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US 5,593,425 AGranted
Surgical devices assembled using heat bonable materials
AssigneePeter M. Bonutti
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, Mark V. Brillhart
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AssigneePeter M. Bonutti
InventorsPeter M. Bonutti, Mark V. Brillhart
Estimating the term…
Surgical devices such as implants or suture fastenings are assembled from a plurality of discrete components, one of which components includes a heat bondable plastic material for bonding the components together. At least two components are bonded to each other by the applying heat to the heat bondable plastic material of one component. The heat bondable plastic material is preferably a polymeric or composite material suitable for surgical applications and implantation in humans, and may be a biodegradable material. A laser may be used as the heat source. The present invention is advantageously embodied in heat bonded fastenings for sutures or K-wires, in which a variety of different suture anchors are usable, including expandable distal suture anchors. Other embodiments include a metal bone plate which is held to bone by a metal bone screw and a nut of bondable material bonded to the plate to secure the connection; a piece of bondable material bonded to a metal prosthesis to custom fit the prosthesis; and a surgical implant custom formed by bonding together a plurality of discrete elements one or more of which is bondable.
A method of suturing body tissue, said method comprising the steps of placing a suture formed of a plastic material relative to the body tissue, inserting a portion of the suture into an opening in a retainer formed of a plastic material, heating at least a portion of the retainer to a temperature in a transition temperature range of the plastic material forming the retainer while maintaining the plastic material of the suture at a temperature below the transition temperature range of the plastic material forming the suture, flowing the plastic material of the retainer around the plastic material of the suture while the plastic material of the suture is at a temperature below the transition temperature range of the plastic material of the suture, and, thereafter, bonding the plastic material of the retainer to the plastic material of the suture by cooling the plastic material of the retainer to a temperature below the transition temperature range of the plastic material of the retainer.
A method of suturing body tissue, said method comprising the steps of placing a suture formed of a plastic material relative to the body tissue, inserting a portion of the suture into an opening in a retainer formed of a plastic material, heating at least a portion of the retainer, and, thereafter, bonding the plastic material of the retainer to the plastic material of the suture, said steps of heating at least a portion of the retainer and bonding the plastic material of the retainer to the plastic material of the suture being performed without significant deformation of the plastic material of the suture.
A method of suturing body tissue, said method comprising the steps of placing a suture formed of a plastic material relative to the body tissue, inserting a first portion of the suture into a first opening in a retainer formed of a plastic material, inserting a second portion of a suture into a second opening in the retainer, thereafter, heating a portion of the retainer disposed between the first and second openings in the retainer, and bonding the plastic material of the retainer to the suture.
A method of suturing body tissue, said method comprising the steps of placing a suture relative to body tissue, inserting a portion of the suture into an opening in a retainer formed of a plastic material, heating a portion of the plastic material of the retainer, flowing the heated plastic material of the retainer around an outer side surface of the suture without flowing the material of the suture, and bonding the plastic material of the retainer to the suture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.