Interlaced compositions and methods of production

A method for producing an interlaced device, the device comprising at least two interlaced elements, each of the interlaced element comprising at least two parts with each part having at least two termini that are mated during production, and a defined central void through which at least one other interlaced element passes, the method comprising:

• a) providing at least a first and a second substrate layer, each substrate layer comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and a mating zone, the substrate layers to be processed to form at least four interlacing parts, each of the interlacing parts processed from a single substrate layer being mated with one part from another substrate layer to create an interlaced element;
• b) introducing terminal end cuts in each substrate layers for each interlacing part;
• c) introducing cross-over point cuts in each substrate layers to define cross-over points, with at least one cross-over point on each interlacing part;
• d) mating the substrate layers by aligning mating zones;
• e) bonding the substrate layers along the mating zones;
• and
• f) completing any cuts necessary to fully define the interlaced elements.

A method for manufacturing an interlaced two-component device useful for altering the spatial relationship between two surfaces, or two portions of a single surface, the two-component closure device comprising:

• a) a first component, the first component comprising:
• i) a first anchoring element for attachment to the surface of an article, the first anchoring element having an inner edge and an outer edge;
• ii) a plurality of first connecting elements extending from the inner edge of the first anchoring element, at least a portion of the plurality of first connecting elements having a two layer thickness;
• iii) a first pulling element having an outer edge, and an inner edge, the inner edge being joined to the plurality of first connecting elements;
• b) a second component, the second component comprising:
• i) a second anchoring element for attachment to the surface of an article, the second anchoring element having an inner edge and an outer edge;
• ii) a plurality of second connecting elements extending from the inner edge of the second anchoring element, at least a portion of the plurality of second connecting elements having a two layer thickness;
• iii) a second pulling element having an outer edge, and an inner edge, the inner edge being joined to the plurality of second connecting elements;
• c) means for attaching the first connecting elements to the second anchoring element and means for attaching the second connecting elements to the first anchoring element, the method for manufacturing comprising:
• i) providing a bottom substrate layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, and a mating zone and processing the bottom substrate layer according to the following steps:
• (1) cutting two parallel series of cut-outs, the first parallel cut-out series extending from the left edge of the mating zone toward the left edge of the bottom substrate layer, the second parallel cut-out series extending from the right edge of the mating zone toward the right edge of the bottom substrate layer, the portion of the bottom substrate layer remaining left of the mating zone between individual cut-outs in the first series of parallel cut-outs defining the connecting elements of a series of first components, the inner edge of the series of first pulling elements, and an edge to be further processed to define the inner edge of the first anchoring element, the portion of the bottom substrate layer remaining right of the mating zone between individual cut-outs in the second series of parallel cut-outs defining the connecting elements of a series of second components, the inner edge of the series of second pulling elements, and an edge to be further processed to define the inner edge of the second anchoring element;
• ii) providing a top substrate layer having a top surface, a bottom surface and a mating zone and processing the top substrate layer according to the following steps;
• (1) cutting a first and second series of slits at the two boundaries of the mating zone, the first and second series of slits forming the inner edges of the to-be-formed first and second anchoring elements;
• (2) cutting a third series of slits through the top substrate layer, the third series of slits defining the outer edge of the first anchoring element opposite its associated inner edge in the to-be-completed first anchoring element;
• (3) cutting a fourth series of slits through the top substrate layer, the fourth series of slits defining the outer edge of the second anchoring element opposite its associated inner edge in the to-be-completed second anchoring element;
• iii) aligning the bottom substrate layer and the top substrate layer in two dimensions and mating the top surface of the bottom substrate layer with the bottom surface of the top substrate layer;
• iv) bonding the mated top surface and bottom surface along the length of the mating zone;
• v) introducing a series of cross-mating zone cuts through both layers of the mated substrates thereby extending connecting elements from one side of the mating zone to the opposite side of the mating zone, each of the cross-mating zone cuts intersecting with a pre-existing cut on both sides of the mating zone;
• vi) completing the formation of the first and second pulling tabs;
• and
• vii) introducing a series of cuts through the first and second substrate layers, the series of cuts intersecting with the second, third and fourth series of slits formed in step c)1), c)2) and c)3), thereby releasing individual, interlaced two-component closure devices.

A method for manufacturing an interlaced wound closure device comprising two interlaced elements, each interlaced element being produced from two or more substrate layers, each interlaced element having a plurality of overlapping and bonded portions at which at least two substrate layers are joined to form an interlaced element, each interlaced element further comprising:

• a) an adhesive-backed anchoring element having a substantially linear wound edge;
• b) a plurality of connecting elements having removable and non-removable portions, the plurality of connecting elements extending from the wound edge in a first direction, at least a portion of the lower surface of the connecting elements being adhesive-backed;
• and
• c) a pulling element attached to the connecting members, the method of manufacturing comprising:
• i) providing a bottom substrate layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge and a center line bisecting a mating zone and processing the bottom substrate layer according to the following steps:
• (1) applying to the top surface of the bottom substrate layer, a first adhesive layer suitable for securing a connecting element to an anchoring element when the device is in use;
• (2) applying an adhesive-kill layer to the portions of the first, adhesive layer which will comprise the to-be-formed pulling elements, and removable portions of connecting elements;
• (3) applying a first release liner along the left edges of the bottom substrate layer, the first release liner extending from the left edge of the bottom substrate layer toward the center line of the bottom substrate layer and terminating at the left edge of the mating zone;
• (4) applying a second release liner along the right edge of the bottom substrate layer, the second release liner extending from the right edge of the bottom substrate layer toward the center line of the bottom substrate layer and terminating at a point near the center line which defines the right edge of the mating zone;
• (5) applying a third release liner covering adhesive previously applied over the mating zone;
• (6) cutting two parallel series of cut-outs through the bottom substrate layer and associated release liners, the first parallel cut-out series extending from the left edge of the mating zone toward the left edge of the bottom substrate layer, the second parallel cut-out series extending from the right edge of the mating zone toward the right edge of the bottom substrate layer, the portion of the bottom substrate layer remaining left of the mating zone between individual cut-outs in the first series of parallel cut-outs defining the connecting elements of a series of first interlaced elements, the portion of the bottom substrate layer remaining right of the mating zone between individual cut-outs in the second series of parallel cut-outs defining connecting elements of a series of second interlaced elements;
• ii) providing a top substrate layer having a top surface, a bottom surface and a center line bisecting a mating zone and processing the top substrate layer according to the following steps;
• (1) applying a second adhesive layer to the top surface of the top substrate layer, the second adhesive layer comprising an adhesive suitable for securing an anchoring element to the skin of an individual when the device is in use;
• (2) applying an adhesive-kill layer to a portion of the second adhesive layer comprising the mating zone;
• (3) applying a fourth release liner to the portion of the second adhesive layer exposed to the left side of the mating zone following the adhesive-kill step;
• (4) optionally applying a first longitudinal crease in the fourth release liner, the first longitudinal crease being substantially parallel to the margin of the mating zone, the position of the first longitudinal crease in the X-dimension of the fourth release liner falling within the boundary of the to-be-formed second adhesive-backed anchoring element;
• (5) applying a fifth release liner to the portion of the second adhesive layer exposed to the right side of the mating zone following the adhesive-kill step,
• (6) optionally applying a second longitudinal crease, the second longitudinal crease being applied to the fifth release liner, the second longitudinal crease being substantially parallel to the margin of the mating zone, the position of the second longitudinal crease in the X-dimension of the fifth release liner falling within the boundary of the to-be-formed first adhesive-backed anchoring element;
• (7) applying a third adhesive layer and a protective release liner to the portion of the fourth release liner bounded in the X-dimension by the adhesive-killed portion, and the first longitudinal crease, if present, or by an imaginary line drawn to meet the positioning requirements of the first longitudinal crease;
• (8) applying a fourth adhesive layer and a protective release liner to the portion of the fifth release liner bounded in the X-dimension by the adhesive-killed portion, and the second longitudinal crease, if present, or by an imaginary line drawn to meet the positioning requirements of the second longitudinal crease;
• (9) cutting a first and second series of slits at the two boundaries of the mating zone, the first and second series of slits forming the wound edges of the to-be-formed first and second adhesive-backed anchoring elements;
• (10) cutting a third series of slits through the fourth release liner and the attached top substrate layer, the third series of slits defining an edge of the first adhesive-backed anchoring element opposite its associated wound edge in the to-be-completed first adhesive-backed anchoring element;
• (11) cutting a fourth series of slits through the fifth release liner and the attached top substrate layer, the fourth series of slits defining an edge of the second adhesive-backed anchoring element opposite its associated wound edge in the to-be-completed second adhesive-backed anchoring element;
• iii) removing the third release liner from the top surface of the bottom substrate layer;
• iv) aligning the top and bottom substrate layers in two dimensions and mating the top surface of the bottom substrate layer with the bottom surface of the top substrate layer using the adhesive layer exposed by the removal of the third release liner;
• v) introducing cross-mating zone cuts to extend connecting elements, portions of which are pre-existing in the bottom substrate layer, across the mating zone, each cross-mating zone cut intersecting with a pre-existing cut in both the top and bottom substrate layers on both sides of the mating zone;
• vi) removing the release liner from the third and fourth adhesive layers;
• vii) applying to the adhesive layers exposed in the preceding step, a strip of semi-rigid material to be further processed to form a series of first and second members of a series of flip tab pairs, the left edge of the strip being aligned with the outer edge of the third adhesive layer, the right edge of the strip being aligned with the outer edge of the fourth adhesive, the strip being incompletely cut to form a frangible line in the area applied over the mating zone of the mated top and bottom substrate layers;
• viii) completing the formation of the first and second pulling tabs by introducing any necessary cuts;
• and
• ix) introducing a series of cuts through all layers of the mated assembly, the series of cuts intersecting with the second, third and fourth series of slits, thereby releasing individual, interlaced two-component wound closure devices.

An interlaced wound closure device comprising two separate and distinct interlaced elements, each interlaced element being produced from two or more substrate layers, each interlaced element having a plurality of overlapping and bonded portions at which the at least two substrate layers are joined to form an interlaced element, wherein the bonded portions have inner and outer perimeters and wherein the inner and outer perimeter of the bonded portions of the two or more substrate layers are substantially identical and substantially aligned with each other thereby forming the overlapped bonded portion, each interlaced element further comprising:

• i) an adhesive-backed anchoring element having a substantially linear wound edge;
• ii) a plurality of connecting elements extending from the wound edge in a first direction, at least a portion of the lower surface of the connecting elements being adhesive-backed;
• and
• iii) a pulling element attached to the connecting elements.

A method for producing an interlaced device, the device comprising at least two interlaced elements, at least one of every two of the interlaced elements comprising at least two parts with each part having at least two termini ends that are mated during production, and a defined central void through which at least one other interlaced element passes, the method comprising:

• a) providing at least a first and a second substrate layer, each substrate layer comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and a mating zone, the substrate layers to be processed to form at least two interlacing parts, each of the interlacing parts processed from a single substrate layer being mated with one part from another substrate layer to create an interlaced element;
• b) introducing terminal end cuts in each substrate layers for each of its interlacing parts;
• c) introducing cross-over point cuts in each substrate layer to define cross-over points for each interlacing parts;
• d) mating the substrate layers by aligning mating zones;
• e) bonding the substrate layers along the mating zones;
• and
• f) completing any cuts necessary to fully define the interlaced elements.