Knotless Sutures Including Integrated Closures
AssigneeStitchlock, Inc.
InventorClayton L. Moliver
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Self-retaining sutures having a first end for penetrating tissue and an elongated suture body comprising a plurality of intermittent apertures structured to enable formation of knotless suture loop closures that securely hold opposing tissue faces together due to the presence of the intermittent apertures through the suture that permit one-way passage of the suture body thus forming a self-retaining or self-engaging loop in the suture that does not slip backwards. Once a desired loop size is formed between tissue faces by pulling the suture through one of the intermittent apertures in the suture thread, the suture thread is clipped and a further loop is begun using the remainder of the suture thread affixed to the suture needle.
Claims4
A method of suturing tissue comprising:
- a) providing a self-retaining suture including a barbed suture body attached to a suture needle and a plurality of visually identifiable apertures arrayed at fixed longitudinal intervals along the suture body, wherein the visually identifiable apertures are adapted and dimensioned to admit one-way passage of the suture body laterally through the visually identifiable apertures while the barbs on the suture body resist backwards movement of the suture in a direction substantially opposite the direction of deployment of the suture;
- b) deploying the needle through tissue of first and second sides of a wound;
- c) pulling the suture body through the first and second sides of the wound and leaving a terminal tail of the suture including at least one aperture disposed outside of the first side of the wound;
- d) locating an aperture in the terminal tail of the suture and pulling the suture body through the aperture until a loop is formed that pulls the first and second sides of the wound together;
- e) clipping the suture thread past the aperture that forms the loop;
- and
- f) using the remaining suture body to form further stitches by repeating steps a)-e).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.