Process of making bioabsorbable filaments
OwnerJohn Kennedy, Richard Stevensoninventors
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Abstract
Methods for making a bioabsorbable copolymer filaments are provided herein. The methods include drying the polymer pellets to be extruded, melt extrusion of copolymer components, stretching the filaments in one or more draw steps and permitting the drawn filaments to relax. The copolymer preferably contains units derived from glycolide or glycolic acid and units derived from an alkylene carbonate, such as, for example, trimethylene carbonate.
Claims18
(canceled)
A process for manufacturing a monofilament suture from a block copolymer comprising from about 50 to about 80 weight percent glycolide, and about 20 to about 50 weight percent trimethylene carbonate, the method comprising:
- a) extruding the copolymer to provide a molten monofilament;
- b) quenching the molten monofilament to provide a solidified monofilament;
- c) drawing the solidified monofilament through a first oven maintained at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 35° C. at a draw ratio of about 4.8:1 to about 8.5:1;
- d) drawing the monofilament through a second oven maintained at a temperature of about 110° C. to about 120° C. at a draw ratio of about 1.25:1 to about 1.50:1;
- e) drawing the monofilament through a third oven maintained at a temperature of about 120° C. to about 140° C. at a draw ratio of about 0.7:1 to about 0.8:1;
- and
- f) annealing the monofilament.
A process for manufacturing a monofilament suture from a block copolymer comprising from about 50 to about 80 weight percent glycolide, and about 20 to about 50 weight percent trimethylene carbonate, the method comprising:
- a) extruding the copolymer at a temperature from about 180° C. to about 225° C. to provide a molten monofilament;
- b) quenching the molten monofilament in a quench bath at a temperature from about 18° C. to about 40° C. to provide a solidified monofilament;
- c) drawing the solidified monofilament through a first oven maintained at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 35° C. at a draw ratio of about 5.5:1 to about 7.5:1;
- d) drawing the monofilament through a second oven maintained at a temperature of about 110° C. to about 120° C. at a draw ratio of about 1.25:1 to about 1.50:1;
- e) drawing the monofilament through a third oven maintained at a temperature of about 120° C. to about 140° C. at a draw ratio of about 0.7:1 to about 0.8:1;
- and
- f) annealing the monofilament at temperatures ranging from about 40° C. to about 125° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.