Self-retaining variable loop sutures
AssigneesEthicon, Inc., Cilag GmbH International
InventorsJeffrey M. Gross, Lev Drubetsky, William L. D'Agostino, William L. Hunter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suture having a first end for penetrating tissue, an elongated suture body having a periphery; a plurality of retainers on the periphery, and a second end having a variable loop of variable circumference, wherein the variable loop includes a fixed loop slidably engaging the elongated body for slidingly varying the circumference of the variable loop, and wherein the first end may pass through the variable loop to secure tissue as an anchor, the anchor preventing movement of the suture in the direction of deployment of the first end.
Claims19
A self-retaining suture comprising:
- (a) a needle configured to penetrate tissue, wherein the needle has a needle diameter;
- and
- (b) a suture comprising:
- (i) a first end coupled with the needle;
- (ii) an elongated suture body having a periphery;
- (iii) a plurality of tissue retainers extending along at least a portion of the periphery of the elongated suture body, wherein the plurality of tissue retainers is configured to resist movement of the self-retaining suture in a direction substantially opposite to a deployment direction of the first end;
- and
- (iv) a second end that forms a fixed loop fixedly integral with the elongated suture body, wherein the fixed loop has a fixed loop diameter that is fixed, wherein the fixed loop diameter is less than the needle diameter which is configured to prevent the needle from passing through the fixed loop, wherein the elongated suture body extends through the fixed loop to form a variable loop having a variable loop diameter, wherein the needle is configured to pass through the variable loop, wherein the elongated suture body is slidably disposed in the fixed loop to vary the variable loop diameter.
A self-retaining suture comprising:
- (a) an elongated suture body having a periphery, a first end, and a second end;
- (b) a needle at the first end of the elongated suture body, the needle being configured to pierce tissue, the needle having a needle diameter;
- (c) a plurality of tissue retainers extending along at least a portion of the periphery of the elongated suture body, wherein the plurality of tissue retainers is configured to resist movement of the elongated suture body in a direction substantially opposite to a deployment direction of the first end;
- and
- (d) a fixed loop fixedly formed and positioned at the second end of the elongated suture body, wherein the fixed loop has a fixed loop diameter that is less than the needle diameter such that the smaller diameter of the fixed loop is configured to prevent the needle from passing through the fixed loop, wherein the elongated suture body is disposed in the fixed loop to form a variable loop having a variable loop diameter, wherein the needle is configured to pass through the variable loop, wherein the elongated suture body is configured to slide through the fixed loop to vary the variable loop diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.