Pretreatment for lubricated surgical needles

A method for manufacturing a siliconized surgical needle comprising the steps of:

• providing a surgical needle having a surface;
• contacting the surface of the needle with a pretreating solution comprising an acid to form a pretreated needle;
• applying a lubricant composition to at least a portion of the surface of the pretreated needle, the lubricant composition comprising at least one polydialkylsiloxane and at least one other siliconization material which does not covalently bond with the polydialkylsiloxane, the siliconization material being capable of crosslinking;
• and,
• curing the lubricant composition on the surface of the needle whereby the siliconization material cross-links to physically interlock the polydialkylsiloxane in the coating and provide an interpenetrating network coating.

A surgical needle having reduced penetration force comprising:

• a surgical needle having an acid-treated surface;
• and
• a silicone-containing coating on at least a portion of the acid treated surface,
• whereby the surgical needle has a penetration force on a fifth pass through tissue that is at least 10% less than the penetration force on a fifth pass through tissue of a needle having the same silicone-containing coating on the same surgical needle having no surface that is acid treated.