security characteristics thereof is obtained from the reaction of a poly(oxypropylene) glycol and a lactide/glycolide copolymer, optionally, in the presence of an initiator and/or catalyst.

Absorbable coating composition and suture coated therewith

A braided suture exhibits one or more improved properties, e.g., reduced chatter, greater flexibility and/or better hand, than that of a braided suture of known, or standard, construction and of substantially equivalent size.

Braided suture of improved characteristics

The present invention provides a surgical incision or wound closure implant device possessing an interior hollow core region while maintaining the mechanical beam characteristics of the overall structure. In the case of cored biodegradable implant devices the thickness of the cored region can be varied to regulate the speed at which the device is biodegraded. The core region may optionally be filled with a medicinal agent or a stabilizing material.

Growing community of inventors

Easton, CT, United States of America

Matthew E Hermes